Insider (Broussard): Web Blog

[Weez]

Heat the favorite in the East

I'm not one of those skeptics who thinks the Heat went too far in bringing aboard Antoine Walker and Jason Williams. In my humble opinion as presently constructed, Miami is clearly, easily, undoubtedly the hands-down favorite to win the East. In my humble opinion.

The question of whether Walker and Williams will accept lesser offensive roles can be answered in four letters: Shaq.

Two players in history have run afoul of Shaq, bristling at his "The Man'' status. Yet after parting ways with him, both experienced immediate drop-offs and neither has been the same. With Shaq, Penny Hardaway was the closest thing we'd ever seen to Magic Johnson. Sans Shaq? You know the deal.

With Shaq, Kobe was being compared to Michael Jordan. I personally was saying he was the second-best two-guard (behind the aforementioned MJ) ever. But after last season, I'm withholding judgment. Last season, he was no better than AI, T-Mac, D Wade and Ray Allen. If that's the best he can do without Shaq, then history will have to be re-written.

That's one reason I'm so eager to see what Kobe does this season. I want to see if he's really among history's ultra-elite or just a Hall of Famer.

But back to the Heat. Walker and Williams will accept their roles, even if it's just for one title-taking year, because it is natural (save the above exceptions) to defer to Shaq. I say that with the utmost confidence.

Shaq is on a mission. Pure and simple. He knows he failed to deliver on his guarantee to bring Miami a title, and he doesn't want to fail again. That message was sent loud and clear by Pat Riley's Shaq-inspired dalliance with returning to the bench.

We saw Shaq play cop on Sportscenter recently. Watch him police the Heat locker room if necessary this season. I don't think it will be necessary.

So with Walker and Williams' attitudes in check, their games become the focus, and their games fit snugly into the Heat's scheme. Walker, who might be nice coming off the bench behind the defensively-gifted James Posey at small forward, is an excellent passer, a good rebounder and a deep threat.

Those who worry about his 3-point binges should check out the restraint he showed after returning to Beantown last season. He won't be hoisting triples without conscience with Shaq and Flash on the floor.

J Will is also a 3-point threat, but more importantly a deft ball handler who can get the Heat in the offense on time. Look, I'm a Damon Jones fan. I covered him when he was getting his first break in the league back in New Jersey.

He's a great guy and a good player, but he's better suited to come off the bench as a long-range sniper because he's not a true point guard. We saw that in the series against Detroit. The Pistons' relentless ball pressure was too much for him as it took him 10 seconds to get the Heat into the offense, and many times he did that with a hook pass into the post.

J Will, on the other hand, has the quickness and the handle to get defenders off of him and have Miami's offense flowing smoothly. After a few years in Memphis, he'll be glad to be back in the spotlight so he won't cause problems. After all, what good is it having such a great nickname ? "White Chocolate'' ? if no one ever sees you play.

Plenty of folks will see J Will play this season ? all the way to the Finals.

Speaking of White Chocolate, I was the original. Kendall Gill started calling me that back when I was the Nets' beat writer for the New York Times. But don't get it twisted. I'm Black ? inside and out. But for a brotha' my melanin count is low.

posted: August 13, 2005 7:50:28 AM PDT | Feedback

Belkin out in Atlanta

Commissioner David Stern's affidavit supporting the Atlanta Hawks attempts to remove Steve Belkin as the team's NBA governor should mean that Joe Johnson, key cog in the Phoenix Suns' surprising run last season, will head East to Atlanta.

That means the Phoenix Suns will head south.

Belkin was blocking the proposed trade of Johnson to Atlanta for Boris Diaw, two first-round picks and a $4.9 million trade exception.

The explosive combination of Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, plus Shawn Marion, insure the Suns of being good, but without Johnson and Quentin Richardson, who was traded to New York for Kurt Thomas, they've fallen a notch.

Unless they know something about Diaw that few others do, the Suns better get Michael Finley (assuming Dallas waives him). Otherwise, they're back with the Dallas's, Houston's and Denver's of the world. Very good, but not a threat to the global gang in San Antonio.

The logic is simple. The 3-pointer was critical to the Suns' attack last season. Whether they were draining bombs off the break or spotting up while Nash dribbled through the defense before hurling a pass from the paint, it was the trey that made the Suns so dangerous. It was the second wave (the three) that made their fast break so awesome, not the first (the layup or dunk).

