Tag Archives: David Kahn

by | December 27, 2011 · 4:03 PM

6 NBA Rookies to Watch in 2011-12

Leonard is one of a few promising rookies this year

Usually, this list consists of ten rookies to keep an eye on during the season. With the shortened season, however, this list is also smaller. Call it laziness on my part, call it whatever you want. It is what it is. Last year’s draft was something out of the Bizzaro universe. It was more notable for the peculiar name pronunciations than anything else. The popular rookies will get press elsewhere so there is no need to cover them in depth on this little blog. Plus, do you really need to read another article about the parallels between Jimmer Fredette and Tim Tebow? No, I didn’t think so.

The way in which the rookies were chosen to appear on this list is completely arbitrary and is a result of hope, sometimes terribly misguided, that these players will transform into household names in the future. Certainly, though, at least one is on here because of the sheer absurdity surrounding his journey to the NBA. (Can you guess which one?)

Norris Cole – PG, Miami Heat

Upon being drafted, Cole quickly discovered how he, as a player, is merely a commodity to teams. He was a member of three different teams on draft night, eventually landing with the Miami Heat. In college, Cole was the focal point of his team’s offense as he took 28.9 percent of his team’s field goal attempts. In Miami that will not be the case (understatement of the year, perhaps). What will set Cole apart will he his ability to pass the ball to the prominent scorers on the Heat as well as conform to the defensive system that Erik Spoelstra employs. His passing is already above average; however, he does have trouble passing out of a double team. Again, though, it will be unlikely that he sees many doubles while on the floor. It would not be surprising if Cole was inserted into the starting lineup at some point during the season so that Spoelstra can bring Mario Chalmers off the bench as an offensive kick for his second unit. Cole must continue to learn and play at a high level for that to happen.

Kawhi Leonard – SF, San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are a damned crafty bunch when it comes to drafting players. For them to have traded a promising young talent in George Hill to the Indiana Pacers for the draft rights to Leonard caused heads to turn. He would have been a great addition to an already scrappy Pacers squad, but they were overloaded at his position. Leonard made his mark in college as a premier (or monster) wing defender, forcing a turnover on 23.8 percent of the possessions in which he was the isolated defender as well as holding opponents to 37.5 percent shooting when he was defending them. His seven feet two inch arm span certainly helped him in these respects. Not only is he a stout defender but he is also a good defensive rebounder. Essentially, Leonard is the ideal Spurs player. Where he needs improvement, which Greg Popovich will administer in his own special way, is with his offense, both his shot and offensive sets. The Spurs are notorious for successfully developing players, much to the ire of rival fans, so Leonard should be in good hands. Also, with San Antonio shopping Richard Jefferson over the summer it looks as though Leonard could quickly move up the depth chart.

Ricky Rubio – PG, Minnesota Timberwolves

Oh, Ricky, Ricky, Ricky. What a zany (channeling Mitt Romney for that one) path Rubio has taken to the NBA. He was drafted what seems like a decade ago only to hold out until the final year of his rookie contract before agreeing to leave his beloved Spain to play in the cold wintery confines of Minnesota. This was either incredibly shrewd or insanely selfish. Rubio is not a typical rookie. He has played at a high level in Spain and internationally with the Spanish national team which is made up of mostly NBA players. One of the major criticisms of Rubio has been his scoring ability, however, he, like other Spanish point guards (read: Jose Calderon) is a pass first, offense facilitator. In Rick Adelman’s up-tempo style of play, especially with a team full of mediocre talent, Kevin Love aside, but that is incredibly athletic, Rubio should learn to thrive in the open court. He must first distinguish himself as deserving the playing time over the 1,000 other point guards that David Kahn has signed, though. That task should not prove to be a problem.

Iman Shumpert – PG/SG, New York Knicks

Shumpert was the buzz of New York after two preseason games. The hype was palpable. Shumpert was drafted for his defensive prowess but his offensive skills soon were apparent once the preseason began. Due to the Knicks’ lack of backcourt depth, he was slated to be a staple in the rotation. However, he suffered an injury in the first game of the season and will be out for several weeks. When he returns to the lineup, Shumpert needs to improve his shot selection, like most rookies, and his ability to finish at the rim. Against the Celtics he only made one of six shots at the rim. Boston maintains a physical defense, especially around the paint, but no NBA team is going to give up easy points around the rim if they can help it. With his usage percentage projected to remain high upon his return, Shumpert must finish the opportunities he is given.

Tristan Thompson – PF, Cleveland Cavaliers

Thompson was drafted pretty high, fourth overall, for a player that possesses little ability to operate away from the rim. He does, however, possess the ability to work off the ball offensively away from the rim in space but this is to free him up on a dive or cut to the basket. He will need to improve his ball-in-hand offense, specifically in the post, in order to adapt his game to the NBA level. Another area of concern for Thompson is his poor defensive rebounding ability. This, for one, is striking due to Thompson’s size, even as a young man, and good post defense. Yet, he cleans the offensive glass rather well which should benefit a team destined to miss a lot of shots. Despite his immediate drawbacks, Thompson has plenty of raw potential and other than Kyrie Irving, represents the only potential the Cavaliers have.

Kemba Walker – PG, Charlotte Bobcats

Michael Jordan has a special place in history when it comes to the draft lottery. That place is specifically referred to as Kwame Brown. MJ, let us hope you done right this time. Walker comes into the league with a solid NCAA pedigree. He was a member, and respective leader, of the national champion UConn Huskies. Not too shabby, right? Walker works well as a primary scoring threat for a team in pick-and-roll and off the ball screens. What will be interesting to watch for this season is if his ball hogging tendencies, he shot the ball 63.8 percent of the time coming off of a ball screen while at UConn, will carry over to the NBA. It is apparent that Walker will split and share time with D.J. Augustin in Charlotte, where is off the ball offensive movement will be on display. However with the ball in his hand, how will he react? One game is not a benchmark for anything, but Walker totaled just three assists, each leading to a shot from 16-23 feet, in 21 minutes in his first NBA game. He is a score first point guard.

Tip of the hat to NBA Playbook for many of the statistics used above.

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by | September 12, 2011 · 1:10 PM

Rick Adelman is the New Coach of the Timberwolves

Kaaaaaaaaaaaahn!

Rick Adelman, who has been in talks with the Minnesota Timberwolves to become their next head coach, has been hired by the team. At least that is what a tweet from Kevin Love would have us believe:

Houston, we have a coach.

The team has yet to release any statement on the hiring, or lack there of, but Love seems to be as good a source as any and Twitter has a knack for scooping almost everything. So, this is probably a done deal unless David Kahn pulled a fast one on us and actually hired Don Nelson instead. He is crafty, that Kahn.

Adelman should be a good fit for the struggling Timberwolves. His uptempo style and dedication to defense are what the team needs if it has any desire to improve from the very bottom of the NBA standing. Love will of course be the centerpiece of the team and Ricky “we will wait and see” Rubio could learn a great deal from Adelman and his wealth of experience, he has been a coach in the league for 20 years.

Adelman, it has been speculated, will receive somewhere in the ballpark of $5 million a year with a likely contract length of five years.

As for now, though, temper your enthusiasm Timberwolves’ fans. Adelman has his work cut out for him and there is a long way to go. This is a step in the right direction but it is just one step. You still have to put up with David Kahn as the GM so consider anything possible. However, if the team has hired Adelman, Love has said that it will “absolutely” factor into his decision on whether to sign a contract extension with the team.

