Tag Archives: Deron Williams

by | July 8, 2012 · 10:22 AM

Conceptualizing Team USA

Hybrid

At this time we have no idea what kind of rotations that coach Mike Krzyzewski will use for Team USA. He has a roster loaded with talent especially in the fields of athleticism and speed. Therefore, fans of basketball should be in for a treat once Olympic basketball tips off in London.

The roster has been set. Lineups, however, are a whole other animal. With a team so repeat with talent, finding the right combination of efficient chemistry could take time, yet, with the summer games set to begin in a few short weeks, time is of the essence.

One thing we do know is that Coach K plans to have LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant on the court at the same time for heavy minutes. These players can be cycled through any position that a given lineup has to offer from one through five. They will likely be paired with Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant giving Team USA a college feel with a two guards and three forwards set, forgoing the traditional center.

Team USA does have one center on its roster in Tyson Chandler. Honestly, if Chandler does start a game it will be for appearances only or to compete with the bigs of Spain. Other than that, his role should be limited in London. This is a hybrid team with players who can play multiple positions. Why bow to archaic positional traps? That is not what Team USA is about anymore. 2010 solidified that when the team that won gold at the World Championships started Lamar Odom at center.

Traditionalists may warn that smaller lineups will pose defensive shortcomings in the half court but that is if we assume that opposing teams have fluid, unchallenged ball movement and can work the ball into the post or lane. Reports coming out of Las Vegas, where Team USA was holding practice and scrimmages with the Team USA Select team, noted that the Select backcourt of John Wall, Kyrie Irving, and Jrue Holiday were harried from the moment the ball was inbounded and they were tasked with bringing it up court.

This stifling full court defense will be a staple of Team USA. It allows the team to play smaller, more versatile lineups and prevent opponents from easily setting up their offense potentially forcing plenty of turnovers in the process. Smothering the ball as they will could draw comparisons to when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen traded off guarding Toni Kukoc in the 1992 Olympics. Take the ball out of the hands of the playmaker or the opponent’s best player and that team stands little chance.

The key defenders that will be tasked with harassing the ball will be Bryant, though the oldest player on the team he can still muster good defensive possessions, Paul, Deron Williams, James Harden, and most importantly James and Andre Iguodala, whose admission to the final roster was likely based on his defense. Aside from Paul, each of these players can defend multiple positions with James and Iguodala being able to guard anything from a point guard to a power forward. James could also be asked to defend centers. He has that ability.

In fact, that defensive versatility is what makes this team so astounding. Referring back to the lineup of Paul, Bryant, Durant, Anthony, and James, these players can guard almost anyone, towering centers aside. Both James and Anthony proved they could defend power forwards during the NBA regular season and playoffs while Bryant and Durant are suited to guard wings. If their pressure defense works as well as it can, opposing centers could be taken out of the equation all together with ball denial.

However, where versatility is the biggest asset is on offense. Team USA should blaze up and down the court. Key to this will be rebounding. Since the team is relatively undersized it would make sense that Kevin Love should see more playing time on this squad than he did in Turkey, where he was an unbelievably efficient player. His knack for rebounding in volume and his ability to pass into the break plays into the speed that this team possesses. A scenario where Love gets a rebound, hits Westbrook/Paul/Williams with the outlet pass, and the play finishes with a layup, lob, or dunk is very real.

Imagine the above scenario and picture Blake Griffin as the one scoring at the end of the break. Enough said. That is what makes this team so dangerous and why the anticipation for the games to begin that much greater.

Even if a team slows down Team USA, they have a savvy floor general in Paul who can dissect a defense with his passing, and Westbrook to run a pick and roll or find and open shooter. There is no shortage of premier shooters on this roster.

The hardest part, right now, is building a cohesive unit, with interchangeable parts, capable of adapting and excelling in every situation. With a roster as loaded as this one and with the general camaraderie amongst players in the league, not to mention many of these players having played together before, everything should fall into place nicely.

Before Olympic play begins, Team USA will play in several “friendlies” just to wet out appetite.

July 12 vs. the Dominican Republic

July 16 vs. Brazil

July 22 vs. Argentina

July 24 vs. Spain

Enjoy.