No two players hit more threes in Phoenix than Johnson (177) and Richardson (226). Johnson buried nearly 48 percent of his shots from behind the arc. It was all right to let Richardson, who bombed in the playoffs, go as long as you had Johnson. But now, both of your top long-range threats are Audi 5000.

I know Johnson requested the trade, and apparently didn't want to be a fourth-wheel in Phoenix. But $70 million to live and play in the sun (no pun intended) makes fourth-wheel status more than palatable. The Suns could have taken the chance that they could make Johnson a happy camper.

Without Johnson and Richardson, the floor won't be spread like it was last season, which could limit Nash's effectiveness. Diaw's a horrible 3-point shooter, and Jim Jackson will be 35 when the season starts.

It looks like the Suns will be more of a traditional team now. Kurt Thomas can bang and play D, and Diaw has the tools to be a good defender. But the Suns aren't beating San Antonio at its own game. They're only going to be so good defensively with opponents blowing by Nash at the point. And Stoudemire has a lot of work to do on that end too.

I hope the fans in Phoenix enjoyed last season because this one's not going to be as pretty.

As for the Hawks, they are definitely giving up a lot, but how much young, unproven talent do you need? It's time for them to start moving forward, and Johnson helps them do that. He's a legitimately strong player who can go off in transition and in the half-court, as well as lock cats down and play three positions well.

The Hawks' proposed lineup of Johnson at the point, Josh Childress at the two, Smith or Harrington at the three and Marvin Williams at the four is enticing, if mismatched. Considering what the Hawks have put on the floor lately, though, it's a step in the right direction.

posted: August 11, 2005 6:38:44 PM PDT | Feedback

Nets and Abdur Rahim

If the Nets had added Marc Jackson and Shareef Abdur-Rahim to their roster, Jersey fans would have really had something to shout about. But adding Jackson by himself leads me to just one conclusion:

Forget what I said a few weeks ago about a Heat-Nets Eastern Conference final.

The Nets may still be the most exciting team in the East, but they are at best, fourth. Jackson actually gives them a lot of things they needed: toughness, a physical presence, some post play. But they are still too soft to compete with Miami, Detroit and Indiana, which is loading up like gangbusters, having acquired the Lithuanian point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius.

With Ron Artest back in the fold, I'm really feeling the Pacers. I'm thinking Miami-Indiana for conference supremacy now. For those who think I'm hating on the Pistons, they'll fight Indiana for a chance to get beat by the Heat.

It's hard to blame the Nets for passing on Abdur-Rahim. Obviously, I didn't see the pictures of his knee, but a team official told me they didn't believe the knee might become arthritic; they were convinced that it will and to some degree, already has.

They tried to get some protection against his getting injured by offering fewer years and less money, but Abdur-Rahim wasn't budging. Can't blame him either since he's never missed a pro game because of the knee.

Now it looks like Abdur-Rahim could be headed to Sacramento, where he could end up extending his career-long non-playoff appearance streak.

In a tough, deep and improving Western Conference, the Kings appear to be slipping back into the Mitch Richmond era. If Coach Rick Adelman gets them into the playoffs, he should be saluted. Not saying they'll definitely be on the sidelines come late April, but I wouldn't be surprised.

posted: August 11, 2005 1:30:50 PM PDT | Feedback

Sibling rivalry

Just got back from vacation again. I'm trying to take advantage of my three weeks (next week, I'll take my final leave of the year). Just curious. Are any of you readers out there involved in intense sibling rivalries?

I have one brother, a year younger than me, and we've always competed in every sport we could. I would always get the best of him because he's always been small. I'm 5-foot-10, 180; he's about 5-5, 120. He might have been a better athlete pound-for-pound -- maybe! -- but that did him no good when it came to battling in the trenches. I was a merciless big brother (it was my duty to toughen him up, you know).

Anyway, at 36 and 35 years of age, our competitiveness has not subsided, and he has finally found something he can spank me at: golf. But even though he's clearly better than me, he knows better than to take me lightly.

In the past, I have pulled off some near miraculous comebacks to maintain bragging rights. In college, he went away and became a pretty fair bowler. Excited about exhibiting his supremacy over me, he challenged me one Christmas break to a match.

He was certainly better than me, and going into the final frame I was down big -- only three straight strikes would save me. Wouldn't you know it -- I nailed the three straight strikes! He was absolutely crushed. Crushed! He actually went into denial.

One of my college teammates who had played with us couldn't believe how badly my brother took the "L," and he was stunned by our level of competitiveness.

