The Future that Never Happened.

Flashback to the 2001 NBA Draft and you will remember that there was quite a buzz in the air surrounding two 7 footers named Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler.  They both were coming out of high school at the raw age of 18 and were supposed to be the future of the NBA.  The Chicago Bulls were officially in the post Jordan era and needed to do something to stay relevent.   After drafting Eddy Curry with the 4th overall pick they chose to ship 20-10 (avg's) Elton Brand to the lowly Clippers in exchange for the draft rights of Tyson Chandler.  This was it, the recipe for success, draft two high school superstars pair them together and take over the league...but it never happened. 

The Bulls had warning signs, as much as they heard praises they also hear rumblings of Curry being un-motivated and Tyson Chandler having a glass ceiling on his skill level.  But they didn't listen, or rather he (Jerry Krause) didn't listen and stuck by his motto that "organizations (not players) win championships" and selected both high schoolers.  The plan was a good one, dominant post in Curry, and use Chandler as the new KG on the wing.  It wouldn't matter who ran the point, and you could always attract a shooter via free agency.  Good plan, wrong players.  Take a look at what went wrong...

EDDY CURRY

The young Bull was dubbed as the new Shaq and was supposed to take over the Eastern Conference that was void of an established big man.  In his first season Curry saw limited action and you could tell the game was moving too fast for him.  His 2nd year with the team was better with averages of 10 ppg and 6rpg repectivley, but still didn't live up to the hype.  The 04-05 campaign was hit breakout year in whcih he led the team in scoring and to the playoffs, but missed the last 19 games and the post season due to an irregular heartbeat.  Curry was traded to the New York Knicks the following season and has struggled to live up to expectations ever since. 

TYSON CHANDLER

The 7 Foot phenom was dunking and blocking shots so loudly in California that he was ranked the #1 high school player in the nation.  He wa basically traded for Elton Brand on draft night and was viewed as the new KG.  Much like Curry his rookie year was a learning curve in which he only aveeraged 6 points per game.  The 03-04 season Tyson was plauged by back problems and he struggled to stay on the floor due to foul problems.  After Curry was traded he received a contract extension woth about $63 million dollars.  In 2006 Chandler and his huge contract were traded to New Orleans and his career caught daylight after pairing up with Chris Paul.  Sadly, the duo has split up with Chandler now a member of the Charlotte Bobcats. 

These two careers although not over, thus far have not lived up to the hype.  Imagine if Chandler and Curry would have taken over the league like LeBron and Melo then the Bulls would have still been winning Championships and Jerry Krause's famous line might have been true. 

Ooops!!

Ooops!! That is what the Clippers,Grizzlies, Thunder, Kings, T-Wolves (twice), Warriors, Knicks, and the Raptors are all saying behind closed doors as rookie sensation Brandon Jennings continues to dominate the league.

I'm not going to lie, I was conned into joining the Ricky Rubio fan club mid May and thought that he would be doing some of the same things that Jennings is doing now. It was around that same time that the young Buck's guard called out Rubio and dubbed him "overhyped." Although the jury is still out on how good Rubio is (he stayed in Europe instead of joining the NBA) one thing is cleat, B. Jennings is tthe truth.

If you don't believe me check out his young resume...

STATS:
-25.5 Points/5.5/Assists/4.8 Rebounds
-#8 leading scorer in the league
-55 Point Outburst -vs- Golden State
-Youngest to score 50 points in a game
-Leading scorer for the Bucks
-Bucks on pace to make the playoffs at 5-3

I know its early and the bandwagon is circling for this kid, but the sky is the limit for him. He seems to really grasp the game and it looks like the 1 year spent overseas -vs- college is paying off. We will see how he holds up, but solid games against the likes of Chauncey Billups and Jason Kidd give promise that he may be hear to stay. He reminds me of another #3 that took over the league once upon a time, I think his initials are A.I. (We will see)

Peace,
Agent34

Movie Review: More Than A Game

By now I'm sure you have all heard and some seen the new LeBron James documentary More Than A Game.  I had the pleasure of seeing the movie while I was in New York City last month and thought a review would be in order.