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by | July 7, 2011 · 9:59 AM

The Dysfunctional Wolf Pack

Waiting is the hardest part

The Minnesota Timberwolves are nothing if not perplexing. Coming off of a not-so-awe-inspiring 17 win season the team has done little to improve itself. Granted, it is hard to make any moves with the ongoing lockout but their decision-making process continues to stagnate. General manager David Kahn continues to keep head coach Kurt Rambis in a state of limbo concerning his future with the team.

It is obvious to all outside observers that Rambis’ tenure as the team’s head coach is done. How could it not be? The team won 17 games last season and he openly quarreled with the team’s best player, Kevin Love, at the beginning of the season. Rambis does have two years and $4 million remaining on his contract with the team so maybe this is a case of Kahn not wanting to pay up if he were to fire Rambis.

Therefore, Kahn, being the cunning and shrewd general manager that he is, has come up with a solution. According to Yahoo! Sports, Kahn believed that Rambis’ contract allowed for relocation within the organization and therefore he suggested that Rambis be moved into a front office position. This comes two weeks after Kahn formally removed Rambis as head coach but did not fire him. Clearly, there is little love lost between the two men and Timberwolves management has not even communicated with Rambis for several days.

If the Timberwolves hope to ever become relevant in the post Kevin Garnett era Kahn must begin to make rational decisions based on improving his organization. Rambis led Minnesota to a 32-132 record in his two years as head coach. He must go. Rambis knows his fate but Kahn simply will not act. This is nothing new, however. Kahn seems to work on a protracted schedule. It took him three years to get Ricky Rubio into the United States and now is lollygagging with his decision about Rambis.

Whereas Kahn is biding his time making decisions another member of the Timberwolves keeps making questionable decisions. Michael Beasley was cited for speeding and for possession of marijuana on June 26 the Star Tribune reports. Beasley was clocked at 84 miles per hour in a 65 mile-per-hour zone and had 16.2 grams of marijuana in his car according to an Associated Press article posted by NBC KARE 11.

Pot and Beasley are not odd bed fellows by any stretch of the imagination. He has gotten into trouble with it before. Honestly, this will likely be a continuing trend throughout his career. What is astounding, however, is how professional athletes keep finding themselves in these situations. Beasley has a lot of money, a nice house, and probably several nice cars. Hire a driver, do no speed at 3 a.m., and stay home and play Call of Duty if you want to get high. Stay out of the spotlight. Sometimes it is just hard to get through to a 22-year-old.

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by | June 22, 2011 · 12:19 PM

David Kahn’s Quest

I want it all and I want it now

With the NBA Draft less than 48 hours away rumors have abounded. Teams are trying to move up, teams are trying to move down, teams are trying to acquire players who are clearly off-limits, and teams are trying to move players and get into the draft. What can we make of all of this though? Many league insiders are on record saying that this is one of the worst draft classes they have seen. Why all the excitement? Well, to be honest there has really only been one man making a lot of noise as the draft approaches.

David Kahn and the Minnesota Timberwolves have been at the forefront of just about every conceivable trade rumor there is leading up to the Draft. They really do not want their number two overall pick. Derrick Williams, who is projected to be the second pick, has a similar build to Michael Beasley and the team is not interested in another combo wing player. It is because of this that there is now speculation that the Timberwolves are considering taking Enes Kanter with their pick. Kanter is a power forward and the Timberwolves already have a pretty good power forward in Kevin Love. So that is likely a bluff but they really want to rid themselves of the number two pick.

Thinking about drafting someone other than Williams is really not that surprising given the trade rumors that have been centered around the Wolves recently. The first reports were that they were shopping Kevin Love and their draft pick for Pau Gasol. Then it was Michael Beasley and their pick for Andrew Bynum. Clearly, Kahn must have a Lakers fetish. Obviously, there has been no serious comment from the Lakers as they probably considered making these trades for all of 0.0612 seconds.

Kahn has even inquired about the possibility of adding Steve Nash to his team for a package including the number two pick. Again, the Phoenix Suns have no interest in trading Nash nor does he have any interest in going to a team that is the farthest thing from a contender in the league.

The Wolves have also fruitlessly pursued JaVale McGee and Andrew Bogut in yet more attempts to rid themselves of their pick. It seems as though David Kahn is on a quest. He wants something but has stumbled across a castle that is blocking his path. Taunts in a French accent are being hurled at him while he dodges falling cows. Yes, Kahn’s trade “attempts” (if they can be called that) are that farcical.

At least he can perceive himself as being actively engaged at trying to improve his team. The guy did just land Ricky Rubio and celebrated his arrival in Minnesota with rock and roll blaring from a boombox at the airport. That is some class right there. He is the long-awaited savior of the franchise, after all.

If the Timberwolves do move their draft pick in a trade it will not be for one of the home run and completely lopsided deals that Kahn has been seeking. It will likely be more of a bloop single to shallow center. If they cannot move their pick before the Draft, being suck with Williams is not such a bad dilemma to find themselves in especially if they are looking to make improvements to their roster post Draft. A package containing Williams could be very appealing to clubs. However, it has yet to be seen how seriously anyone will take Kahn after throwing his hat in the ring again and again in completely outlandish trade scenarios.

(Many apologies for not working in a Star Trek II reference somewhere.)

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by | November 9, 2010 · 12:59 PM

Power Rankings

It's good to be undefeated

It’s only a handful of games into the season but it’s these games that can set the pace for teams.  Some have started the season off well.  Some haven’t.  Some are building what could be formidable playoff teams while others are already snowballing into what will turn them into lottery teams next summer.  However they are starting the season, every team is setting a theme for both the best and the worst.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (7-0)

Being the No. 1 scoring team in the league should be at no surprise for the defending champs.  Point guards Derek Fisher and Steve Blake are both averaging only four assists per game and they are putting up 22 a game (9th in the league).  They are spreading out the ball and utilizing their depth very appropriately.  We could still question parts of this bench but Blake and Matt Barnes give them a lot more to work with.  As long as Pau Gasol is playing well both defensively and offensively, sky is the limit for the Lakers.

2. New Orleans Hornets (6-0)

The Hornets are only scoring 97 points a game.  This stat comes to no surprise when you look at who can really score in New Orleans but the fact that they are still undefeated really sticks out.  A team built around arguably the best point guard in the league in Chris Paul would be thought to be perfect this far into the season around offense.  Instead, it’s the defense that is propelling this team forward.  While giving up only 91 points a game, the Hornets have held Milwaukee to 81, Miami to 93 and San Antonio to 90.  This is the best start in franchise history for the Hornets but how long can the winning last?

3. Boston Celtics (6-2)

The pieces are coming together nicely in Boston.  Rajon Rondo is averaging 15.5 assists a game and has surely won over the respect of both his teammates and the pundits.  Scoring distribution will keep this team fresh and a good man running point will definitely help.  Five of their six wins are over teams that were in the playoffs last season.  We have yet to see Shaquille O’neal and Kendrick Perkins both active on this roster.

4. Atlanta Hawks (6-2)

It’s balance that is keeping these Hawks afloat and that’s the best thing to build a season on.  Josh Smith is making a case for early MVP consideration and will just get better over the course of the season.  It’s also looking like extending Al Horford’s contract is looking like a good decision.  They are averaging 104 points a game while still collecting 32 defensive boards a game. However, this team needs to recover from its recent two game slide.

