Off Court Issues - 2015 June

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NBA Opinions

Is It Time For The Knicks To Ship Out Carmelo Anthony?

June 30, 2015 — by Erich Schubert — 1

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The New York Knicks have not been legitimate title contenders since the mid 90’s when Patrick Ewing patrolled the paint, punishing all who dared defend him. They did make the Finals in 1999, but that was a miraculous appearance. The Knicks had virtually no chance of defeating the Spurs as they won their first of five championships in fifteen years. They have managed to put together respectable seasons, even winning 54 games and the Atlantic Division as recently as the 2012-2013 season. Another team that, contrary to their fan base’s beliefs, had no real chance of advancing past the Lebron-lead Miami Heat, despite their head-to-head success in the regular season. It wouldn’t matter, the emerging Playoff threat Pacers removed the Knicks in the second round. That was the peak of the Carmelo years in New York. Anthony is a devastatingly powerful, offensive force and effective rebounder for his position, but his defensive shortcomings, paired with his woeful lack of leadership always leave fans clamoring for more. As a second option or a piece of a structured cohesive squad, Carmelo could be very, very useful. As the centerpiece of a franchise looking to regain relevance, his weakness become glaring. The Knicks have not undergone a total rebuild, even when it’s appeared time.

New York City is commonly regarded as the capitol of the world, America’s grandest metropolis and therefore, shouldn’t need to pump the brakes, let the car run to empty, before refueling and burning through quarter miles. A lot of things should happen. Isaiah Thomas shouldn’t have signed every offensive guard in the world, along with problem big men, but he did and it set the franchise back. New York now enters this free agency with a a plethora of cap space, something it hasn’t had in quite some time. This is a terrific free agent class and the popularity of the city gives them access to players that their front office and ownership assuredly, do not deserve.

Should the Knicks strike out in free agency and fail to partner Carmelo Anthony with premiere players ex: Aldridge, Love etc., it may be time to reevaluate the roster. The Knicks are reportedly the favorites to sign Greg Monroe and Aaron Afflalo. Very good players, but as long as Lebron looms, not good enough, even in the depleted Easter Conference. Also, of note, the Knicks are coming off of a very poor season, in which Carmelo sat out most of the year. What happens when you have a bad season? You’re team is in the lottery, where they will be selecting players that should be of great influence on the NBA for years to come.

Reportedly, Phil Jackson went out of his way to reassure his star player that the Knicks would be looking to draft someone capable of contributing immediately. That doesn’t sound like Kristaps Porzingis, the 19 year old Latvian big man who looks like his body needs a few more years to fully develop.

Typically big men take longer to mature in the NBA, which means we are looking at likely 3-4 years before Porzingis starts paying dividends for the Knicks. Carmelo can’t wait that long. The potentially volatile 31 year old, if not paired with equivalent talent, could net large returns on the trade market. Should the Knicks commit to a proper rebuild, perhaps another team that whiffs in free agency may look to acquire talent by other means. Typically trading within your division is frowned upon, but the 76ers and Celics both have a plethora of future picks and could both use an upgrade at the small forward.

Carmelo feels like a Knick, he should be there and it should work, but it isn’t. He’s one of the most unique players in the NBA, whom if not a part of the perfect formula, actually holds you back. As currently constituted, marketing aside and focusing purely on basketball balance, the Knicks are very, very far from a good fit.

Style

Rating The Rebrandings

June 30, 2015 — by Erich Schubert — 1

The NBA’s global popularity has skyrocketed over the past decade, basketball is the second most popular sport in the world and our stars are recognized in the most obscure corners of the earth. However, the strive for greater brand recognition is never ending, a fresh look recaptures an already captive audience and creates an aura of rebirth and progress. A handful of teams have begun their rebranding process this season with fresh logos and/or uniforms. Some are greater than others, let’s take a look at the best first, shall we?

Milwaukee Bucks – A

Ask most hardcore or casual basketball fans to name ten franchises and, unless they’re wearing a block of cheese as a hat, the Bucks are unlikely to be mentioned. The Bucks play in a small market, are greatly overshadowed by their NFL counterpart, the Packers and don’t have a rich history of winning. Perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself. With an extraordinarily talented, youthful core featuring Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter Williams, Khris Middleton and John Henson, the iron was smoldering and the Bucks wisely struck. The Bucks new primary logo features an angrier deer with a subtle “M” for a neck, continuing the trend they implemented on their court, this past season. Some design genius in the organization adapted their initials, aware that the lettering doubles as an “M” for Milwaukee, or a “W” for Wisconsin.

