Let's do the Time Warp again...
This is now the 12th consecutive year we have been subjected to analysis that not only predicts the demise of the Lakers, but also notes how "deep" the East is. Say it with me, now: Just because the East has six teams that could reach the Finals, doesn't mean the East is deep. It means the East has six decent teams, and no dominant ones. How shortsighted we are. The Lakers, Kings, Mavs all suffer serious injuries, Isiah Thomas goes from inept coach to Coach of the Year in 20 games, and suddenly everything has changed? I don't buy it. This is how it is: The Lakers, Mavs and Kings are so much better than any other NBA team. All these people talking about the winds of change are just in search of good copy.
If You Try To Lose, You Will Lose...
Look at what's happening in Cleveland. They've dropped 15 in a row, including a 125-93 loss to the Knicks (read that again) last night. The list of questionable personnel decisions is long. Dealing Andre Miller for Darius Miles? You can make the argument that it's an even deal, but I don't buy it. Miller's probably a top five PG in this league. Miles could be huge, but right now he has an iffy knee that might be causing some long-term concern in Cleveland. And of course, the Cavs compounded the error by not signing a legit PG to replace Miller, in what could be a very real attempt to "play down" to the best spot in the lottery. Mission accomplished, so far.
There are other bad decisions as well. The Cavs brought back Ricky Davis, matching the Wolves offer, when Davis explicitly told them he didn't want to play in Cleveland. Now, Davis is on his second suspension for fighting with teammates, including voicing his displeasure with the non-existent point guards. Dajuan Wagner looks like a player, as long as he can wear that jimmy cap to prevent future bladder infections and whatnot. But how do Wagner, Davis, Ilgauskas and Miles all get their shots, especially without a real PG to run the team? John Lucas may or may not have been a part of the strategy to go young and bad to land LeBron James, but he's certainly going to take the brunt of the punishment in the meantime. "We're just really young. It's no fun," he said after last night's drubbing. No kidding. You will never hear a more sad statement from a coach than this Lucas quote in today's Cleveland Plain Dealer: "Houston, Latrell Sprewell and Othella Harrington is a lot for our young team to overcome."
The thing is, even if they have the worst record, they still only have, what, a 30% chance to land that #1 pick? I'm not sure what the exact percentage is, but it's not like they are looking at a sure thing in James. And once you've put a team together, it takes time to blow it up if you don't land James.
Besides, they would be even younger with James. Maybe they should just focus on winning games with the talent they have. I'm reminded of when the late Bill Musselman was fired by the Wolves braintrust after leading them to 29 wins in their second season. Wolves brass felt that Muss wasn't playing the young "talent" (Gerald Glass) enough, and trying to win games with veterans. So Muss went, and the Wolves entered an abyss until Saunders and McHale came in and dealt Donyell Marshall for Googs.
Stroll Through the Stats...
Who's the league leader in FG%? Grant Hill.
My Rebuttal...
Paul Hayes noted yesterday Tim Duncan's superiority over Kevin Garnett, choosing to use the "if they switched teams" argument. This is chicanery of the highest order, because of course it proves nothing, and is based on conjecture. The only argument Duncan supporters need to point to is Duncan's title and better playoff record (including two defeats of the Wolves). However, it is worth noting that we are far from the final chapter in this saga. Garnett's game seems to be evolving; a close inspection of his games this year reveals a greater variety of post moves, a greater willingness to be aggressive in the fourth quarter, and a more consistent presence at the free throw line. I don't watch Duncan enough to know what his game is like this year, but a statistical comparison may be revealing:
PPG Reb Ass Stl. Blk
Garnett 21.2 13.6 5.6 1.7 1.4
Duncan 20.4 11.6 3.1 0.8 2.6
Garnett's numbers continue to be steady, if not slightly improved, while also clamping down on the best offensive player on the other team. Duncan seems to be in a slump. I don't buy that he has regressed at all, but let's just see how far this continues, and what Wally's return might do to KG's numbers.
12:30:35 PM 
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