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by | July 7, 2012 · 7:09 PM

Team USA Olympic Roster Finalized

London calling

The final roster that will represent the United States in Olympic men’s basketball has been set and is comprised of players who have almost all played for Team USA before.

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler, Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, and James Harden are headed to London later this month to compete for the gold medal. They are the favorites to win.

Griffin and Harden are the only players on the roster to have not played on Team USA in international competition before. They, along with Iguodala, were the final three players to be added to the roster. They beat out the likes of Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay, who played on the FIBA World Championship team in 2010, and Anthony Davis, the first overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Team USA was plagued with former members withdrawing from eligibility throughout the month of June. Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Derrick Rose, all who were locks to play in London, opted out of play, mostly due to injuries.

The omission of such All Stars led some to be concerned about the United States’ chances at defending the gold. However, with the roster they have assembled for London, those doubts should vanish.

The final three players selected are essentially no brainers. Harden, who had a rather rough time in the NBA Finals, is a good scorer with size who should do well in international competition coming off the bench. He an Gordon are almost interchangeable in terms of scoring ability but Harden is lengthier and has a knack for long range shots.

Iguodala played a crucial role on the “B-Team” during the Worlds in Turkey in 2010. He was the premier perimeter defender on the squad with his defense leading to plenty of transition opportunities for a team that was lightning fast.

As for Griffin making the roster over Davis, well, yeah, of course. If Davis and his propensity to groom himself as an homage to Frida Kahlo had made the roster he would be relegated to the role of Christian Laettner. Griffin is there because he can do this and this and this. Frederick Weis should be glad he doesn’t play anymore.

Though Chandler is the only legitimate center on the team, Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski has shown a willingness, especially with the 2010 team, to employ an unconventional or hybrid lineup. This incarnation of Team USA presents matchup options across the board with James’ ability to post up, Durant’s length and shooting ability, and Love’s ability to stretch the floor, opening up lanes for the likes of Westbrook, Williams, and virtually every player on the roster. And as Marc Stein points out, this team has some pretty good jump shooters as well.

Starting lineups have yet to be set but it would not be surprising if Chandler came off the bench depending on the matchups. This is the best team heading into the Olympics. Spain is a close second but they do not have the shear determination to win that Bryant brings to the table. That and the bonuses from all the endorsements.

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by | June 4, 2012 · 9:00 AM

Nets in pursuit of Ersan Ilyasova and Steve Nash

Brooklyn bound?

We don’t often cover the New Jersey Brooklyn Nets here at the Beef, because, well, they are the Nets, but two interesting bits of news popped up this morning concerning them.

Brooklyn (I will have to get used to that) has been rumored to be in the market for just about every available free agent in the world. They have been linked to Dwight Howard (roll eyes here) and trying to retain Deron Williams especially. However, to land those two it would likely have to be a package deal. You can’t have one without the other.

Despite possibly being out of the race for the two big names, the Nets are not looking to stand pat. According to Gery Woelfel, Brooklyn is the front-runner to land standout power forward Ersan Ilyasova as he becomes a free agent this summer.

Ilyasova had a breakout season this year for the Milwaukee Bucks posting 17 points and 11.5 rebounds per 36 minutes. Those gaudy numbers landed him on many Most Improved Player lists when the awards were being handed out at season’s end.

Having made just $2.5 with the Bucks in his final year under contract, it is assumed that Ilyasova will command an annual salary in the ballpark of $8 million whenever he inks a new deal. That is a sizable chunk of change but Mikhail Prokhorov has shown a willingness to spend in order to return the Nets to relevance.

The acquisition of Ilyasova, who was scouted heavily this season by the Nets, would be big for Brooklyn as they also look to retain Gerald Wallace. Those two players, though dramatically different stylistically, would help to bolster the team’s frontcourt along with a healthy Brook Lopez.

It will be interesting to see how, if they do land him, Ilyasova and Avery Johnson mesh. Johnson has only really found success with one power forward in his career as a head coach and he was named Dirk Nowitzki. The Nets brought in Troy Murphy, who was riding a high with the Pacers, but Murphy quickly fell out of the graces of Johnson and was relegated to the bench, eventually lost in obscurity only to later find himself on the Celtics’ bench. I bring up Murphy because, at his peak, his game and that of Ilyasova are very similar. Yes, this is a different scenario with Ilyasova entering his fifth year in the NBA and Murphy was a veteran player but the similarities cannot be denied.