The Home uniform is clearly stronger than the away. The light blue accent is a wonderful small touch, but both are well executed and stand out on their own. Well done design team. But let’s always try and find a way to use the classic happy, sitting deer logo somehow, OK?

Philadelphia 76ers – B-

The new uniforms are simple and clean, nothing to complain about, but definitely nothing remarkable. In all honesty the jerseys are pulling the grade down, but that Ben Franklin doh. He’s racking the rebrand and putting up some for-real weight. Ben looks like he could cover the entire distance of the court in one second flat. Just look at that dynamic posture. The only negative is that he clearly has his hand in a potential offensive foul position, ready to clear the lane or push off. You’re better than that Mr. Franklin.

Hopefully the 76ers find some way to incorporate the alternate logo somewhere with an alternate jersey. The Ben Franklin logo would surely be too much for daily use, but once in a while, it’s definitely a showstopper.

Los Angeles Clippers – D

There’s been a lot of buzz around the Clippers redesign, primarily negative, for good reason, these are bad… Just bad. The new logo is at best a concept sketch, that eventually gets reworked, rethought and eventually used as inspiration for a newer, better concept. It’s just lazy. The uniforms aren’t much better. The home jersey text looks like a weird cousin of the Playoffs Logo with it’s awkward, double convex underline. Simplicity is a style, but not the only one and relying upon it does not promise a fruitful end product. There are rumors that the starkness of the uniform is to prepare for potential jersey sponsorship, to leave room for product placement. That may happen sooner than we think, for now, these just look unfinished.

Atlanta Hawks – B

The Atlanta Hawks present NBA fans with a very intriguing entry into the world of uniform design. They emphasized the vibrant red and yellow of their team color palette, abandoning the navy blue and opting for a bolder, black look. The textured fabric is a wonderful departure from the less-is-more school of design that has overtaken the NBA. The red variation is clearly the winner of the three and hopefully will be seen with great regularity. The Hawks also earned extra credit for realizing what we all already knew. They’re never going to come up with something cooler than this.

Toronto Raptors – F-

That’s theirs on the left, in case you didn’t figure that out. Looks familiar though, huh? Hey Toronto, get your own logo! It’s bad enough they’re still saddled with a mascot inspired by a 1993 summer blockbuster. Remember how cool velociraptors were in 1993? They were this awesome dinosaur that none of us new about, don’t pretend like you knew about ’em. We thought it was all T-rex’s, triceratops and stegosauruses, but nah, this dino thinks and remembers. Well it’ll be 2015 when the Raptors fully incorporate this logo into their brand, a long time since we fell in love with the clever girls of Jurassic Park. If their swiped logo isn’t bad enough, there are rumors that there will be an alternate version of their as of yet unreleased uniforms labelled, “Drake Version.” Corny.

NBA News

The Golden State Warriors – 2015 NBA Champions

June 30, 2015 — by Erich Schubert — 0

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Like so many Steph Curry threes, the confetti has fallen, the parade route is planned and the Warriors are the NBA champions for the first time in forty years. Golden State lead the league from wire to wire, never relenting their stranglehold on the overall standings, even ranking highest in both offensive and defensive efficiency. It shouldn’t be surprising that they made it through the powerhouse western conference and overcame a woefully depleted Cleveland Cavaliers, but many NBA fans waited to see if the small-ball, positionless, three point shooters from the Bay could pull it off. Boy did they. Standing in their way to basketball immortality was a titan of the sport, the perfectly formed bully-ball weapon, Lebron James. Despite the Warriors magnificence it would be nothing short of a travesty to not at least acknowledge the wizardry of Ohio’s native son. Yet, in the end, there was little even Lebron could do to prevent the Warriors from claiming their second Finals championship.