Plot: The movie is based around LeBron of course, and his 4 friends that he had been playing basketball with since the 8th grade.  The group had 1 common goal and that was to stick together and win an Ohio State Championship.

The fab 5 consisted of LeBron, Dru Joyce, Romeo Travis, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee.  (Middle Picture)

















Here are some Highs and Lows of the Movie...

Highs-
1. Home Videos-This movie was basically in production since LeBron was 15 years old, and the videos gave a rare look inside his life.

2. Teamwork-A fundamental element that you have to have on the court and in life was on display all throughout this film  You get to see LeBron channel his own fame into positive leadership for his teammates.

3. Dru Joyce-He almost stole the show away from LeBron.  The skinny and undersized point guard provided plenty of drama; whether he was sinking 6 3-pointers off the bench to spark a win, or going through the tough road of being the starting pg with your father as the head coach.

Lows-
1. Realness-It all seemed to good to be true.  The documentary did shed light on LeBron's eligibility issues but nothing else controversial.  Essentially, you discovered nothing new from the storyline.

2. Length-The movie ran almost 2 hours, and you could tell that some parts were thrown in for length.  Unless you are a true basketball fiend like myself, you could become bored.

3. Where Are They Now?-As the credits roll the movie offers captions of what the guys are up to now, but nothing exclusive. Although each player had an individual present day cameo, I would have liked to see more in depth videos of their day to day lives.  The movie never focused on LeBron the Pro; and only went as far as saying "He found seasonal work in Cleveland"  Lol.

Overall-Great for the collection, and a good movie for coaches to show young players who are growing up into young men.  Go See It!

Peace,
Agent 34

Top 10 NBA Storylines This Season

1. The Emergence of Kevin Durant.

The athletic small forward has pushed his game to the next level each year since he has been in the league, and this year should be no different. Coming off a stellar 08-09 season, Durant seems focused on translating his 25 points per game average into more wins for the city of Oklahoma. Most media/agents would rank Durant as the future of the game, but he is still no household name with the likes of LeBron, Wade, Melo, and even Dwight Howard. The dunk contest catupolted Superman II into the limelight and a trip to this years All-Star team could do wonders for Durant. It will be interesting to see how he and his teamates improve this season


2. Will A.I Fit In?

The Answer is back to prove all the Haters wrong, the only problem is he will be wearing a Grizzlies uniform. Personally I like the Grizz, on paper they have a nice collection of talent and youth but i'm not sure how many games they can win in the Wild West. First things first A.I has to start..right? That's why he's not in Motown anymore due to the fact he had to come off the bench. How does he fit into the Memphis organizations long term plans? I can see this ending ugly if the A.I of old comes out and tries to drop 50 every game while stunting the growth of Mayo and Gay. Or he could be the ultimate team player for half a season, and before Febuary get traded to the Lakers and win a ring with Kobe and the Lake Show. Now thats a stretch, but if it comes true just remember I said it first.

3. A Steph Curry and Monta Ellis Backcourt?

Monta Ellis publicly stated on media day that a backcourt of himself and rookie Steph Curry would not work. (See visual aid) His concerns are warranted, especially in the Western Conference where the likely matchups each night are Kobe Bryant, Manu Ginobli, Tracy McGrady ect. Those players, and many more would have a considerable height advantage over the 6'3 backcourt of Ellis and Curry, but the Warriors still have Don Nelson. The Originator of small ball with dating back to the Dallas days, Nelson will get the most out of the two headed monster of #8 and #30. Ellis may be right in the long run, but on media day when ticket sales are lagging thats not the best way to convince fans to show up.

4. 1 More For Duncan.

Tim Duncan can see the end of his career staring right back at him. I would say the window for the Spurs to win a title is 3 years, and you can tell that they are trying to do it NOW. The offseason aquisitions of Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess stress the urgency that the team has placed on winning this season. Duncan's numbers dipped slightly at the beginning of the season but he proved to be a force down the stretch leading the team into the postseason. Can the Spurs win one more for Duncan while the window is slightly cracked?