If Williams does choose to relocate this summer the Nets have a plan B. They have joined a long list of teams that will be suitors for Steve Nash. Nash will be an unrestricted free agent and has a bevy of teams clawing for his services. Where ever Nash decides to play, it will likely be the last contract, probably a three-year deal, he signs. Brooklyn will be hard pressed to get Nash though, as the Phoenix Suns will make a hard push to retain their star. Portland and Toronto will also be pushing to sign him with other teams such as Dallas, Miami, New York, and Chicago waiting in the wings.

Of course, everything hinges on Williams and the likely out of reach Howard. From the looks of it though, when free agency begins in July, the Nets will be major players.

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by | January 16, 2012 · 12:55 PM

Team USA Finalists Announced

Repeat?

Earlier today the 20 finalists for Team USA were announced. These players will compete for a chance to represent the United States at the Summer Olympics in London. Here is the list:

Guards:

Deron Williams

Chris Paul

Russell Westbrook

Chauncey Billups

Derrick Rose

Kobe Bryant

Eric Gordon

Dwyane Wade

Forwards:

LeBron James

Andre Iguodala

Rudy Gay

Kevin Durant

Carmelo Anthony

Kevin Love

Blake Griffin

Lamar Odom

LaMarcus Aldridge

Chris Bosh

Centers:

Tyson Chandler

Dwight Howard

The vast majority of these players have played for Team USA before. Only Griffin and Aldridge have not suited up in the red, white, and blue.  What will be interesting to see is how these players fare after a brutally compacted season. If anything, the final 12 players selected to play in the Olympics might come down to a matter of health above all else.

From this list of 20 there are clear shoe-ins, most of whom played on the Redeem Team in Beijing. Paul, Rose, Bryant, and Wade are the top guards in the group. Bryant expressed his interest in returning to play for Team USA long ago and Wade has stated that this will be his last run as member of the squad. However, Wade’s future with the national team is up in the air presently as he is out indefinitely with an ankle injury.

As for the forwards, where Team USA is loaded, James, Anthony, Durant, and potentially Love or Bosh will be the main candidates to make the final roster. Bosh is playing exceptionally well this season but his ability to be multidimensional will come into question if he is to make the cut. If head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s philosophy remains the same, Howard will be the only center who makes the final cut. Under Coach K, the national team has become a model of hybridization. 2010′s gold metal team at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey was a pure experiment and subsequently a benchmark for teams composed of hybrid, multi-positional players. That team started Odom at center over Chandler and it worked.

With that in mind, and assuming that none of the “shoe-in” players listed above have health setbacks, there are still three positions left to make the full 12-man roster. Williams, Iguodala, and Aldridge would be, in my opinion, the best choices to round out the squad. Aldridge, because of his size and shooting ability, would serve the team nicely as a power forward/center. Iguodala, who shined in Turkey, should be included for his defense which will lead to transition offense for the team. Williams is easily the most replaceable player that I have mentioned who has a chance at making the roster. It might be wise to go with another rangy, multi-positional forward instead like Gay or even Odom, who can play three positions on the team not including point forward.

Whatever the final makeup of the roster, health allowing, Team USA will be heavy favorites this summer in London. Hopefully, they have another catchy nickname and congeal as a team. I wonder if Bryant will be spotted in the stands at the beach volleyball tournament this time. Let’s hope so.

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by | November 6, 2011 · 11:03 AM

David Stern issues Ultimatum to Union

Wednesday, bloody Wednesday

The latest round of mediation between the NBA, its owners, and the NBPA ended, after nearly eight and a half hours stretching into Sunday morning, the same way that every prior mediated session and talks have. There is still no deal. However, without directly referring to a proposed deal on the table as an ultimatum, NBA Commissioner David Stern did in fact issue one. A fact that was not lost on the union and its players.

Steve Novak of the San Antonio Spurs was one of  the first player to react using the term ultimatum on twitter, “U gotta love an ultimatum! How does basketball ever even get to this point?” He was not the only player to express his disbelief in the owners’ proposal, Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies also tweeted after the terms of the proposal were made public last night, “57 53 49 : wow.”