Steve Kerr’s team existed on an amorphous plane, constantly adjust and fluctuating, but all the while retaining it’s core values. The Warriors remained ardent in their belief in three point shooting, one on one defense and a reliance on the pick and roll and dribble hand off. This created all the space needed for the man with the quickest release in the NBA, Steph Curry. Once he awoke from his vegemite induced coma, realizing his defender had no business trying to keep him in check, that is.

“Delly” was an interesting story for the first third of the Finals, but didn’t we all know it couldn’t last? Eventually the cream rose to the top and the Australian playing, in all likelihood, the best basketball of his life, reverted back to form. Good on him though.

Tristan Thompson grabbed offensive rebounds at will, creating countless second chances for the Lebrons. He proved to be a valued member of the team and will leave Cavaliers GM David Griffin with quite a bit to think about this off season, especially in regards to the status of Kevin Love. Mozgov was serviceable, but for the Cavs, this series rested squarely on the shoulders of Lebron James. The kid from Akron put on a truly virtuoso performance, leaving no debate as to who is the greatest in the game today.

The Cavliers shortened their rotation throughout the series, eventually opting for a seven man lineup, with extended minutes for Lebron James. This would prove costly. By the end of the Finals it was evident to all who laid witness, the Cavliers had run out of gas, including their usually indefatigable superstar. Indeed, this was the outcome the Warriors expected. Often beginning games laying in wait, seemingly allowing Cleveland to pump up the crowd and go on early runs leading to frequent first quarter leads. Once the Warriors figured them out, those Cleveland leads were never to last.

The Warriors reinvented their lineup halfway through the Series, injected the much needed Andre Iguodala, who later become Finals MVP, into the starting lineup and relegating Andrew Bogut to cheerleading duty. Just when you thought the Warriors couldn’t go any smaller, they threw all caution to the wind, placing Draymond Green at center, surrounding him with four guards, the epitome of small ball. It was this commitment to scheme that carried the Warriors to the highest point in the NBA. A team wide agreement, a promise to give in to the system and exist within it would lead them past the best player in the world, even when he seemed nigh unstoppable.

The Warriors are a young team and are likely to retain Draymond Green, not their best player, but the lynchpin of their defensive identity and small ball capabilities. But NBA futures and trends are never certain. How long will it be before they Warriors are forced to shift to alternate techniques? Will they have the personnel to make said shifts? Don’t be surprised if it’s Golden State forcing those very changes. For all of their strengths, one of their greatest is their brain trust. A willing owner, a proven gm and a head coach whose prowess belies his years on the job. They’ve also got this guy named Steph Curry and he’s only 27. Whatever happens it should be pretty fun to watch.

NBA Opinions

The 76ers – Master Plan or Massive Failure

June 30, 2015 — by Erich Schubert — 0

If you’re not competitive enough to vie for an NBA title, you should be tanking. This is a team building system that gains prevalence day by day throughout front offices and fan bases alike. There are of course geographical anomalies, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, free agent destinations so sought after that little is required of their general manager other than maintaining cap space. But, for the common townsfolk of the NBA, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Denver, a true systematic strategy must be employed and be aware your fan’s loyalty is at stake. For this discussion we find ourselves eating cheesesteaks, running up stairs, boxing, dressing up like Ben Franklin and generally acting out any other cliche associated with the city of Philadelphia, the Panzer of the NBA.

Sam Hinkie, 76ers general manager, took over in 2013, since that time he has never outright said it, but his actions clearly depict a man who has no interest in seeing his team win games. Should you prove to be a serviceable player over the age of 22, you might as well pack your bags now, Sam will deal you for future draft picks faster then a Tim Hardaway killer crossover. Many teams in the league tinker with this notion, but only Philadelphia goes all in, casting aside fan interest, disregarding league wide humiliation and risking any legitimacy in free agency, all for what Hinkie believes is the greater good. When cap space is required, the 76ers are all too happy to absorb bad contracts and receive second round picks, they have become the leagues scrapyard. Sam Hinkie might as well don a cheap suit, pop in a grill and run ads on local public access cable offering to “Buy your junk!” But is it working? The 76ers have drafted in enviable positions for the last three years, however, they do find themselves in a bit of an oversized quandary.

