Admittedly, there are things here that could be thrown back in my face, but I feel strongly about this so I wanted to fire off an article about the (completely false) notion that Chris Paul and Dwight Howard will be NBA teammates. To this day, I remain uber upset that the NBA made the unprecedented move [...]
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NBA legend Phil Jackson is accustomed to working in the United States for great organizations that have enjoyed marvelous success. None of that describes the Toronto Raptors. At any other point in my life the idea of Jackson being associated with my hometown Raps would have been a wonderful thought but surely a wild daydream. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment hired Tim Leiweke to be their President at the end of April (a role he will take on some time toward the end of June) and just like that the idea of the Raps making a massive splash like landing the 13-time champion (11 as a coach and two as a player with the New York Knicks) improved from impossible to slightly possible and inspired this piece.
The Sacramento Kings remaining in SacTown also helps as it was thought the new Seattle franchise would be appealing to lure Jackson. That takes us from slightly possible to a situation where suddenly things, plural, are starting to take place that improve the long odds of bringing Jackson to the T-Dot.
Remember this from Dumb and Dumber when Lloyd (Jim Carrey) was asking Mary (Lauren Holly) what she thought the odds were that she could ever like Lloyd in the romantic manner he liked her.
Lloyd: Hit me with it! Just give it to me straight! I came a long way just to see you, Mary. The least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?
Mary: Not good.
Lloyd: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?
Mary: I'd say more like one out of a million.
[pause]
Lloyd: So you're telling me there's a chance...YAAA!
Well the hiring of Leiweke was my Lloyd Christmas moment where I started to believe that there is a chance that Jackson will actually become a legit possibility to land in Toronto. Click NEXT on the top right and this slideshow article will look at the idea and possibility of this happening.
Leiweke has been instrumental in huge projects in the past, including things like bringing David Beckham to the MLS, and he was involved with bringing the first Stanley Cup to the Los Angeles Kings last year (he gets very involved in his teams). Leiweke has experience working with valuable companies, but what excites me is he seems more focused on producing winning products than previous MLSE Presidents did as they seemed to be interested in profit only.
To be interested in profit makes sense to me, but Torontonians will understand what I mean by being interested in profit only. For some time now there has been little bang for the buck that MLSE charges for their products (Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Toronto FC). The biggest thing you and I have in common with Leiweke is he is a huge Raptors fan too. That happened as soon as he signed his contract as this guy has a history of cheering passionately for the teams he is representing.
I think at this point in Jackson's life the rigors of coaching make that job almost unappealing, but a management position would be right up the alley of the 67 year old. I can't see him being the one to hammer out contract terms and details, more like a guy to oversee the show and bring a culture of development and winning, plus be the ultimate lure to attract people to the franchise.
Any organization that has Jackson repping it has that level of credibility right away. This past offseason we saw that the Raps could not overpay their own countryman, Steve Nash, to come to the Raps because he sees the current culture of this franchise and he wants no part of it. Who can blame him, but Leiweke and Jackson are a way different story. Can you see Chris Bosh and his camp disregarding Jackson the way they did Bryan Colangelo and his regime? Remember when the Raps traded for Alonzo Mourning, he refused to play for them, the Raps paid him $10 million to buy him out, and he returned to the Miami Heat for a championship ring? Does that happen on Jackson's watch with the sort of culture he would create? I don't think it does.
Another plus would be the level of head coach that Jackson would attract. That is of course if he does not want to coach, and I think he likely does not want to coach at this point in his storied life. Lenny Wilkins is the only coach the team ever had that was not a first time NBA head coach (Brendan Malone, Darrell Walker, Butch Carter, Kevin O'Neill, Sam Mitchell, and Jay Triano all NBA first timers) or a guy with very little experience (Dwane Casey).
No Raptors head coach ever had a winning record with the team, and it seems like it is always an "up-and-coming" guy who is hired because the organization has never attracted any established guys. Jackson improves that instantly.
