http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/125245.html
NBA Beat: As All-Star break ends, star swapping begins
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, February 18, 2007
The NBA returns to the real world this week, or at least its version of it, with a lot of young millionaires leaving All-Star weekend in Las Vegas.
To think this is when things really get interesting. The trade deadline is Thursday, and the stars are in play. It's a big jump to actually being on the move, except that the Eastern Conference is so wide open this season and the final few playoff spots in the West are within reach for so many dreamers that anything is possible.
There's a pace to these things anyway, in the way that executives talk throughout the season, get serious sometime around early February and make most of the moves in the final hours before the deadline. Once the clock starts ticking loudly, the deals discussed dwarf the warm-up acts completed last week: Jake Tsakalidis for Scott Padgett and Melvin Ely for Eric Williams and a second-round pick.
The possibilities:
• Jason Kidd, Nets. His first half was a huge success in statistics and playing through the distraction of a messy, public divorce chronicled with glee by the New York tabloids. But that also means Kidd may likely never again match his current trade value.
The Nets cashing out for the right package of younger players would be understandable. Their starting center, Nenad Krstic, isn't expected back until next season because of a knee injury, Vince Carter could leave as a free agent in the summer, and the path to becoming a legit challenger in the East again has to begin at some point.
• Pau Gasól, Grizzlies. His departure has never been the inevitable outcome many have figured, even if his hope for a trade is certain. Memphis is looking for a combination of multiple young players and draft picks, with the Bulls in position to meet the demands. Chicago and everyone else must first increase the offers in the rush of the looming deadline to get a deal done.
• Carter, Nets. The Nets like him, but could also lose him for nothing in the summer. Potential trading partners would face the same worry, greatly decreasing the chances of a deal unless the New Jersey approach is to get away from the risk.
• Mike Bibby, Kings. Accomplished poker-face Geoff Petrie has been open about searching for a deal, and Bibby remains the best option even without a successor at point guard in place. He is a proven young (28) player with the kind of successful playoff history championship hopefuls would covet. He has a get-along temperament that would be welcomed in any new locker room, and his $12.5 million salary would allow Sacramento to take back more players than a deal for Brad Miller or Ron Artest.
On the other hand ...
The way things have gone this season, maybe it's Las Vegas that needs to survive the NBA.
For gambling concerns, the league has its broadcast partners, for social debate on homosexuality it has former players on the payrolls as ambassadors. Or at least it used to, before Tim Hardaway got fired for anti-gay comments. At least there hasn't been any recent reports of gun play.
The well-publicized push for an improved image (see less complaining tolerated by referees) reached all the way to consequences for league partners when Commissioner David Stern said he will talk to TNT about studio host Charles Barkley claiming he won $700,000 in a previous Sin City visit. The exact nature of Stern's objection to Barkley participating in a legal activity is not known. Stern suggested he will address the issue with the network and not Barkley, perhaps using the mutually beneficial relationship to call on TNT to have its visible employees adhere to NBA standards.
Progress, sort of
The Knicks are 23-30 at the break, a major improvement from the 23 wins all last season amid the clash of wills between coach Larry Brown and the front office; Brown and several players and -- if the pattern holds true -- Brown and some cabbie. Whether it is enough improvement for Isiah Thomas, the coach and personnel boss, to keep his job is unknown.
Either way, Thomas is getting desperate or creative, or both. He made Jerome James a starter, daring enough despite Sacramento's one-time infatuation with James during his days as a King, and then curiously kept James at power forward even while drastically cutting his time. In the past four games, James was in the opening lineup and played seven, four, three and one minute.
Hedo shuffle
The Magic has grown openly concerned about the health of Hedo Turkoglu, who has complained on several occasions of feeling weary and recently missed a practice because of flu-like symptoms. The same catch-all diagnosis has been cited since early in the season, as test results come back negative and Turkoglu has dropped all the way to 39.4 percent from the field, on pace for a career low even for someone who has never been known for accuracy.
"It seems pretty clear to me, there's something there physically," coach Brian Hill told the Orlando Sentinel. "I see him trying, but I just don't see him capable of pushing through, doing things he was doing earlier."