5. Miami Heat (5-2)

For those of you that expected the Heat to win 82 games, sorry but that can’t happen now.  In addition, loses to both Boston and New Orleans should be nothing to be embarrassed about right now.  Erik Spoelstra needs to figure out the best rotation of the bench that wont hurt them too much.  Right now, the bench is being outscored and outplayed.  It’s a long season and three players cannot carry a team by themselves.

6. Orlando Magic (5-1)

Orlando should technically be 6-1 but issues at Madison Square Garden caused the Knicks to postpone their inevitable loss to the Magic.  Regardless, their one loss to the Heat is warranted and Rashard Lewis needs to put up more than 2 points for the Magic to win such a statement game.

7. Denver Nuggets (4-3)

Nene, Chris Anderson and Kenyon Martin are out with injuries.  They beat the Mavericks in Dallas with Sheldon Williams starting and that speaks volumes about how this team will perform when their big men return.  Their depth will increase tremendously.  If Denver keeps winning, it may translate to a happy Carmelo Anthony and when Melo is happy, everyone is happy.

8. Portland Trail Blazers (5-3)

Holding Phoenix to just 92 points and later Milwaukee to only 76 is what is helping this Trail Blazers team make the point that they are serious about defense.  Marcus Camby can defend well but Nate McMillen will need to figure out how to get some more scoring from his frontcourt.  His starting forwards only scored nine points against the Lakers on Sunday and they aren’t even breaking 100 points per game. It was, however, their fifth game in seven days.

9. Dallas Mavericks (4-2)

Dallas has seven players that will show up every night on the court. Jason Kidd is showing almost no signs of age while the frontcourt is stacked with Brendan Haywood and Tyson Chandler.  Dallas narrowly beat Denver last Wednesday just to lose to them Saturday.  The Mavs will rebound once Caron Butler and Shawn Marion hit their strides.  However, Dallas needs to clean up its turnovers that are at 16 a game and their bench is ranked second to last in scoring. Although there are no “statement” games in November, beating Boston is the closest you can get to having one.

10. San Antonio Spurs (5-1)

Their record is impressive until you see that they have only beaten one team that made the playoffs last season in Phoenix.  They are fourth in the league in scoring with 109 a game and their next three games are easy wins against the Clippers, Bobcats and the 76ers.  The youth in San Antonio surrounded by a mix of good coaching and veterans will spell out an interesting season.  However, Greg Popavich needs his young guys to get the minutes they need to grow.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

It’s funny that a team with Russell Westbrook is ranked 30th in the league in assists per game but when you look at the depth in OKC, it begins to make sense.  The ball isn’t being spread out enough and sheer depth may haunt the Thunder again this season.  Again, it’s 82 games and it takes more than an sixth man to get through a season and make the playoffs out West.

12. Memphis Grizzlies (4-4)

Rudy Gay became the first player in franchise history to score at least 25 points a game in five consecutive games.  However, it’s their defense that needs to step up since they are allowing their opponents to score 107 points a game.  They are undersized and young which is a bad place to be in the Western Conference.  It’s going to a long season with hopefully some growth.

13. Utah Jazz (3-3)

Deron Williams and company are obviously hurting from loosing some of their star players.  With Mehmet Okur out, the Jazz are limited in size and they are obviously having a hard time scoring when they can only muster up 78 points against the Warriors.  It wont get any easier with them playing Miami, Orlando and Atlanta this week.

14. Phoenix Suns (3-4)

Steve Nash entered the season with reservations about the Suns’ chances this season.  Losses to Portland, San Antonio and LA aren’t something to be ashamed of this season.  In all three of their loses, Hedo Turkoglu has scored six points twice and nine points once.  Maybe it’s time to put some production into this starting lineup. Alvin Gentry is going to get to the point where he no longer asks permission to yell at his team.

15. Chicago Bulls (3-3)

Derrick Rose and the Bulls really took it to the Celtics last Friday in a come back that forced overtime.  They fell short in the extra minutes but the play of both Rose and Joakim Noah should keep Bulls fans optimistic.  If Tom Thibodeau and company want to win, Ronnie Brewer needs more minutes and Carlos Boozer needs to return from injury.

16. Golden State Warriors (5-2)

The Warriors have started the season off 4-0 for the first time in 20 years.  Subsequently, three of those four wins are against teams that failed to reach the postseason last year and Utah isn’t the beast it once was.  Monta Ellis has already had two very impressive outings of 46 and 39 points and the return of Stephen Curry will greatly help this backcourt.

17. New York Knicks (3-3)

A win in Chicago could or couldn’t be a big deal this early in the season since we have yet to see them form.  Their other two wins were against Toronto and Washington which both paint a better picture of what this team is truly capable of.  We all know that Mike D’antoni teams can get worn out and that Amar’e Stoudemire’s heightened level of play wont last.

18. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3)

Cleveland has the fourth best bench as far as scoring in the league.  That same bench never got LeBron James a ring so we don’t really expect the same to pan out for Antawn Jamison and friends.  Byron Scott is letting them grow but that’s about all we expect from this season.  An initial win over Boston is impressive until you see that they lost to Toronto and Sacramento the following days.

19. Sacramento Kings (3-3)

The Kings are scoring but still allowing their opponents to rack up 107 points a game.  DeMarcus Cousins has yet to record a 10-rebound game and Tyreke Evans is still trying to do too much on the court.  Good news is that their both young and when they click, it could mean a lot to wherever the Kings end up playing next.

20. Milwaukee Bucks (2-5)

Scott Skiles is having a hard time getting the Bucks rolling into this season.  They are 30th in the league in scoring at only 89 a game and it’s mainly due to their depth.  Drew Gooden is giving them some more power up front but with just Corey Maggette producing off of the bench, it may be a long road for the Bucks.

21. Houston Rockets (1-5)

All five of Houston’s losses came from very formidable teams this season (Lakers, Warriors, Spurs, Hornets and Nuggets).  Aaron Brooks will be missed and Kyle Lowry will not be able to carry the load by himself.  Luis Scola and Kevin Martin are working out well with all the injuries but Rick Adelman needs a healthy roster in order to compete.

22. Philadelphia 76ers (2-5)

Philly started the season off with losses against Miami, Atlanta, Indiana and Washington.  If you are surprised, close this window immediately.  Evan Turner’s scoring has been up and down but what can you expect from a rookie surrounded by a bunch of trash?  Surprisingly, their bench is ranked first in scoring.

23. Indiana Pacers (2-3)

At first, it’s looks like Darren Collison may be a little in over his head at running Indiana’s point.  Then again, look at who this young man is passing to.  He filled in when Westbrook went down at UCLA and stepped up last season when Paul went down in New Orleans.  However, the talent is pretty thin in Indiana.  Danny Granger seems to be approaching a nice stride but there isn’t much other good news coming out of Indiana.

24. Detroit Pistons (2-5)

The Pistons are bottom feeders in almost every statistical category. This does not bode well for a team that is striving to achieve mediocrity. However, they have won their last two contests. Pistons fans should take any small achievement as good news because there will not be much this season.

25. Los Angeles Clippers (1-6)

At least one team in L.A. has a tough start to their schedule. The Clippers have faced the likes of Portland, Dallas, San Antonio, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Utah in their first seven games with their only win coming against the struggling Thunder. It must be hard to be the bastard child of the Staples center and see the Lakers with a sugarplum and lolly pop schedule until late January.