With the NBA shifting more and more to positionless lineups with a propensity for small ball, the 76ers will have a tough time fitting 21 feet of center into their regular rotation. Hinkie leaves no room for debate, he believes in drafting the player he sees as the best available. Clearly he thinks it has been a center… For the last three years. At some point, at least one of the three will likely be on the move once the roster shapes up. There’s at least one of the three that it appears would like to make his way out sooner rather than later. There are also some other issues that may have influence on that decision process.

Any injury is bad, but when a seven footer misses seasons because of broken feet, the clock is ticking. Hopefully Embiid will not suffer the same fate as previous big men with similar issues.

The 76ers other recent lottery pick, Dario Saric has indicated that he will not play for them this season, as he continues to fulfill his contract with Turkish team Anadolu Efes. Saric is in the second year of a three year commitment, there is a buyout option on his contract, but it has proven to be high enough that Philadelphia will unlikely meet it. What does all this mean? In short, Philadelphia would love to stash Saric away in Europe and bring him over next year, thus beginning his rookie pay scale contract. Saric and his representatives are aware of this, which is why he will see out his contract, come to the NBA at it’s end, where he will be eligible to negotiate a new deal under the escalated salary cap in 2017. Bad news for Sam Hinkie’s pennywise 76ers.

In the meantime, the 76ers have played to greatly diminished crowds, exampling the distinct fading of their once loyal fans. Philadelphia runs the risk of sustained irrelevance resulting in permanent disdain. Should the 76ers 21 feet of center take the league by storm or a windfall of up-and-comers imported via trade, eventually get them on the winning path, the fans should eventually return. But what if they don’t? Is this a risk worth taking, is it even necessary, do you have to be this bad to get good? Philadelphia is typically not a premiere free agent destination, now it’s name is never uttered with any consideration. Seemingly just the way Sam Hinkie likes it. Some think Hinkie is creating job security for himself, with such lowered expectations, the spotlight is rarely cast upon his decision making, rather the hope for a transcendent player. Should that player never come, there will be few questions as to who is to blame for this period of prolonged anguish. For the sake of Sam’s career, there better be something brighter for the city of brotherly love. Forgot to add that cliche earlier.

NBA Opinions

The Rightful Finals MVP

June 29, 2015 — by Erich Schubert — 1

The 2015 NBA FInals have come and gone, the Golden State Warriors now perched atop basketball’s highest summit. The Warriors and the Cavaliers playing styles were in stark contrast to one another, albeit Cleveland’s hand was slightly forced due to injuries. The Warriors executed team basketball flawlessly, relying on their tried and true stars as heavily as their bench contributors. So much so that it was Andre Iguodala, a player who began the series as a reserve, that ultimately raised the Bill Russell Trophy. Iguodala was stellar, providing key three pointers at important junctures and providing steadfast defense on Lebron James, the series’ most dangerous player. Where it any regular series, Iguodala would have been a valid recipient of the award, a key piece in the championship his team had attained.

But…

Silly. That’s the word that best describes what Lebron just did. Lebron average 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists and just 3.5 turnovers per game in the Finals against the best defensive team in the NBA. Oh yeah and with a rotation so depleted they were relegated to seven players and sorely missed Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Lebron almost averaged a triple double in a series where Matthew “Australian Mario Chalmers” Dellavedova was considered a legitimate scoring option.

We all knew he was the rightful MVP, but, “You can’t give the award to a player on the losing team.” That’s the unwritten rule at least. Buck that trend. This isn’t to say that the league should go about awarding the trophy willy nilly to a member of a team who gets routed in the Finals, but in a situation as glaringly obvious as this, trends are made to be broken. That’s really all the situation boils down to, a trend. Jerry West did receive the award while a member of the Lakers when they lost to the Celtics in the 1969 Finals, so it has happened. Uncommon, yes. Unprecedented, no. After the performance we all just “witnessed” it’s a crime to give the award to anyone other than Lebron James.

Style

Jordan XX9 – Hare

June 29, 2015 — by Erich Schubert — 1

Time to debut a new feature on Off Court Issues, there is no denying in today’s landscape that fashion and the NBA are star crossed lovers, walking hand in hand, joined at the hip. So, just like when Karl Malone played that one season for the Lakers, why not hop on board. We’ll be looking at a new colorway for the Jordan XX9 and since I don’t have these sneakers, we’ll be evaluating them on style alone. Now if a pair of 11.5’s happened to show up on my doorstep, I would be more than happy to give them a proper run through and thorough investigation.