In his coaching career Jackson coached some of the best NBA players ever, but he also coached some of the best role players ever as well. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaq, and Kobe Bryant aren't multiple time champs if not for the contributions of guys like Horace Grant, Ron Harper, Craig Hodges, Steve Kerr, Robert Horry, Brian Shaw, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, etc. Add in the best rebounder ever (Dennis Rodman) and the best sixth man ever (Toni Kukoc) so he will have a good idea of what needs to be done from a player personnel perspective to build a winning team.
Both men also have had success managing people, and both are committed to excellence.
The thing about a Phil Jackson winning team is it usually is built for longevity, and the thing about a Tim Leiweke project is it usually yields results - fast. Leiweke is in charge of much more than just the Raps, but he has been clear that getting the Raps on-court product to be really good is an immediate priority. His know-how and Jackson's know-how would create a dream team scenario for the Raps. I have been way down on Raps management for ages now, but these two would change that right away.
It has been more than five years (April 24, 2008) since the Raps won a playoff game, not a series, one lousy game. The last time this franchise won a playoff series was waaaaaay back in 2001 (yikes). Even with this current roster full of question marks in Toronto they would surely not have long to wait until Jackson puts some of his touches on this team and has Raptors fans watching meaningful April and May basketball for the first time in ages. Chuck Swirsky was still the voice of the Raps the last time the team played an important basketball game, and the last time the team had legit aspirations of a lengthy playoff run they had John Saunders and Dan Shulman calling the action. In other words, the good times are way too far in the rear view and Raptors fans are clamoring for better ball.
MLSE has the coin to pay Jackson. MLSE has opportunities in line with what Jackson is looking for. MLSE has hired Leiweke who is one of the few peeps on earth who could lure Jackson to Canada and this scuffling Raptors organization. So you're telling me there's a chance?!?!
Thank you for checking out my work.
Craig Ballard is a NFL/NBA/MLB writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @craigballard77, and you can find all of his articles at www.rantsports.com/blog/author/craigballard/
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The 2012-13 season for the Los Angeles Lakers was a nightmare. Unprecedented bad luck with the injury bug, an odd scenario where the head coach was fired early followed by the Phil Jackson drama, down goes Kobe Bryant, topped off with sweep to end their season. All that (and more) taking place in a mega-market like LA. Yikes. For Dwight Howard this is his second straight difficult season, and incredibly the once loved big fella has become a lightning rod for fans spitting venom lately. I understand that there have been downs (some ups, but a lot of downs) but I do feel like D12 will re-up in LA, and I feel very strongly that it is the right move for all parties.
There is little doubt that Howard has some maturing and growing to do, but it seems to me like that gets too much play (as if a human going through a growth process is odd or weak). It is in line with every person I have ever known, yours truly included. I am a decade older than Howard and I would like to think that my thought process and maturity level are significantly higher now as a 37 year old than they were as a 27 year old (D12 is 27 currently).
I also think that Howard's health issues are not being given enough weight. Often injuries can be viewed as an excuse, but it is legit to mention it with D12 as when the Lakers acquired him they thought he would be out until January (back issues) and he himself said recently he actually could have stayed out of action until March. Instead he answered the opening game bell (October 30, 2012...way ahead of his projected return time) and all season he did his best to play through pain to help the team. The injuries led directly to his poor conditioning (poor by his standards, unreal by my standards!) which really affected his game negatively. The sad part is how it took away from his dominance on the defensive end. Howard has an absolute goal of continuing to stack Defensive Player of the Year awards, but his sub-par 2012-13 had him all the way down at no.14 for votes. Yikes, that is way below his standards and skill level.
I believe Howard when he says he will listen to what is out there for him in free-agency (why not listen, embrace and engage the free-agent process), but I also believe he wants to win in a Lakers jersey, and ultimately earn a place in the rafters for that jersey.
I think the Lakers should (and will) go all out to re-up with Howard. This slideshow article is a historic look at NBA big men legends and how they created and cemented their legends after the seemingly magical age of 28. I find it interesting that the great ones seemed to create new levels for themselves as they got older (28+...Howard will turn 28 during next season). As good as Howard has been I think his potential + what big men have done historically after 28 = big-time seasons coming up for Howard.
Let's take a look...Hit the NEXT button and away we go!
@craigballard77
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt the Stilt aka the Big Dipper accomplished a ton after turning 28...check the list...