26. New Jersey Nets (2-4)

Right now the Nets are on a better winning pace than last year. That is the upside. It doesn’t look like Avery Johnson is ever going to let third overall draft pick, Derrick Favors, into the starting lineup anytime soon now that Troy Murphy is back. In their most recent loss, the Nets did their best Washington Generals impersonation to the Heat’s Globetrotter act.

27. Washington Wizards (1-4)

John Wall and Gilbert Arena will be reunited again. That’s good.  Their one win however, well, that’s not so good. December is going to be a rough month for the Wiz so now is their best opportunity to get some wins under their belt. Hopefully, the Republicans won’t try to filibuster their next win.

28. Charlotte Bobcats (1-6)

They were in the playoffs last season and had the number one rated team defense in the league. Now, they have a defensive rating ranked 20th. Not good. Maybe His Airness can breathe some life into this franchise. Something needs to happen, and quick, if they want another playoff birth.

29. Toronto Raptors (1-6)

The Raptors are bad. We knew they would be. They were bad last year even with Chris Bosh on their roster so what are the expectaions of them now that he is gone? Right, there are none. One thing that Raptors fans can take delight in is that the so-called Young Gunz on the team will put on a decent show every night. Jose Calderon needs to be back in the starting lineup otherwise the team’s assists will continue to be dreadful.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-6)

We wrote an open letter to David Kahn. This is something we normally wouldn’t do. However, the T-Wolves are terrible. Kurt Rambis coaches like a chicken with his head cut off and has no sense that Kevin Love is their best player. They are ranked last in most every statistical category. They only thing that Minnesota fans have to look forward to is the high draft pick that the team will get next summer…which Kahn will promptly waste on yet another point guard. KAAAAHHN!

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by | November 4, 2010 · 7:29 PM

An Open Letter to David Kahn

Mr. Kahn,

We here at the Beef have frequently poked fun at you and your decisions and often invoking Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan at your expense. For this, we shall not apologize. However, this is not a time for humor. This is a time to speak frankly and seriously. We know you had low expectations for your team this year as you made them clear in your whole newspaper ad. Yet, no one could have imagined that you set the bar so low.

This season, even after just five games, it looks like the Timberwolves clearly want to be the worst team in the NBA. Your team was mercilessly slaughtered Wednesday night at Orlando 128-86 in what was the team’s worst defeat in its history. The night before it was the same story in Miami as the Timberwolves lost 129-97. Sure these teams in Florida are good but this is simply unacceptable, Mr. Kahn.

The moves that you made this summer were somehow supposed to help your team, or at least you thought so. Most everyone else questioned your decisions wholeheartedly (this is where Star Trek II is most often invoked, namely Admiral Kirk yelling “KHAAAAAN”). Despite being one of the best rebounding teams in the league, your squad repeatedly scrapes near the bottom of the barrel. Currently, the Timberwolves rank 23rd out of 30 in points per game and are 29th in opponent’s points per game. That is not a recipe for success. To add to those pathetic numbers, your team has an offensive rating of 95, the lowest in the league with a defensive rating of 111.5 which is ranked 26th. If you have plans on winning more than the Nets did last year something must be done and fast.

Fire Kurt Rambis. That is just the first step that needs to be taken. He is obviously not getting the most out of his players with the numbers they are producing, or not producing in their case. he is only playing Kevin Love, the team’s best player by a long shot, an average of 26.4 minutes a game. The best player on the team basically plays Yao Ming minutes! This is unacceptable! Why would any coach harness the talents of his best player? It does not make sense and therefore the Wolves will continue to lose.

Next, you must trade Kevin Love. Hell, you already traded your best player once, why not do it to his successor? We here at the Beef want to see Love succeed and he deserves better than what you can offer him in Minnesota. Free Love! Your team is already one of the youngest in the league so why not get some more young “talent” by trading Love? Who am I kidding, you will probably let him go for a second round draft pick and a hoagie. If you are lucky the other team might throw in some Cirque du Soleil tickets in the deal as well.

Your season is over just five games into the season. I wish this was not the case but sadly it is. “So will we challenge for the NBA championship this year? Not likely.” You wrote these words, or had someone write them for you, Mr. Kahn. This is how it should have read, “So will we challenge for third place in the Northwest Division this year? Hahahaha!Hell no! If you thought we had a chance to win more games than we did last year then please pass that shit you’re smoking because I want some of that. Whoever said anything about champion must have dropped a ton of acid.” You and your team are the doorstop of the league. Do something, do anything before you alone convince David Stern that the Timberwolves should be contracted.

Sincerely,

The Kobe Beef

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by | September 14, 2010 · 3:12 PM

All You Need is Love

Love will find a way

As the well deserved accolades continue to pour down on Kevin Durant for his performance at the world championships this summer, the scope of just how well the members of Team USA did is becoming more apparent. Throngs of people will oversimplify what actually took place in Turkey and will only remember the performance of Durant. His play was astounding but it was not the singular standout performance of the FIBA tournament for the Americans. We have discussed, variously, the performances of the other players on Team USA in our coverage of the FIBA World Championships when necessary. To say the least, we are quite pleased with the play of all the members of Team Beef who were on the national roster in Turkey or invited to camp. Now that everything is said and done, one player’s performance remains glaring back at us leaving us astonished. What he was able to do with his time on the court is almost unheard of and further signals to the immense upside he has.

Despite only playing for 80 minutes during the tournament, the third lowest total of all the players on Team USA’s roster, Kevin Love proved himself to be the most dynamic and efficient player that no one is talking about outside of basketball aficionados and us at the Beef. On the surface, his basic statistics are decent but certainly not Durant-esque. Durant logged a total of 254 minutes during the tournament and his time spent on the court is representative of his productions. He scored 205 points, more than double Chauncey Billups’ 88 points, and pulled down 55 rebounds.  Billups was the second highest scorer on Team USA and played 208 minutes. However, it was Lamar Odom that outpaced Durant in rebounding with 69 total rebounds in 198 minutes. In comparison, Love scored 51 points and had 44 rebounds. Like I said, it was not that impressive on the surface to most viewers but it was definitely a legitimate contribution to the team on their way to the gold medal.

Again, you must remember that Love totaled only 80 minutes of playing time; 51 points and 44 rebounds in 80 minutes. Is his overall impact becoming a little more clear? He shot 57 percent from the field during the world championships, 61.5 percent on two-point field goals and 44.4 percent from behind the arc on nine attempts. Love had the third highest offensive raking on the team at 130.8 behind Tyson Chandler’s rating of 140.3 and Durant’s 132.3. Team USA’s offensive rating as a unit was 123.8. For those who do not know, offensive rating is the calculated number of points a player produces per 100 possessions that the player was used. Love was used 27.2 percent of Team USA’s offensive possessions while he was on the floor which is the highest percentage of times a player was used out of all the players on the roster. Durant was a close second with 26.5 percent. Generally, the more a player is used in a team’s offense his offensive rating will decline due to the difficulty of shots that must be taken with an increased offensive role. A player who has an offensive rating above 110 who also has a possession percentage above 23 is considered an offensive standout. Other than Love and Durant, Russell Westbrook is the only player on the US roster who meets these criteria.