The Jordan XX9 rolled out in September, 2014 and it was sick, just look at this thing.

Many of us adults harken back to our youthful days when there was no more coveted a pair of kicks than the elusive Air Jordan. We all have our favorites and there are some inarguable classics (I’m looking at you VI and XI). There is little doubt that the Jordan XX9 will fall right into the latter category of well designed and executed footwear artistry. The cropped, oversized logo and number flashes in luminescent red/orange glory, vibrantly juxtaposed against brooding black on black fabric.

When this shoe dropped, so did jaws. On may 16th prepare to bolster your mouthpiece once again when this little bad boy ships to high end sneaker peddlers everywhere.

These puppies have Westbrook, who is Team Jordan, written all over them. I fully expect to see him wearing an entire three piece suite with this color pattern continued throughout.

Throwbacks

Shawn Kemp – The Reign Man

June 29, 2015 — by Erich Schubert — 2

Seattle, Washington, 1989, Shawn Kemp is drafted in the first round by the Supersonics. There was enough hype for the 6’10 power forward to make the leap to the NBA right out of high school, but having signed a letter of intent with Kentucky, he began a convoluted college route. Unable to attain academic eligibility, Kemp was faced with the reality of sitting out his freshman season. Kemp’s high school coach advised against such a decision, believing a college environment offered too great a temptation for his mercurial NBA prospect. He advised Kemp that skipping college all together would be the wiser path. Kemp, rejecting that logic, enrolled at Kentucky for what would end up being a brief stay. Accused of pawning two gold chain’s belonging to the son of Kentucky head coach Eddie Sutton, Kemp transferred to Trinity Valley Community College in Athens Texas for just one semester where he did not play basketball. Shortly thereafter Kemp declared his eligibility for the draft.

Kemp was as raw as they come, a freak athlete with limitless potential, but a checkered past and questionable decision making would always serve as blemishes on his record. Nevertheless, his ability strike fear into the hearts of defensive bigs was undeniable. Should the lane part like the Red Sea, rest assured Shawn Kemp was sure to streak with the most deliberate intention basket-ward and deposit the ball with thunderous force. Kemp was a very good rebounder and above average defender throughout the greatest years of his career in Seattle, but it would always be his dynamic dunks that brought the crowd to their feet. Just ask Chris Gatling.

Today we still use the term posterize, as if there are still posters in production that are widely circulated, purchased and adorning households throughout the nation. This dunk was the definition of the term posterize (I’d like to coin the term #deathgif or #deathgifed for future use in place of posterize, it’s just the proper verbiage for how we recognize public humiliation these days). The wind up, the follow through, Gatling hits the ground and… Oh no. That’s just cruel.

Shawn Kemp, paired with hall of famer Gary Payton, would lead the 1995-96 Sonics to a 62 win season and into the NBA Finals where he would eventually lose out to none other than Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Kemp’s career then began it’s slow but precipitous decline. Still an effective player, however, contract disputes and personality issues would plague Kemp for the remainder of his stay in the NBA. Traded to the Cavaliers in 1997 Kemp embarked on the never popular journey to weight issues land, culminating in a reported 315 lb weigh in to begin the lockout shortened 1998 season. Often serving as a cautionary tale Kemp is no longer widely remembered for his fearsome tenacity and intimidating flight paths, good luck blocking him, even if you get a hand on the ball Shawn just may snap it off on the rim. Kemp has had his share of financial issues and is reported to be a voluminous father, but when you remember Shawn Kemp think of Chris Gatling and think of the terror he struck in the hearts of rim protectors world wide. When Shawn Kemp drove the lane no one was safe.

Fly on Reign Man. Fly on.

NBA News

Steph Curry – League MVP

June 28, 2015 — by Erich Schubert — 0

You’re defending Steph Curry, the equivalent of preventing a greasy ferret from running through a set of double doors. You’re trying your best, but he’s got you on skates. He jab steps, you beat him to the spot, but uh oh, it was all a set up for his step back. You make a desperate attempt to swat at the ball or at the very least obscure his bird-of-prey like vision. Too late, the mere blink of an eye is all required to execute his faultless shooting rhythm. You were defending Steph Curry, now you stand soaking wet, your entire body saturated from the titanic splash of the wettest jump shot the NBA has ever seen.