Then, a few years ago, we were on a par-3 golf course outside of Cleveland. Terry, my brother, has taken lessons, and I haven't, so my "wing-it'' style of play can't compare to his relatively polished game. Well, we were going into the final hole and I was down 7 strokes.

As we prepared to tee off, he gloated, "Not even Tiger could catch me now." Desperate, I went to Plan B -- challenge his manhood. We had been playing with a 10-stroke limit on each hole (shows you how weak our games are), so even if I shot par I could only tie him.

Well, the final hole was over a lake, so I began talking trash about how a real man would erase the 10-stroke limit. "What, are you scared of the water? Where's your confidence? I thought even Tiger couldn't catch you. You really won't feel good about this victory if you win with a 10-stroke limit, will you? Stroke limits are for chumps.''

Not surprisingly, he took the bait. Moments later, he was hitting lobs into the water. By the time he got to the other side, he had taken, like, 8 strokes. I had to seize the moment.

Somehow, someway, I sent a beauty over the drink and onto the green, about 11 feet from the hole. He was sweating bullets by then, and his anxiety led him to shoot an 11 on the hole. I, on the other hand, recorded my first par ever to beat him by a stroke.

Well, those days are long gone. We hit the links at our family reunion last week in Destin, Fla., and he whipped me by about 14 strokes. I can handle it, though, because he still can't do anything with me on the hoop court.

I'll address some of last week's NBA happenings later this week. Here's a hint: I'm really feeling the Heat. My boy Marc Stein isn't, but I'll give my take soon.

posted: August 11, 2005 8:48:20 AM PDT | Feedback

Emptying the mailbag

Teenage angst

This goes out to all the readers who took time out to respond to my blogs. I value and appreciate your responses. I just read them, all 130 of them, this week because ESPN finally hooked me into my mailbag.

The hottest topic by far was my assertion that the NBA's 19-year-old age requirement is a form of racial paternalism. Most disagreed or took offense to my argument; a few agreed.

The main argument against my opinion was that the NBA can't be compared to the NHL and MLB because those leagues have legit minor leagues, so while a teenage hooper who is not ready to contribute takes a roster spot from a better, older player and waters down the league, a teenage hockey or baseball player learns and improves in the minors.

That's a very good argument, and I've been saying for years that the answer to the NBA's "problem" with youngsters is to have a true minor league the way baseball and hockey do. That's why I thought the timing of the age limit was strange because they also instituted the rule that first- and second-year players could be sent down to the D League.

As a basketball fan, I truly see the merits of the age limit. I think it will help the quality of play in the NBA and potentially college (if players go). My point was simply that I don't think the age limit is fair when you consider that most other sports (hockey, baseball, gymnastics, tennis, soccer) don't have a limit.

As far as the racial component, I am not one to play the race card. I actually think throwing out the phrase "race card" has become an easy way for folks to brush off charges, legit or otherwise, of racism. I try to insert race where I think appropriate, but I don't think, for instance, that Jesse Jackson being called out for fathering a baby by his mistress was racism. So please, don't play the "don't play the race card" card with me, as if I'm throwing out charges of racism haphazardly.

I was not asserting that the age limit rule is overt racism or "racism on purpose." I simply think it's a form of racial paternalism where the white owners of the NBA feel -- perhaps even subconsciously -- that they need to look out for the best interests of the mostly black players because the players and their families can't make the right decision for themselves.

Actually, I think that type of paternalism is one of the many reasons the owners instituted the rule, not the sole reason. Others would be economics and quality of play.

Also, Jermaine O'Neal only said, we might want to consider that the rule could be racist. I second that -- saying just look at the facts and consider it rather than brushing it aside completely without thought. To say race was not a factor at all, I believe, is shortsighted.

That said, most of the readers' responses were intelligent and well thought-out. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Ball's in Steph's court

The other hot topic was Stephon Marbury. He's got a lot of love out there. Many think he's an awesome player who has simply been in bad situations. I love Steph's talent, so hopefully, all his fans out there are right. We'll find out soon because there are no more excuses now that Larry Brown is his coach.

Keep the responses coming.