To go along with his stellar offense production, Love also had the best defensive rating on the team at 82.9. Defensive rating is the number of points a player or team allowed per 100 possessions. Therefore, a lower rating is a sign of better defense. As there are five players on the court at any one time, it can be assumed that a player will face 20 percent of the opposing possessions while on the floor. Since that is the case, much of a player’s defensive rating is based on the overall performance of his team’s defense. Team USA’s defensive rating was 91 which is a full 10.1 points better than the 2006 national team that won bronze at the world championships. Durant, once again, was second in this category with a rating of 88.1.

Even though Odom, who tallied more than twice the minutes that Love did, led the team in rebounding Love finished only 25 boards behind him and 11 behind Durant. Love’s rebounding percentages were through the roof. He gathered in 16 offensive rebounds with an offensive rebounding percentage of 21.8 percent. Defensively, his rebounding percentage was 34.1 percent. Offensive and defensive rebounding percentages are the estimated percentages of available offensive and defensive rebounds that a player recorded while on the floor. Odom finished second on the team in both categories with 13.2 and 22.2 percent respectively.

Simply put, Love was the model of efficiency for Team USA. But, this is certainly nothing new as fans of the Timberwolves. That is if they actually still have any semblance of a fan base as the team took out a full page ad in the Star Tribune on September 13 that stated, “So will we challenge for the NBA championship this year? Not likely.” Honesty is the best policy after all and David Kahn is never one to be anything but blunt. Nonetheless, Love has proven that the numbers he put up this summer were not a fluke. In his two year career in the NBA, Love has had an offensive rating of 113 while being used in 21.6 percent of the Timberwolves offensive possessions. One must remember that in his first two seasons in Minnesota, Al Jefferson was the center piece to their offense while Love was frequently used as the sixth man. Jefferson was used 26.6 percent of the time on offensive sets when he was on the court during those years.

Although, Love’s defensive rating, 109, is nothing to write home about during his first two years in the league it can be chalked up the overall poor defensive performance of the Timberwolves as a whole. The Timberwolves had an average defensive rating of 111.5 over the previous two seasons. That does not bode well for the ratings of any of the players on the team.

As for rebounding, the story is more of same in terms of consistency along the lines of his performance this summer. Love has gathered in offensive rebounds at a rate of 14.8 percent and lead the NBA in this category his rookie season with a mark of 15.1 percent. Defensively, he has averaged 27.9 percent rebounding. Last season (2009-2010), his defensive rebounding percentage climbed to 28.6 percent which is up from 27.3 percent the previous year.

Combine all of that with the fact that his outside shot is improving, he connected on 33 percent of his shots from downtown in 2009-10, and you have the makings of a perennial All Star. There is no question that Love should be voted in by the fans to play in Los Angeles at the Staples Center in February in front of celebrities and the world media. The problem is that little if any attention is paid to the Timberwolves. Yes, they were the worst team in the Western Conference last season but that should not deter the focus from the achievements of Love. Hopefully he can stay healthy this year, as last season he missed 60 games, mostly at the start of the season, and earn a roster spot in the NBA’s biggest popularity contest.

He will become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2012 as his next two seasons are under a team option on his initial rookie contract with the Timberwolves. It would behoove David Kahn and company to keep Love around for as long as they can. However, with Kahn holding the reins, anything is possible. Love has stated in a recent interview with HoopsHype.com that he would “love to sign an extension and kind of get that out of the way.” But he also added, “If they wanna to move me, it’s up to them. I’m just going to go out there and play my butt off and try to make any team that I’m on better. I look at it like, you know very few players play their whole career with the team that drafted them.” (Technically, he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies who then traded him to Minnesota.) Yet, as with all players looking at signing an extension or testing the waters of free agency in the near future, the future of the collective bargaining agreement talks loom large.

Next time Mark Jackson tells Kevin Love to ride with the luggage under the bus he needs to stop and think twice. Love is the real deal. The experience he gained this summer playing with a unit as cohesive as Team USA will turn Love into a leader in Minnesota. There is no question that his confidence will be higher now that he has won gold in Turkey. With Jefferson having been traded to the Jazz, Love should begin to play an even more focal role in Minnesota. With an increased role where he is not relegated to coming off the bench, his numbers could skyrocket. He already averages more rebounds per 36 minutes than Dwight Howard does and it would not be inconceivable that his numbers could simply eclipse Howard’s all together with more playing time. Kevin Love is that good and proved it to the world in Turkey. It is time that he gets the credit he deserves. I purchased my ticket for the Love train a while ago. Have you?

(Many thanks to Basketball Reference on their diligent statistical record keeping as they were the source of the statistics found above.)

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by | July 31, 2010 · 8:28 PM

NBA: Free Agency, News, Notes, Trades, Judaism & More

Together at last

As the first full month of full-fledged free agency mayhem draws to a close, we here at the Beef bring you yet another update of what has transpired since our last posting on the subject as well as trades, a few other musings, and bits of news. It is hard to believe that free agency has only been going on since July 1 with so much that has happened so far. It seems like the events that have taken place in the span of one month could fill a span of six months. Without further adieu here are the latest moves:

Movement:

Last time we wrote on the subject of Matt Barnes his future remained in limbo as the Toronto Raptors did not think to adjust for currency exchange rates, or for that matter even look at their cap room, when attempting to acquire him. Barnes, the Canadian faithful believed, would make the team tougher. With this belief the Raptor’s fan base revealed their subconscious belief that what Bryan Colangelo is not meeting with their full approval. (Chris Bosh may have relaxed on the team in the final months but Colangelo is the one to be blamed for not fostering a constructive and successful atmosphere.) Bringing in a player who now gets spotty minutes and frequently sits out games because of an ailing back is a rather unlikely candidate to make a team any tougher. Oh, Canada. At least Torontonians can take solace in their consolation prize, David Andersen. Andersen easily qualifies as the poor man’s Brian Cardinal but since he is Australian it would translate more like this: David Andersen, Australian for Brain Cardinal.

Where the Raptors have failed the Los Angeles Lakers have succeeded. Kobe Bryant, after being denied by Raja Bell, was still on his quest to bring veteran defense to Hollywood. Bryant certainly did not “flinch” at the opportunity in front of him and the Lakers. He found Matt Barnes in his state of limbo and set forth to woo him with the notion of a ring and the Lakers’ remaining $1.8 million of their midlevel exception. One of the NBA’s better known journeymen (he has played on eight teams in eight seasons) is coming home to L.A. Barnes signed a two year deal worth $1.77 million in the first year with a player option worth almost $2 million in his second year. This signing could be seen as another stinging blow that Bryant has dealt the Raptors in his career (*cough* 81 points *cough*) but chalk it up to bad front office management by the Raptors.

The same day that the Lakers signed Barnes, aging veteran Theo Ratliff, signed a one year deal worth $1.35 million. (Do not tell Dale Davis though, he may expect a knock on his door next.) This acquisition could not have come at a better time for the Lakers as Luke Walton appears to be on the cusp of missing the entire 2010-11 season and Andrew Bynum has just had another knee surgery.  It seems like Bynum has had surgery on his knee or had it drained at least once for every year he has been alive by now. Ratliff now has the opportunity to become fast friends with Josh Powell, D.J. Mbenga, Adam Morrison at the end of the Lakers bench.