Many players had great seasons, James Harden, Anthony Davis and of course the surprisingly overlooked Lebron James, but one stood out above the rest.

Armed with the NBA’s best shot and the first or second best handle, Curry proved to be the most formidable foe for rivals all season. Steph had no shortage of shoulders to lean upon, a team full of complimentary components and a rookie head coach whose expertise flies in direct opposition with his experience. Yet, in all likelihood it was Curry’s prowess that enabled the greatness of those around him rather than the opposite. These days superlatives are given out in greater abundance than Joey Crawford technical fouls, but Steph still possesses one trait that may be his greatest and most widely unrecognized. Greatest shooter of all time, debatable, best handle in the NBA, arguable, loosest, most unconscious player with the shortest memory in the NBA, indeed. Frequently the words. “We’re taking this one game at a time,” flow forth from NBA locker rooms. A framework which commonly yields successful mindsets. Never getting too far ahead or dwelling upon past missteps is a prosperous recipe. The next level up, Stephen Curry has evolved that system of though to exist within a possessional framework. His next shot is independent of any and all previous and, in his eyes, they shall all be triumphant.

Make note of this date, hold it dear to your heart. It’s not often that we see an MVP with so many traditional strengths. Rarely do we see a player achieve such greatness, reliant solely upon his razor sharp skills, honed over decades of repitition, rather than some combination of physicality and microscopically inferior skill. Should we ever see the NBA one vs. one tournament of champions, it’s highly unlikely Steph would be capable of winning. His diminutive stature would all but ensure his demise, but basketball is a team sport. One on one expertise is of minimal merit when discussing the most valuable of players. In a team sport, which basketball is, there are fewer teammates more valuable than Steph Curry.

NBA Rumors

Okafor Drops the Jersey

June 28, 2015 — by Erich Schubert — 0

The palm trees were supposed to be casting their gentle shade upon his brow, the waves providing sweet lullabies and the girls should have assembled in single file. That is of course had Jahlil Okafor been drafted by his preferred destination the Los Angeles Lakers, a team with a storied history of dominant centers ruling the paint for basketball generations. However, when Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak selected D’Angelo Russell with the second pick in the 2015 draft, he elected to fall in line with the team building pattern du-jour, casting aside previously valued post play for positionless basketball and pace and space. Where it another time, even as recent as five years past, Okafor would have been the no-brainer option, but professional basketball changes more than Kendrick Perkins pivot foot. Now Okafor finds himself in the city of brotherly love, where he seems a little less than enthused to be, after all will it even be safe for him to play there?

There were rumors prior to draft night that Okafor’s agent had advised the 76ers against drafting his client, typically a repugnant suggestion that would garner little sympathy. This is no typical scenario, this is the Philadelphia 76ers, not basketball purgatory but basketball Hades. The 76ers have little to no interest in fielding a competitive team and make no illusion of their intentions. They are stockpiling picks and drafting the best player available year after year, which has left them with three cornerstone players that all play the same position. One that has become a marginalized position at that. Flash forward to a media junket, where the 76ers newest players pose awkwardly with the teams new jerseys and give local journalists an opportunity to lay their scrutinizing eyes upon them. A casual, meaningless affair that rarely leaves attendees with any question or cause for concern. Until…

Why’d he go and do that? Now body language isn’t everything and at times can belie an individuals true heart felt intentions. But, come on Jahlil! How is anyone supposed to see that and think you have any desire to play for the 76ers? Maybe he doesn’t, maybe that is the exact purpose for such deliberate histrionics. Is it difficult to fathom a person of influence to Okafor, I don’t know… Say his agent, quietly suggesting that he give a subtle cue to 76ers gm Sam Hinkie that Philadelphia’s Center logjam could be dissolved by trading the 6’10 Duke product?

Who knows? We weren’t there, maybe there was a hungry, shivering puppy at Okafor’s feet and was merely offering shelter as quickly as possible. Or he’s just not happy with his situation and is looking for a way out. Right now it’s raining centers in Philly and there are more than a few teams in the NBA whose front courts could use watering.