5. The Chase For 18.

The Boston Trio returns with a few new additions on their quest for the franchises 18th Titile. Will KG be healthy? Will Sheed fit in? Is Rhondo and Doc Rivers relationship ok? All of those questions will need to be answered correctly if the C's hope to raise another banner in 2010.

6. Hollywood Lights

The New Look Lakers will try to defend their title this season with Ron Artest and newlywed Lamar Odom. Both of theses stars have had an interseting last few months to say the least. Ron Ron has been courting the Lakers ever since his former team Houston was beaten by LA back in June. He was interviewed and photographed frequently during the Western Conference Finals on the sidelines living up the Hollywood Dream. Now he is in Purple and Yellow as a teamate to his greatest foe Kobe Bryant. Will it Work? Also, Lamar Odom wed month old girlfriend Khloe Kardashin at the same time his new clothing line "Rich Soil " was scheduled to be released. With all of these "distractions" in play how will the Lakers find time to Repeat?

7. The Big Witness Protection

Shaq's slogan this year is "Win 1 for the King!" The "King" LeBron James is in dire need of help after being booted out of the weak Eastern Conference by the Orlando Magic. The Magic wera a better team..in the paint, and adding Shaq proves to bolster the frontline this season. How much does the Big Diesel have left? Only time will tell, but Cleveland is hanging their hopes on a title being brought in to ensure that LeBron stays put in the summer of 2010.

8. D-Wade Needs Help

The man known as Flash put on quite a show last season boasting a career best in points (30.2) which lead the league in scoring. The Heat scrapped their way into the playoffs only to be dismantled by a hungry Atlanta Hawks team. Simply put, Wade needs help. 2nd year players Mario Chalmbers and Michael Beasely played well last year, but they are not consistent #2 options alongside Wade, or at least not yet. Beasely underwent rehab in the offseason and should be ready to contribute again this year. I expect Boozer to be traded to the Heat sometime this offseason, or the Jazz risk letting him walk in the Summer of 2010. This would be an attractive piece to the puzzle to keep Wade in South Beach in the hopes of adding 1 more superstar like LeBron, or Amare.

9. The Return of Tracy McGrady

T-Mac is Back and sporting a new number (#3) to mark the change in his game and life. This year McGrady did a tour of Darfur in an attempt to raise awareness of the war stricken country. The Houston Rockets have made a few changes since he last took the court; Yao is lost for the season, and Artest was virtually swaped for swingman Trevor Ariza. The Rockets are full of hustle players that will claw their way into the playoffs, but the monkey is squarely on T-Mac to get out of the 1st round, something that the team accomplished with him on the sideline nursing an injury last season. So it is his cross to bear, and one that he knows all to well dating back to his days in Orlando. I don't think the Rockets can escape another 1st round exit this year, but I will settle for a healthy T-Mac all year long. Good Luck #3.

10. Rookies

The Rookie class is always a topic of discussion during the regular season. This season the headliner is #1 overall pick Blake Griffin. Can he lead the Clipps back into the playoffs? Steph Curry is already a household name and should see significant playing time in Golden State. Hasheem Thabeet will be a nice addition in Memphis and Ricky Rubio decided to stay in Spain but his rights still remain with Minnesotta. Could this years class hold some future Hall of Famers? It wil be years before that question is answered but I'll take my chances on Blake Griffin being the Rookie of the Year.

Peace,

Agent34

The Air up There must be Cold!

The title of this post says it all on so many different levels, the man who defined gravity over his NBA reign was just as cold in his acceptance speech as he was on the court. While I sat watching the H.O.F induction ceremony I listened to John Stockton, and David Robinson thank old teammates, coaches, and the organization that drafted players in order for them to win. The Admiral even said he prayed to god to send him a compliment the likes of Tim Duncan, and even went on to call him the "Greatest power forward to play the game."