While the Lakers have been keen at adding pieces to their bench they have also made an effort to unload many of the pieces that we so fondly belittle here at the Beef. Currently, Los Angeles is trying to trade Sasha Vujacic. If they could unload him it would free up room to help entice Shannon Brown, whose overhyped abilities do not work at all in the triangle, to stay with the team. It has been reported that Brown has received an offer from the New York Knicks worth around $4 million a year. That would be a lot of money to turn down for a player who would likely only get spot minutes behind Steve Blake next season.

Just when you thought that David Kahn was done associating the Minnesota Timberwolves with any more point guards, he goes and trades for two more. To Kahn, point guards are pets, not quite domesticated, however. With Jonny Flynn missing three to four months after hip surgery maybe Kahn was actually the cunning one for the first time. Minnesota finally unloaded Ramon Sessions (it was well known that they had every intention to do so for some time) and packaged Ryan Hollins in a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair. Yet, as is Kahn’s way (he is a madman), the trade is never to be taken at face value. It is likely that the Timberwolves will waive West because his contract is not guaranteed and then try and move Telfair. Kahn is after something, he is going after it with everything he has got as if it were a white whale or the genesis device. What the end goal actually is, only Kahn knows. For now the fans of the Timberwolves will have to remain trapped deep within Regula with only a glimmer of hope and where hours can seem like days.

Eddie House in an effort to remain somewhat relevant has chosen to follow the lead of many other has-been players and ride the coattails of the Miami Thrice. House joins Shavlik Randolph and Carlos Arroyo as the latest recruits to join the Miami Heat. The Heat now have a full 15 man roster and are ready to start the season. As a fantasy basketball roster, the Heat have constructed a mediocre lineup aside from four or five players. Despite this, there will likely be quite a number of W’s for this team in the coming season.

In what equates to a loss for the Dallas Mavericks will translate into a huge win for the Bay Area. Jeremy Lin, the Summer League standout who overshadowed John Wall in their matchup, has signed with the Golden State Warriors. Harvard University is known for graduating future presidents, Nobel laureates, and Supreme Court justices but Jeremy Lin is following another path after graduating from the prestigious institution. He becomes just the fourth player to play in the NBA after attending Harvard, and the first in 57 years. The others were Wyndol Gray, Saul Mariaschin, and Ed Smith. Lin grew up in Palo Alto, California which is 26 miles from Oakland so his joining the Warriors is a homecoming of sorts and has the Bay Area rather jubilant. Also joining the Warriors is Jannero Pargo who inked a two-year deal worth $2.4 million.

Lin proved that he is NBA material with his play during the Summer League

It is unfortunate that Don Nelson appears to be on his way out in Golden State once Joe Lacob, the Warriors future co-owner along with Larry Ellison (I have beef with Ellison dating back to high school, ask about it later), gets his mitts on the team. Lacob has publicly stated that “It’s not really whether Nellie is here this year or not. He’s not going to be here beyond this year, that is clear.” So obviously the writing is on the wall, not only that but it is bold, red, and embossed as well. It is a shame that that is the case. We here at the Beef have poked fun at Nelson’s coaching style and his losing ways but there is something do be said about the way he schemes and plays the most frenetic small ball in the league. Just think of a lineup with Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, Jannero Pargo/Jeremy Lin, Ekpe Udoh, and David Lee on the court.  That would be pure madness; it would be pure Nellie. At least on video games, the Warriors will still be fun once Nelson has been forced to pack his bags.

Josh Howard seems to be adhering to the trend of former team bashing. Howard has stated that the Wizards have given him the opportunity to play his game that he was never given previously. The one time Maverick signed a one year deal with the Washington Wizards that could net him $4 million if he meets certain incentives. Howard had surgery in mid-March and is on schedule to be ready for the start of the season, according to his agent, Derek Lafayette, but there has been no official word about when he will actually return. To resign Howard, Washington was forced to release James Singleton. Also on the injury front for the Wizards, newly acquired forward, Yi Jianlian, has injured his arm while playing in a competition in China. 哦!

Other signings:

Will Bynum has resigned with the Detroit Pistons, Joey Graham has signed with the Cavaliers, and Von Wafer has signed with the Celtics. The signing of Wafer is likely a response to Tony Allen’s departure to Memphis. Instead of coming back to the NBA and coat-tailing like Eddie House, Stephon Marbury has spurned the Heat preferring instead to sign a three-year deal with Shanxi Zhongyu in China. (There are contradicting stories about whether the Heat actually approached Marbury about signing with the team, but I’m going to give Starbury the benefit of the doubt. Miami needed players bad for a while.) It’s all about the Chairman Mao’s, baby!

Roots:

Shalom

This week Amar’e Stoudemire discovered that he has some Jewish heritage on his mother’s side and has traveled to Israel to learn more. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Stoudemire has shown interest in Judaism for some time and recently had a Star of David tattooed on his hand. This new tattoo should go along quite nicely with the prominent “Black Jesus” that he has tattooed on his neck. With the news of Stoudemire’s newly found Jewish roots the Knicks have successfully pulled off one of the greatest marketing coups that any sport has ever seen; too bad for them that he will spend the last few years of his playing career in either Orlando or Miami. (I kid, I kid!)

Team USA:

The team trimmed its roster down from 19 to 15 players this week. On the chopping block were Tyreke Evans, O.J. Mayo, JaVale McGee, and Gerald Wallace. Team USA begins training camp August 10 in New York City.

Shaq:

Shaquille O’Neal was once a professional basketball player. Now the “Big Aristotle” is just a reality television star who occasionally sings songs with Justin Bieber.

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by | July 15, 2010 · 2:12 PM

NBA Free Agency post “The Decision”

A not so long time ago, in an NBA galaxy close to home…

FREE AGENCY

Since the coup d’état and emergence of the Miami Thrice there have been a remarkable amount of moves, signings, and trades by teams. So many moves have occurred in fact that it is almost dizzying. Sure, the major names that have filled the 2010 Free Agency marquee banner for two years were quickly off the table but there are certainly a number of key players that are out there that will make a great addition to any franchise looking to improve. We, hear at the Beef have taken it upon ourselves to help keep you as up to date as possible with free agency. It is likely that within hours of this posting many more signings and trades will have occurred (the number of times this piece had to be updated while being written over a two day span is proof positive of that), making this piece slightly dated but, as always, keep apprised of all the movers and shakers in free agency with up to the minute information, or at least as soon as we are able to report it, by following the Kobe Beef on Twitter.

Miami Heat

When Miami attempted to buy itself a soul by acquiring both LeBron James and Chris Bosh they had just two players under contract with the team for the coming season. Those players were Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley. Since that time, the Heat have dealt Beasley, in what equates to a salary dump, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for two second round draft picks in 2011 and 2014. Ouch, he was the second overall pick in 2008. Relieving themselves of Beasley’s services allowed the Heat to free up enough to award the Miami Thrice (will this catch on?) close to maximum contracts. Both James and Bosh will receive six-year, $110 million contracts while Wade receives $107.5 million over the same period of time. Each player also has an early termination option after the 2013-14 season.

So the Heat, at that point, had just four players under contract for the coming season. That is certainly grounds for championship speculation. Since then the organization has been in overdrive recruiting and signing free agents to bolster their roster. Mike Miller looked like a lock to join the Heat after meeting with Pat Riley and other organization officials on July 1, but now the Miami Herald is reporting that Miller may be backing out of the deal. Miami has a qualifying offer out on Joel Anthony which would pull the reins even tighter on the money that they could offer Miller. Nothing about Miller’s situation with the Heat is certain yet. At least that was the latest news as of early Wednesday afternoon. As of today, Mike Miller is in Miami and has signed a five-year contract with the Heat.