--> Chamberlain won both of his championship rings after he turned 28
--> 3 of his 4 NBA MVP's
--> 4 of 7 All-NBA team
--> Wilt's NBA Defensive Player Of The Year awards were post 28
--> Led the Lakers to an NBA record 33 straight wins
Bill Russell
The Boston Celtics legend was awesome after he turned 28...
--> 7 of his 11 Championship rings were earned from age 28+
--> 7 of his 11 Championship rings were earned from age 28+
--> 2 of his 3 All-NBA 1st team
--> 8 of his 12 All-Star seasons
--> only NBA All-Defense 1st team
How about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
--> 5 of 6 NBA Titles came after 28
--> 4 of his 6 NBA MVP's came from 27+
--> amazing 14 All-Star games after turning 28
--> 4 of 5 NBA All-Defense 1st team
--> 4 of 6 NBA All-Defense 2nd team
--> 1985 NBA Finals MVP at age 38
@craigballard77
Shaq
--> All 4 NBA Titles came after his 28th birthday - 3 of those Shaq Diesel was Finals MVP
--> NBA MVP
--> 9 of 15 All-Star games
--> 1 of his 2 NBA Scoring Titles came post-28
--> 7 of his 8 All-NBA 1st Team awards
--> All 3 NBA Defense 2nd team awards
--> All 3 All-Star game MVP's 28+
David Robinson
The Admiral is no exception when it comes to historic big-men who really got going towards the elite level around age 28
--> Both NBA Titles
--> MVP
--> At 27 Robinson won Defensive Player Of The Year
--> 7 of 10 NBA All-Star seasons
--> 4 of his 6 All-NBA 1st Team and 2nd Team
Hakeem Olajuwon
--> Hakeem the Dream won both NBA Titles post-28
--> Both of his NBA Defensive Player Of The Year awards came post-28 too
--> All 3 times he led the league in blocks were after 28
@craigballard77
Moses Malone
--> All 3 times he led the league in blocks were after 28
--> Only All-NBA Defense 1st Team at age 28
--> only All-NBA Defense 1st Team at age 28
--> Malone got things going just prior to his 28th birthday as won MVPs at 26 and 27
Willis Reed
--> Legendary Knick won both of his NBA Titles post-28...He was the Finals MVP each time
--> NBA MVP
Robert Parish
--> The Chief won all 4 of his championship rings after he turned 28
--> 8 of 9 All-Star games came after he turned 28
Rik Smits made his only NBA All-Star team after turning 28
Fellow Canadian Bill Wennington was a role-player for the Chicago Bulls second 3-peat in the Michael Jordan-era...all 3 Titles coming after Bill turned 28 (a little Can-Con for you!)
@craigballard77
Patrick Ewing
--> 8 of his 11 All-Star games were 28+
--> 5 of 7 All-NBA Team awards
--> 2 of his 3 All-NBA Defense from 27+
Alonzo Mourning...Check out what 'Zo was able to accomplish after his 28th birthday...
--> NBA Title
--> Both NBA Defensive Player Of The Year awards
--> Only All-NBA 1st Team and All-NBA 2nd Team came after 28
--> Both All-NBA 1st Team Defense awards
Tim Duncan has been amazing since his 28th birthday
--> 3 of his 4 championship rings earned post-28
--> TD continues to stack All-Star appearances, and is a regular on the All-NBA Defense 1st and 2nd team...At age 27 and 28 TD won back-to-back NBA MVP awards
Since turning 28 Pau Gasol has helped the Lakers win 3 Western Conference Titles, and a pair of NBA Titles
@craigballard77
Even this season we saw Joakim Noah earn his first ever All-Star nod, and he is 28 years old.
I think that Howard has the skills, and despite he seemingly popular opinion I think that he can win in LA and be a star for the Lakers. If he can follow in the footsteps of previous greats then he is about to explode and dominate on both ends of the floor (especially defense).
He himself will tell you that any rumors about he and Kobe not getting along are very bogus (Kobe will tell you that too) and after being eliminated we still saw Steve Nash talk about his opinion that the Lakers are indeed the right spot for D12 going forward.