Listening to MJ's speech you only heard him genuinely thank Scottie Pippen for "being there during my 6 championships", and even that was somewhat of a slight. Without Pippen Jordan arguably could have had no rings and just a host of scoring titles. His Airness referenced the Chicago organization saying "The organization didn't play with the flu in Utah". No Mike they didn't, but what they did do was give you Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman (who were both in attendance but not mentioned) to help you win, when your skills were on the decline.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was Jordan's take on Isiah Thomas and George Gervin whom were deemed responsible for his '85 All-Star freeze out. "I wanted to prove to you and everybody that I deserved to be there just much as anybody else, and I hope over the period of my career I've done that without a doubt." I was 2 years old when that 'freeze out" occured and had to research what he was talking about. My point is that it was 24 years ago..WHO CARES! He went on to say that they were the reason his competitive fire never died and even told his kids "I wouldn't want to be you."

Like most great men and women in history they are flawed. JFK had Marilyn, Whitney had Bobby, and MJ has well; his own ego. The sad part of the whole night, is that Jordan didn't see a thing wrong with anything he was saying. You almost wanted him to laugh off some of the lines, but it never happened. He spoke from the heart and you could tell he meant every word of it, even when he said "Don't be surprised if you see me back at 50."

On a night when being gracious and humble is expected, Jordan fell to an all-time low and did more to stain his legacy than he ever could have in a Wizards jersey. Charles Barkley looked shocked during the ceremony (not once did MJ mention him) and rightefully so listening to MJ relish the memories of torching (overated defender) Byron Russel. I admire Jordan for what he did on the court and his business model off the court, but I draw the line there. Our society puts athletes on platforms when they achieve the unthinkable, and its only right to show them to their seat when their time is up.

Michael Jeffrey Jordan Welcome To The Hall Of Fame..Please Take Your Seat!


'Agent 34

My 09 Sleeper

Every year in the NBA there is a team that sneaks up on the league and makes a push for the Playoffs.  This season I am rooting for the Memphis Grizzlies.  This is a team full of various parts wen put together could be deadly.

INGREDIENTS

Un-proven Player(Mike Conley)























 Budding Superstars (Rudy Gay)


























Young Scorer (OJ Mayo)

Troublesome Veteran

If all of these pieces to the puzzle can live up to their individual potentials then they can collectively make a run at the 8th seed in the West.  Randolph will give you 20-10 thats already stamped, Mayo and Gay will score easily and Gasol will rebound.  So who will play D?  Enter Sam Young the rookie out of Pittsburg who can lock up and help out on the glass.

Oh yeah and didn't the Grizz reportedly just offer Allen Iverson?  Wouldn't want to bet against this guy, especially since he will be playing for a contract with whichever team he lands with.    Don't forget I mentioned the Grizz if they start making noise early....or if they lose a lot of games then pay me no mind.

Peace,
Agent 34

What About L.O?

One of the more versatile power forwards in the NBA is sitting in limbo without a team, including the one that he just helped lead to the NBA Championship.  Owner Jerry Buss and the Lakers continue to play hard ball with Lamar Odom by lowering the initial contract of 3 years $27 Million , which Odom turned down in hopes of getting a 4th year.  L.O averaged 12pts and 9rbs off the bench for the World Champs and not bringing him back into the fold will cripple the Lake Show if they want to repeat. 

Another possible destination for Odom, could be a return to the Miami Heat to team up with Dwyane Wade whom he had 1 successfull season with during D-Wades rookie campaign.  It is widley reported that the Heat can offer Odom the full mid-level exception of $50 plus million over 5 years with an option to become a free agent in year 4.  This could be a big incentive to keep Wade in Miami after 2010 when he becomes a free agent.  Carlos Boozer could factor into the equation via sign and trade sometime before the trade deadline of Febuary 2010.  Surrounding Wade with those two All-Stars would make Miami a great team in the Eastern Conference. 

For now, Odom will continue to mull the offers of LA and Miami in an attempt to get the best deal possible.  I believe that Odom will eventually land in LA again, but you don't watnt a player who feels underpaid thats already coming off the bench to be a distraction.  Odom deserves his pay day, especially since he could be a starter on almost every other team in the NBA.  Hopefully the Lakers will realize losing Ariza and Odom would be a disaster to repeat. 

Peace,
Agent34

Jordan Crawford Dunks on LeBron!