Udonis Haslem, after being pursued by the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets (who have had a knack to engage in bidding wars this summer), has decided to resign with the Heat. Haslem’s deal is worth just over $20 million over four years. The Heat are also close to a minimum level deal with Juwan Howard.

In yet another blow to the city and fans of Cleveland, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, for the second time this calendar year, is leaving. This time he is leaving on his own accord and not part of a multiplayer and multi-team deal to help entice a certain player to stay put. He is following James to Miami. Ilgauskas has played his entire career in Cleveland, he was traded to the Wizards but he never played a single game for them, let alone put on a Wizards’ jersey. The deal with the Heat is expected to be for two years with a player option for the second year. How many knives will Cleveland have to remove from their back when free agency is over?

Gordon Gekko…err, Pat Riley, has done an excellent job of using the Bud Foxes at his disposal as incentive for players to join the Heat. Ilgauskas’ close relationship with James was the deciding factor in his move to South Beach. Yet, the team still lacks a point guard. Miami lost out on its attempt to lure Derek Fisher away from the Lakers and the aura of Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. Certainly, the combo of Jackson and Bryant is Sir Lawrence Wildman to Riley’s Gekko.

New York Knicks

New Yorkers and Knickerbockers alike should not feel all too bad about missing out on the Miami Thrice (I’m going to make this stick). They successfully procured Amar’e Stoudemire. That is a very solid consolation prize. It is better than what the soon to be cross town rivals got. New York should be happy that they convinced any player to join their team since they employed Isiah Thomas to help them recruit free agents. Isiah Thomas! This is the man who gave monster contracts to “superstars” like Eddy Curry (who is going into the final year of his contract and will be paid $11.3 million) and Jared Jeffries. He almost singlehandedly drove the organization into the ground. Well, Knicks owner, James Dolan, helped too. However, the acquisition of Stoudemire was not a bad one but it meant that fan favorite and perennial double-double (this is a statistic that STAT cannot claim on a regular basis), David Lee, would no longer be a part of the Knicks’ future.

Lee was dealt to the Golden State Warriors (the AND1 Mix Tape Tour’s only NBA equivalent) via sign-and-trade where mad scientist, Don Nelson, will undoubtedly have an insane number of offensive schemes already planned with him in mind. In return the Knicks received Anthony Randolph, who was the main chip New York wanted in return, Ronny Turiaf, and Kelenna Azubuike. Randolph will make $1.96 million this coming season, Turiaf will make $4 million, and Azubuike, who is going into the final year of his contract, will make $3.3 million. Dorell Wright is also joining the Warriors. He became expendable when the Heat orchestrated a Gekko-esque takeover and cornered the market on top free agents. After that they needed to pay them and Wright would eat up more money that they needed for their new stars. Dwyane Wade is reported to have really like Wright as a teammate but money seems to have trumped friendship. Wright has agreed to a three-year deal worth $11.5 million.

The Knicks lost Chris Duhon in free agency to the Orlando Magic so for a time they were without a starting point guard. In a Mike D’Antoni coached offense, this is the most important position. New York quickly found a solution to their vacancy in Raymond Felton. They had been after Felton since last season but the Bobcats were in no mood to trade him. Felton was originally in talks with the Knicks to sign a three-year deal with the Knicks but the two parties reached an agreement on a two-year contract worth nearly $15 million.

In addition to these players the Knicks also signed Timofey Mozgov, a 7’1” center from Russia. He is expected to sign a three-year contract worth $9 million but not all the money will be guaranteed. The Knicks are buying him out of his contract with his former team, Khimki Moscow, and are reportedly paying them $500,000. Some reports have said that he is the best prospect in Europe. We at the Beef have not read that, in fact we know nothing about him. Honestly, we thought all the Russians were in New Jersey.

The Knicks have also shown interest in resigning Earl Barron, who played the last seven games of the season with New York last season. Yet, nothing has been made official. Even after all these signings the Knicks will still have about $2-3 million in cap space. With the expiring contracts of Curry and Azubuike at the end of the season, the team looks poised and ready for free agency next summer when Carmelo Anthony becomes available if he chooses not to sign an extension with the Denver Nuggets.

Minnesota Timberwolves

What the hell is general manager David Kahn doing? Does anybody know? In recent days it has been said that an avocado would do a better job than he would. As of right now (July 14, 2010 at 1:05 pm central standard time) the Timberwolves have just reached an agreement with point guard Luke Ridnour on a four-year $16 million deal. Minnesota now has four point guards; yes that is right, four. They have Jonny Flynn, Ramon Sessions, Ridnour, and Spaniard holdout, Ricky Rubio. If Kahn is trying to entice Rubio to leave the now perpetually drunk Spain, he sure is sending mixed signals. However, many see the signing of Ridnour as a possible prelude to the Wolves trading Sessions. Reports say that Minnesota has been in talks with Charlotte, who just lost Felton to the Knicks, about the possibility of a trade for Sessions. The Bobcats, however, have just extended an offer to free agent guard, Shaun Livingston, which likely means that all Sessions discussions are dead.

The acquisition of Ridnour comes just days after the Timberwolves traded away their best player, Al Jefferson, to the Utah Jazz. Minnesota, in return, gets two first round draft picks and center Kosta Koufos. Utah swooped in, seemingly at the last minute, to snag Jefferson as the Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks were in serious trade discussions. The Jazz had the advantage of having a trade exception, acquired when Carlos Boozer left for Chicago, and were willing to give up first round draft picks. Minnesota’s motive for moving Jefferson was based on his style of play, slow and post oriented, which they are trying to move away from. If there is any sense of style coming out of Minnesota it is a frenetic one, spearheaded by Kahn.

David Kaaahn!

Minnesota has finalized its contract with Darko Milicic making him one of the veterans on the team. Veterans, as a term, should be used lightly since Milicic has just seven years of NBA experience. The T-Wolves have also signed draft picks, Wesley Johnson and Lazar Hayward. Center Nikola Pekovic has also agreed to terms with the team. All of these moves, along with the addition of Beasley, have, as David Kahn hopes, bolstered the frontcourt and made the team sleeker and quicker on the court. Yet, it is still hard to discern what Kahn in actually doing other than trying to improve upon last year’s 15-67 record. His roster now has four centers, and a host of wing player. This is also now one of the youngest teams in the league and plays in a division where the four other teams won at least fifty games last season. Hell, Utah is a division rival and they just shipped their best player to them for virtually nothing other than “financial flexibility.” Kahn must be leaving his team’s fan base screaming his name in anger, much like Captain Kirk in Star Trek II, every time he makes any sort of move. Though they have become a player in free agency this summer none of their moves consolidate into a coherent plan, Kahn appears to be a madman, deranged by power, hunting his white whale. His whale, of course, is Ricky Rubio.

Chicago Bulls

Chicago has benefited from defectors from Utah. Both Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver have left the confines of the Great Salt Lake and head to the Windy City. No, neither of these players is named James, Bosh, or Wade but they are still major pickups for the Bulls. Korver should help the Bulls in their three-point shooting. As a team the Bulls shot 33 percent from downtown which ranked them 28th in the league. The Bulls are also looking to further strengthen their long-range shooting as they have signed J.J. Redick to a three-year, $20 million offer sheet. Redick is a restricted free agent so his current team, the Orlando Magic can match the Bulls offer and retain him. If history is any indication (matching the Mavericks offer to Marcin Gortat last summer) of their intentions, Orlando will likely match the offer. Yet, the Magic recently agreed to a deal with Quentin Richardson so maybe they are prepared to let Redick go.