The Lakers were very close to extending Andrew Bynum only to pull that off the table and then make the Howard trade. I do not think they would do that unless they felt great about their chances to re-up with Howard long-term. We know Howard wants a max contract, and the Lakers are the only team that can accommodate that.
Even if Howard finds a situation he may want more than LA the sign-and-trade that would be required perhaps sends return assets to the Lakers that A) make it worthwhile anyway for them, or B) deplete the trading team to the point where Howard may not see them as a great fit anymore (remember when the Bulls tried to trade everyone for Kobe which would have left their roster very depleted to the point where Kobe could not be happy with it).
Right here, right now, people may not agree with me about a Lakers/Howard re-up but I think we are just too close to the nightmare season currently (it just ended so recently, and the ending was ugly). Once the dust settles and Howard considers his future I think he and the Lakers will agree that they can flourish together going forward.
@craigballard77
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Ty Lawson was back in his usual starting status on Sunday afternoon, and the result was familiar as he led the Denver Nuggets to yet another victory. This one was over the plummeting Portland Trail Blazers 118-109 as Lawson had a double-double with a dozen points and 10 assists. There are several other point guards [...]
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The Toronto Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets in their final Sunday afternoon game of another disappointing season, but there is good news as the team is now 15-16 when Rudy Gay plays. For most franchises getting 15 wins in 31 games is hardly an accomplishment, but for this woeful organization (I am looking at you [...]
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With Sunday nights performance vs. the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers are now in reach of a playoff spot in the tough Western Conference. This team has had their point guard, back-up point guard, power forward, back-up power forward and center all miss significant time this season. Some of those guys like Steve Nash, Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard are of course All-Star caliber performers whose absence is magnified because of how good they are. Despite all of that we have seen 34 year old Kobe Bryant put together a wonderful 17th season to almost single-handedly get his team in a playoff position. It got me wondering where Bean's season ranks amongst the NBA greats so I took a look at some recent legends and how they performed in their 17th season, or in some cases where they did not play 17 seasons I compared the season when they were 34 years old. This is a slideshow article so click through the pages and enjoy (I hope!). Let's take a look...
For the 2012-13 season Kobe is averaging 38 minutes, with 27.2 points and 5.6 assists per game (last time KB had that many helpers per game was back in the 2004-05 season). Throw in 1.3 steals and the fact that his .472 field goal percentage is his career-high and we see how remarkable he has been this season. He has the look of a man possessed as he is determined to lead his squad into the playoffs. He is well aware that his career is somewhat winding down so we have a guy who has always been obsessed with winning and success who sees that window starting to close. This has been a season-long example of why they call him the Black Mamba as he is playing the role of something dangerous that is looking to attack.
The sure place top start the comparisons is, of course, Michael Jordan. Though MJ did not play 17 seasons (he played 15) he did play when he was 34 years old and it was the final championship season in his second threepeat. The NBA lost Jordan to baseball for a while after that, but as a 34-year-old, MJ played 38 minutes and averaged 28.7 points with a .465 field goal percentage. Sure these are impressive numbers, but in the grand scheme of things his close range, long range, free throws, assists, rebounds and steals were all well below his career averages.
Jordan was still a wonderful facilitator of winning offense as a 34 year old, but his supporting cast was healthier than Bryant's '12-'13 teammates have been, so despite MJ not quite reaching his career averages he was still able to be a monster, topped off with another ring.
Of any player we will look at it is likely MJ who, at 34, was still a remarkable and wonderful defender. He did not really take big steps backwards in his Chicago Bulls days with his defense, and KB is not really taking steps back on D either.
What makes Kobe's season even more remarkable is the fact that none of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird or Julius Erving played 17 seasons. Larry Legend retired at the age of 35 after playing 13 legendary seasons. My personal hero, Magic, had a brief comeback in the 1995-96 season as a 36-year-old, but he played power forward instead of point guard where he earned his historic status. The 36-year-old power forward version of Magic did little to remind you of how special he once was. KB plays out of position, especially on defense, as often as it helps the team.
Dr. J played as a 34-year-old and averaged 22.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals and had a .494 shooting percentage. All of those are very good numbers, but all are below his career averages.