By now im sure everyone has heard about the infamous "Lost Tape" of Xavier guard Jordan Crawford dunking on NBA superstar LeBron James at the LeBron Skills Academy. Well guess what I found (not literally) the missing footage that you want to see. Lets see the controversy surrounding the tape and hear Jordans take on the Nike coverup.




This is how it happened....



Kobe issues a Warning a week later at his own Camp after taking a 14 year old to school...




Peace,
Agent34

Grading The NBA Offseason

This is part two of the series where we are looking at the teams and their newly aquired players.  Some players arrived via trade, while others bolted for a new address in free agency. 

HOUSTON ROCKETS                                                 


*Performance------------B
*Experience-------------B
*Superstar Potential-----B-

*Overall-----------------B

Trevor Ariza spurns the Lakers and chooses the Houston Rockets as his new home in spite of just winning an NBA Championship.  Ariza who is from L.A was more than expected to be retained by the champs, but talks broke down after the money did not add up..or did it?  The Lakers needed Kobe/LO/Ariza to all chip and be flexible in order to keep everyone in tact for another run.  That would mean that the Lakers Mid-Level Exception would need to be stretched out in order for that to happen.  Ariza chose to take the money which was only $200,000 more than what the Lakers were offering the forward.  Go Figure.  In essence Artest and Ariza swapped places and im not sure Ariza will see this as a good move in a years past.  Overall good pickup by the Rockets if he pans out to be a budding star. 

BOSTON CELTICS                                                                                    


*Performance----------C
*Experience-----------A
*Superstar Potential----B-

*Overall----------------B+

The Celtics added a big piece to their puzzle by picking up one of the most tumultuous stars in the league.  Sheed will help stretch the D and provide an inside pressence off the bench (see how long that lasts) in hopes of returning the C's back to Championship form.  Its a good move, but not a costly one with Wallace only getting the Mid-Level Exception at $5.8 mil over 3 years and a player option for the 3rd.  It gives him flexibility if the Big 3 get blown up and the Celtics are not financially strangled by adding the forward.  I like this Pick Up.  

DETROIT PISTONS                                                                             


*Performance---------C
*Experience-----------C
*Superstar Potential----B

*Overall---------------C+


Former Huskies Ben Gordon and Charilie Villanueva are teaming up in Detroit and hoping to win an NBA Championship.  Both players have had sort of up and down careers since joinin the NBA.  Gordon has somewhat lived up to the hype by making timely shots against the Celtics in last seasons playoff battle with Ray Allen, but he's still a 6th man off the bench.  CV31 is a roller coaster, up one minute and down the next.  He has career highs of 50 points, yet his average is stuck at 16 ppg.  At 6'11 he should be dominating the East with his inside outside game, but that hasn't happened.  Both players will get to finally prove themselves worthy of a big pay day in the Motor City. 


Peace,
Agent 34

Who's Making Moves in NBA Free Agency

Shaquille O'neal to the Cavs

Shaq's slogan "Win a RIng for the King."  The Cavs who lost to the Magic in the Eastern Conference, now have the Big Diesel to help slow down Superman2 Dwight Howard.  We all know the pre-game antics will be a sportcenter nightly special, but will they really win the whole thing?  The trade that brought Shaq in sent Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to the Suns.  Cleveland will still need to add 1 or 2 players to make it official, but anytime you add Shaq its an upgrade.

Vince Carter to the Magic

Orlando pulled a Big Surprise by adding Vince-Sanity to the roster, choosing him over free agent Hedo Turkoglo.  Im not sure how this will make them a better team by losing Hedo but Carter will give them a pure scorer on the wing.  Alston and Courtney Lee were sent to the Nets, while Ryan Anderson also came in with VC.  The Magic like the Cavs need to add another piece to make a super run back to the Finals. 



Ron Artest to the Lakers

The Rich get Richer!  After the Lakers beat the Rockets in Game 7 of the Western Conf Semis, Artest went to the lockeroom and told Kobe he would do everything he could to get to LA next year..and he did.  Now the Champs have a proven All-Star to pair with Kobe and a defensive stopper who can lock up any player on the court.  I already had the Lakers penned in for the Finals in 2010 and this just solidifies my pick. 