Oh, to Jim Childress: Go Maroons. I remember you. You had game!

posted: August 4, 2005 12:03:00 PM PDT | Feedback

Nothin' But Net

Shrewd Moves

Nets CEO Rod Thorn and GM Ed Stefanski have been positively Jerry West-ish in their running of the club. Their one black eye was the trade of Kenyon Martin, but that was mandated by new owner Bruce Ratner. Yet Thorn and Stefanski have even turned Ratner's admitted gaffe into a positive by adding Vince Carter and Shareef Abdur-Rahim to fill Martin's shoes. That gives the Nets a scary first five of Jason Kidd, Carter, Richard Jefferson, quickly improving Nenad Krstic and Abdur-Rahim.

Now, in another superb move, the Nets have added Jeff McInnis to back up Kidd at the point.

I believe Miami, especially with the addition of Antoine Walker, is the team to beat in the East, but I'm leaning toward a Heat-Nets conference final if Kidd stays healthy. With Abdur-Rahim and Carter, the Nets' half-court offense is far better than it was with Martin, and they can run just as well. Their defense is not as strong, but hey, you can't have it all.

I would be going gaga over these Nets if they had done things differently on draft night. Although it's hard to second-guess Thorn and Stefanski, I believe they should have snatched up Syracuse's Hakim Warrick instead of Antoine Wright.

Wright is a good player with very big upside, but his role will obviously be small behind Carter and Jefferson. While the postdraft addition of Abdur-Rahim would have had Warrick coming off the bench, Hakim would have been a terrific complement to Kidd.

With his length and athleticism, he would have been finishing Kidd's passes with above-the-rim gems the way Martin once did. I don't get too excited about summer league, but Warrick did average 18.6 points and 8.2 rebounds for Memphis in the SoCal summer tourney.

To move up a notch and be a legit title contender, I think the Nets need a frontcourt brute, an enforcer in the old Charles Oakley mold. Right now, they're pure finesse, which is pretty and fun and takes you far, but that won't get them past Miami.

They are in the same boat Phoenix was last year. The Suns' finesse got them past everyone but San Antonio. The Suns have done well in answering that problem by adding Kurt Thomas, who, ironically, would have been perfect for the Nets, too.

posted: August 3, 2005 8:45:55 AM PDT | Feedback

Changing Fortunes

Knicks Up, Pistons Down

With Larry Brown at the helm, I'm predicting a playoff spot for the Knicks next season. It won't be easy though. Four teams: Miami, Detroit, Indiana and New Jersey ... are set atop the East, and just about everyone else in the conference will battle for those four remaining playoff spots.

Cleveland, Chicago, Washington, Orlando, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Boston and now the Knicks are all potential postseason qualifiers. I'm giving the Knicks 43 wins and one of the final two spots.

Now, the question is: what of the Pistons? I'm convinced that Detroit doesn't win the title in 2004 without Brown, and I'm expecting it to fall off a bit under Flip Saunders. Flip is a good coach, but not a great coach, certainly not in Brown's class.

KG and you get out of the first-round just once? You've got to show me something.

Detroit was a mediocre 9-8 in those 17 games Brown missed last season. He returned from bladder surgery in April and they immediately went 10-1.

Under the offensive-minded Saunders, the Pistons' defense will loosen a bit, and while they'll still be good defenders, they won't be the tenacious, smothering crew they were under Larry Brown. They won that title because of their oppressive D, and the slightest slippage will be enough to keep them away from the trophy.

Plus, how will Chauncey handle his newfound freedom under Flip. Was it Brown's tight leash that kept Chauncey from hoisting too much or the PG's maturity? We'll see. The Pistons are clearly better when everyone's involved in the O, so it'll be interesting to see if Chauncey tries to be the man and ends up hurting the team.

Heating Up

Detroit could return to the Finals but only if Miami, Indiana and perhaps NJ suffer big-time injuries. With all superstars and stars being healthy, Miami is the easy favorite in the East, especially if they land Antoine Walker.

Walker is talking with Pat Riley about joining the Heat, and oh, what an addition he would be.

Despite his sorry reputation, I believe Walker is a winner. He has been nothing but great for the Celtics franchise, and his career numbers (basically, 19 and 9) are beyond solid.

With Walker in the fold, Miami could start a five of Shaq, Udonis Haslem, Walker, Eddie Jones and Dwyane Wade. That's ridiculous.

Walker's passing and ability to run the offense will allow D Wade to play off the ball at times, so his ppg doesn't fall off even as he plays point guard. Walker's outside shooting will work well off of Shaq, and his rebounding will enable the Heat to own the glass.

Pat Riley has to get this done.

posted: August 5, 2005 8:22:11 AM PDT | Feedback

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