Stats entertainment
Golden State used 29 different starting lineups the first 53 games, more turnover than any team. Fifteen players have started for the Warriors.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
NBA Beat: As All-Star break ends, star swapping begins
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, February 18, 2007
The NBA returns to the real world this week, or at least its version of it, with a lot of young millionaires leaving All-Star weekend in Las Vegas.
To think this is when things really get interesting. The trade deadline is Thursday, and the stars are in play. It's a big jump to actually being on the move, except that the Eastern Conference is so wide open this season and the final few playoff spots in the West are within reach for so many dreamers that anything is possible.
There's a pace to these things anyway, in the way that executives talk throughout the season, get serious sometime around early February and make most of the moves in the final hours before the deadline. Once the clock starts ticking loudly, the deals discussed dwarf the warm-up acts completed last week: Jake Tsakalidis for Scott Padgett and Melvin Ely for Eric Williams and a second-round pick.
The possibilities:
• Jason Kidd, Nets. His first half was a huge success in statistics and playing through the distraction of a messy, public divorce chronicled with glee by the New York tabloids. But that also means Kidd may likely never again match his current trade value.
The Nets cashing out for the right package of younger players would be understandable. Their starting center, Nenad Krstic, isn't expected back until next season because of a knee injury, Vince Carter could leave as a free agent in the summer, and the path to becoming a legit challenger in the East again has to begin at some point.
• Pau Gasól, Grizzlies. His departure has never been the inevitable outcome many have figured, even if his hope for a trade is certain. Memphis is looking for a combination of multiple young players and draft picks, with the Bulls in position to meet the demands. Chicago and everyone else must first increase the offers in the rush of the looming deadline to get a deal done.
• Carter, Nets. The Nets like him, but could also lose him for nothing in the summer. Potential trading partners would face the same worry, greatly decreasing the chances of a deal unless the New Jersey approach is to get away from the risk.
• Mike Bibby, Kings. Accomplished poker-face Geoff Petrie has been open about searching for a deal, and Bibby remains the best option even without a successor at point guard in place. He is a proven young (28) player with the kind of successful playoff history championship hopefuls would covet. He has a get-along temperament that would be welcomed in any new locker room, and his $12.5 million salary would allow Sacramento to take back more players than a deal for Brad Miller or Ron Artest.
On the other hand ...
The way things have gone this season, maybe it's Las Vegas that needs to survive the NBA.
For gambling concerns, the league has its broadcast partners, for social debate on homosexuality it has former players on the payrolls as ambassadors. Or at least it used to, before Tim Hardaway got fired for anti-gay comments. At least there hasn't been any recent reports of gun play.
The well-publicized push for an improved image (see less complaining tolerated by referees) reached all the way to consequences for league partners when Commissioner David Stern said he will talk to TNT about studio host Charles Barkley claiming he won $700,000 in a previous Sin City visit. The exact nature of Stern's objection to Barkley participating in a legal activity is not known. Stern suggested he will address the issue with the network and not Barkley, perhaps using the mutually beneficial relationship to call on TNT to have its visible employees adhere to NBA standards.
Progress, sort of
The Knicks are 23-30 at the break, a major improvement from the 23 wins all last season amid the clash of wills between coach Larry Brown and the front office; Brown and several players and -- if the pattern holds true -- Brown and some cabbie. Whether it is enough improvement for Isiah Thomas, the coach and personnel boss, to keep his job is unknown.
Either way, Thomas is getting desperate or creative, or both. He made Jerome James a starter, daring enough despite Sacramento's one-time infatuation with James during his days as a King, and then curiously kept James at power forward even while drastically cutting his time. In the past four games, James was in the opening lineup and played seven, four, three and one minute.
Hedo shuffle
The Magic has grown openly concerned about the health of Hedo Turkoglu, who has complained on several occasions of feeling weary and recently missed a practice because of flu-like symptoms. The same catch-all diagnosis has been cited since early in the season, as test results come back negative and Turkoglu has dropped all the way to 39.4 percent from the field, on pace for a career low even for someone who has never been known for accuracy.
"It seems pretty clear to me, there's something there physically," coach Brian Hill told the Orlando Sentinel. "I see him trying, but I just don't see him capable of pushing through, doing things he was doing earlier."
Stats entertainment
Golden State used 29 different starting lineups the first 53 games, more turnover than any team. Fifteen players have started for the Warriors.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.