Mock Draft

NBA MOCK DRAFT
(If I was the G.M. these are the players I would Draft)

1. Blake Griffin-No Surprise here, not sure what position he will play (3 or 4) but he will give the Clipps a chance to make the playoffs.

2. Hasheem Thabeet-is a good pick-up here to compliment Rudy Gay and the emerging O.J. Mayo. He will sure up the defense and should make the Grizz legit..at least on paper.

3. Jordan Hill-He has been compared to Amare Stoudemire, and if this is true the Thunder will have a solid starting 5.

4. Ricky Rubio-Is he the Truth or all Hype? Im not sure but his stock is too high for the Kings to pass.

5. James Harden-The former Sun Devil is the best available player at this pick and he has huge range as an NBA player. He can guard the 1-3 and distribute or score.

6. Steph Curry-The second of back to back picks for the Wolves will land them a pure scorer in Curry. Transitioning him to the point guard is the only concern.

7. DeMar DeRozan-I would go with one of the other point guards available but the Warriors already dealt for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton in the Crawford trade. DeRozan has O.J. Mayo talent with even more upside. Don Nelson will get the best

out of him.

8. Earl Clark-Of course Jonny Flynn is the crowd favorite but there is no way him and Nate can play in the backcourt together. An ESPN insider said it best "Clark has top 5 talent but a NBDL mind"

9. Tyreke Evans-With DeRozan already taken the Raptors should look to fill the hole at Shooting guard with Evans. He can play 2 or could be a super point. Time will tell.

10. Jru Holiday-He is better than Sessions and they will probably lose him via free agency anyway. So take the P.G of the future. Still rebuilding though.

11. Gerald Henderson-An above average athlete that can play and guard the shooting guard position. He will come in and be ready to make an impact immediatley.

12. Terrence Williams-A freakish athlete much like Henderson he can defend the 2 spot. His shooting will continue to improve and the Bobcats should speed up the tempo with all those young legs in Charlotte.

13. Austin Day-The Pacers have holes throughout their lineup and will go with the best available player. Day could be a sleeper the same way Granger was a couple of years ago.

14. Brandon Jennings-The Suns will need to groom the point guard of the future and Jennings is explosive in the open court. He would thrive in Phoenix as Steve Nash's succecor.

15. Tyler Hansbrough-A work horse on the glass, the Pistons have a talent for molding big guys so this pick makes sense.

16. James Johnson-Solid choice for the Bulls as they beef up the frontline for another playoff run.

17. Ty Lawson-The 76ers will get a quality point to pair with Lou Williams when they want to speed up the tempo.

18. Sam Young-NBA ready! A little older (25) than you would like in a draftee but he is a hooper.

19. DeJuan Blair-A beast on the glass, the only knock on him is he plays below the rim. He wont start but will be an energy guy off the bench.

20. B.J. Mullens-Only 1 year at OSU and this big thinks hes ready for the league. TIme will tell, he's almost at his ceiling but the Jazz need a Big.

21. Jeff Teague-One of the best point guards in the draft and the Hornets need a backup for CP3. The Wake Forest blood line makes this a popular and smart pick.

22. Omri Casspri-21 year old Isralian National player that the Blazers are in love with. At 6'8 with an NBA body, this is a great choice for this young team.

23. Tony Douglas-A sleeper and a steal if he falls this low. He can flat out score, and will be a force off the bench to pair with Rubio.

24. Chase Buddinger-A smart player who reminds me of Joe Alexander that came out of last years draft class. He can stretch the defense and knock down the 3.

25. John Brockman-The Thunder will take what they need even though there are better players available.

26. Eric Maynor-The Bulls will probably trade Henrich so they will draft a backup for Rose.

27. Darreen Collison-If Thabeet goes at 2 then the Grizz will probably take another point to challenge Conley.

28. Jonas Jerbko-Swedish player that the Wolves will possibly gamble on for the future.

29. Nick Calthes-Great pick-up for the Lake show if Nick can come in and run the point. D-Fish cant play forever so this makes sense.

30. DaJuan Summers-The cavs will just try and plug holes at this point now that the Big Aristotle is on board.