Isiah Thomas did not get to 17 seasons, and he retired as a 32-year-old.
John Stockton started all 82 games in his 17th season for the 2000-01 Utah Jazz. He shot .462 from downtown which was a career-high, and even though his points (11.5), assists (8.7) and field goal percentage (.504) were all impressive they were all well below his career averages.
Karl Malone was impressive, even in the later stage of his career as he put together a great season when he was 34, and a great 17th season as well (The Mailman played 19 seasons and to his credit he was awesome annually, even as his career was winding down). As a 34-year-old Malone produced numbers that were slightly better than his career averages, and as a 38-year-old (17th season) he averaged just below his career averages.
These guys had their careers take a back seat to Jordan's Bulls, but they were special. I find it remarkable how good these two were for so long, especially Malone who was in unreal shape and never seemed to skip a beat all the way up to his retirement as a 40-year-old (Stockton also played and produced until he retired at 40).
Charles Barkley played 16 seasons, and his season as a 34-year-old was his worst. The Round Mound of Rebound still was very productive (he averaged a double-double) but it was a down season by his standards.
Reggie Miller also played as a 34-year-old, and he also played a 17th season. Both of those were good seasons, but both were below his career averages.
Clyde Drexler played 15 seasons, and as a 34-year-old for the 1996-97 Houston Rockets he averaged 18 points (good, yes, but career-low as a starter) he also shot well below his career average, and his .750 free-throw percentage was his career worst as a starter (Clyde the Glyde became a full-time starter in his third season).
Legend Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in his 18 year career, but in his 17th season he was at just 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per tilt. Those are still the numbers of a guy that is producing, but they also show that father time caught up with the big fella as his career went on. Kobe seems to have areas of his game that are somehow improving as his wonderful career continues.
We see a lot of production from these legends at 34 years old and/or in their 17th seasons (for those who got to 17) but Kobe's 17th season is as good as any of them, and better than most. I would say that when you take everything into consideration this is a top three all-time season for a 34 year player. This season is even more remarkable when you add in the fact that Kobe has had to work through injuries for several years now, and when this season ends KB will be just under 1,500 games played yet despite that massive wear-and-tear he is still finding ways to elevate his play.
As a 34-year-old 17 year vet we have even seen KB start a few games as a forward to help the team, and he still is a guy who insists on taking on the toughest match-up on defense for LA. In Lakers' wins KB averages 24 points, seven assists, six rebounds and he shoots .483 from the field.
We have seen Bryant be a major factor in seven Western Conference titles and five NBA titles, and it is amazing to see that he is still able to elevate his game in his pursuit of victories. Kobe has undergone several surgeries and procedures (some were even overseas and some were somewhat experimental) which makes his '12-'13 campaign even more impressive. LeBron James had the We Are Witness ad campaign, but as a guy who feels like greatness is measured over time I am enamoured with Bryant's season and I feel like I am witnessing a historic season from No. 24 in purple and gold.
Craig Ballard is a NFL/NBA/MLB writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @craigballard77, and you can find all of his articles at www.rantsports.com/blog/author/craigballard/
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The 2012-13 Orlando Magic were going to struggle, they are one of the top-five youngest teams who were surely headed for the lottery, but currently they are better than only the putrid Charlotte Hornets. Yikes. There are reasons for the Magic’s plummet this season as they have been hit with injuries to guys like Hedo [...]
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The Chicago Bulls have won again (Saturday night victory over the Brooklyn Nets) and they seem to be on the verge of getting Derrick Rose back. While it is hardily ideal to get your stud back after 60+ games have been played, this situation is different because Rose is a guy who has had a [...]
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When Lionel Hollins took over the Memphis Grizzlies back in 2009 it was amazingly his third stint at the helm of this team. He is leading the 2012-13 Grizzlies to their best season ever, and while their team defense gets a lot of attention it is also worth commenting on their big-time ability to grab [...]
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What NBA point guard has the most double-doubles (22) this season? Tony Parker? Chris Paul? It would have been Rajon Rondo (injury derailed that), but it is in fact Greivis Vasquez of the New Orleans Hornets. The Hornets/Pelicans have lost a lot of games since the Paul trade, and these days any attention on them [...]
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