Korver’s deal is worth an estimated $15 million over three years. Boozer agreed to a five-year deal worth roughly $75 million that became a sign-and-trade with Utah with the Bulls also receiving a future protected second-round draft pick. The trade exemption that the Jazz used to trade for Al Jefferson was part of the Boozer trade.

New head coach, Tom Thibodeau, should be very pleased with the work that general manager Gar Forman has done this offseason. Fans of the Bulls should also be quite pleased with the moves the team has made. They may have been slighted in their quest to land one of the Miami Thrice but they have found themselves in a formidable position heading into next season. The same cannot be said for all the teams who were in the rat race for the big three.

New Jersey Nets

Seriously, the Nets should change the name of their team to the New Jersey Nyets. Despite the fact that they were shot down by every major free agent this summer, they constantly thought themselves to be leading the pack to land each one. The team confidently suggested in the media that they had the upper hand in landing James. Why? What hallucinogen gave them this notion? It must be some pretty potent shit to make them have pipe dreams such as this. Everyone in the world seemed to know that James would not go to the Nets except for the Nets. This ordeal has seriously hurt the reputation of Jay-Z and his supposed ability to land James due to their friendship. Who listens to a minority owner anyway? Greatest rapper alive? Give me a break, Rakim is still alive. Mikhail Prokhorov said he had a hunch that James would not be coming to his team. What tipped him off? Everyone he talked to?

What have the Nets done then, other than move to the cesspool that is Newark? Well, they lost their general manager, Rod Thorn and replaced him with Billy King. Yawn. They have reached a contract agreement with Johan Petro worth $10 million over three years. He will back up Brook Lopez. The Nets need to lure a big free agent this summer to make up for their failures thus far and they may have found just the player. Two time NBA champion, former Lakers great, Jordan Farmar has agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal with the struggling franchise. Good job, Jay-Z. I doubted you earlier but you really came through with this one. It should prove to be a spectacular competition for starting point guard when training camp begins. Farmar stated that his desire to leave the Lakers was to be a starting point guard on a team. He has a good chance of doing just that in New Jersey. Oh, wait…Devin Harris still plays in New Jersey? Oh, I see. Is that common knowledge? Did anyone tell Farmar that? Sorry, Jordan, looks like you will simply be a backup on a bad team.

By far their biggest acquisitions are those of Travis Outlaw and Anthony Morrow. Outlaw agreed to a five-year, $35 million deal. New Jersey signed Morrow to an offer sheet worth $12 million over three years that the Golden State Warriors did not match. The teams eventually worked out a sign-and-trade where the Warriors receive the Nets’ second-round draft pick in 2011.

These moves, in the wake of not landing James, are…well, they are moves. Morrow and Outlaw have the potential to thrive alongside Harris and Lopez but it will all depend on how Avery Johnson chooses to utilize their talents on the court. As for right now, the Nets look to be at least three wins better than they were last season, maybe. At least in a few years the team will be in Brooklyn where they can overcharge hipsters for tickets and merchandise. Hipsters love ironic failures and chronic underachievers. Financially, the Nets will be winners then.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns have been one of the biggest movers in the Western Conference this summer. They had to be after losing Stoudemire to the Knicks. They recently welcomed back to the league, Josh Childress and his iconic Afro with a five-year contract. Phoenix acquired him via sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks, who still retained the rights to his contract. Atlanta will receive the Suns’ 2012 second-round draft pick.

Phoenix has also traded for scorned Raptor, Hedo Turkoglu for Leandro Barbosa and Dwayne Jones. Turkolgu thrives in offenses where he gets to control the ball so a pairing with Steve Nash seems a bit odd but any situation has to be better for Turkolgu than what he went through in Toronto.

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas’ attempts to land players named Al have been thwarted at every attempt this summer. First they were in position to land Al Jefferson. Then, out of nowhere, the Jazz swooped in and nabbed him so that they could fill the void left by Boozer’s departure. Next the Mavericks set their sights on Al Harrington. Talks were advancing nicely but then the Denver Nuggets struck. They offered Harrington a longer and more valuable contract (five-year, $34 million) than the Mavericks were willing to offer him.

The Mavericks have made some moves this summer, though they are not earth shaking; they are moves to build on for the future. Dallas’ second priority this summer, after resigning Dirk Nowitzki, was signing Brendan Haywood. They did just that as the team and Haywood agreed on a six-year deal worth $55 million. The way Haywood’s contract is structured he will make $7-8 million a season, and as the Mavericks are prone to do, the last year of his contract is not fully guaranteed.

For the Mavericks, the elephant in the room was Erick Dampier’s nonguaranteed $13 million contract and their ability to use it in an attempt to lure a max free agent to Dallas to team up with Nowitzki. Dallas missed out on the marquee names but was able to move Dampier’s contract. Dampier, along with Matt Carroll, Eduardo Najera, and cash were sent to the Charlotte Bobcats for Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca. It was not the blockbuster move that Mavs fans were hoping for and many are quite discontent at the moves their team has made this summer after being force-fed rumors and speculation about the possibility of landing a superstar. Honestly, this deal fits the Mavericks plan better than landing the likes of Jefferson who would have either been forced into a sixth man role or center. Neither of which would have been ideal for either party. Chandler gives the Mavericks and versatile shot blocker with the ability to run the floor. Running the floor is something that Chandler was accustomed to during his time with Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets and is something that he will get back to on the Mavericks with Jason Kidd and Rodrigue Beaubois. One thing is certain, the alley-oop dunk will return to prominence in Chandler’s offensive repertoire.

This deal also gives the Mavericks some financial breathing room as they have dumped Carroll’s bloated contract. It also gives the team added size and length in the frontcourt, something the team wanted so they could compete with the Lakers’ bigs. This deal came just in time too. It also acts as a counter to their in-state arch rival San Antonio Spurs’ addition of the great threat, Tiago Splitter. This nobody is making folks quake in their boots from the filthy, disease laden River Walk to the Alamo. Team front offices are whispering amongst themselves about the domination that Splitter could unleash on an unsuspecting league. Hold on, he is a South American seven footer? How many floppers do the Spurs need on their roster? The only threat he poses is to himself. It is a long way to the floor when flopping from seven feet up, concussions could become a problem.

Chandler is going into the last year of his contract which has led some to speculate that if a player became available during the season the Mavericks could use Chandler and Caron Butler, who is also entering the last year of his contract, as trade bait. However, the people who are the ones speculating this are the same ones who almost guaranteed Mavericks fans that they would land a superstar player this summer.

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz have acquired Raja Bell and thwarted Kobe Bryant’s attempts to get Bell to sign with the Lakers. Los Angeles had $1.8 million left of their mid-level exception to offer Bell while the Jazz offered him a three-year deal worth close to $10 million. (It is always about the money.) With the signing of Bell the Jazz chose to let Wesley Matthews sign with the Portland Trailblazers as they were unwilling to match the offer sheet that Matthews signed with the Blazers which was worth $32.7 million over five years.

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