The proposal that is on the table for the players to accept by the close of business on Wednesday, which Stern set as the cut-off point when the deal would be removed and the owners would again revert to their previous stance that the players should receive 47 percent of basketball related income and that a flex cap (read: hard cap) be in place, inches slightly closer to what the players have been asking for but does so in a way in which the owners proposal of a 50/50 split of BRI is the more likely outcome. Under the previous collective bargaining agreement, the players received 57 percent of BRI. As Allen referenced in the above tweet, the union has come down from 57 percent to 53 percent, then 52.5 percent and now is faced with close to earning just 49 percent of BRI.

Under the current proposal, which is a band deal, the players could earn between 49 and 51 percent of BRI. However, union attorney Jeffery Kessler, who was representing the players at the talks with union president Billy Hunter under the weather, along with Derek Fisher scoffed at the proposal. Under it the players would receive 50 percent of BRI with the ability, if league revenue grows at a projected four percent annually or further “significant growth” Stern said, to earn 51 percent of basketball related income. If revenues were to remain stagnant or decrease the players would earn just 49 percent of BRI. The reason Kessler flatly rejected the proposal is because “the proposal that this is a robust deal at 51 is a fraud,” he stated. Under the deal the players could not expect to legitimately earn 51 percent and that it would take “the wildest, most unimaginable, favorable projections and we might squeeze out to 50.2.”

“They came in here with a prearranged plan to try to strong-arm the players,” Kessler added. “They knew today they were sticking to 50, essentially 50.2. They were going to make almost no movement on the system, and then they were going to say, ‘My way, or the 47 percent highway.”

During the mediation the NBPA issued a proposal of a 51/49 percent split of BRI in which one percent would go towards benefits for retired players helping them with heath care, insurance, and pensions. This proposal was never addressed by Stern and the owners.

Where the two sides could also not make headway was the issue of the luxury tax. The proposed deal on the table would fine each team over the tax limit on a one-for-one amount for every dollar over the tax a team spends. That is down from their previous offer of a $1.50 penalty for each dollar over the limit. The union wants to see a 50 cent tax on the first $10 million over the salary cap limit and then raise it to one dollar after that.

What the league is proposing would make it difficult, if not impossible, for championship caliber teams to retain certain players under their proposal. This would adversely effect teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks. In the case of Dallas, the reigning NBA champions, starting center Tyson Chandler spoke bluntly about this proposal earlier in the week as reported by the Dallas Morning News:

“With the collective bargaining agreement and some of the things that they’re trying to enforce, it would basically prohibit me from coming back,” Chandler told KESN-FM FM in Dallas. “It would take it out of my hands — and the organization’s — because it would almost be pretty much impossible for me to re-sign. I just think that can be the worst thing that can happen.”

“For years, the Lakers have been able to win championships and re-sign their players and keep them there so they can go out for another title,” Chandler said. “Now, to put that deal in place after we win ours, I don’t like it one bit.”

Mark Cuban, Jerry Buss, and James Dolan are probably none too thrilled with the potential ramifications of that scenario. But they are not the ones spearheading the move to limit the power of the players. However, teams just above the luxury limit will be given a reprieve under the owners’ proposal with their taxes cut in half.

Further, the two-sided disagreed on the length and money of the mid-level exception, which teams over the salary cap use to sign players. The players want an MLE that is worth $5 million for four years occurring every other year. The league’s proposal is $2.5 million for two years every other year.

Teams who are playing luxury taxes, the league insists, would also be exempt from any sign-and-trade deals like the one that sent LeBron James from Cleveland to Miami.

These hardline proposals from the league are the result of a few owners in small markets, which it was revealed this week are led by Michael Jordan. Hardline owners want to wrest the money-making power from the players and limit the ability of large market teams to willing spend beyond the cap to put together winning teams. The irony of Jordan leading the charge to clamp down on the players is that he is the man who embodied the move towards player control in the league. It was he that wanted more money as a player, it was he that the league bowed down to for a decade. During the 1990′s the NBA saw its highest ratings and ratings have almost come back full circle to those levels now. Yet, he is one of the owners strangling any potential growth the league could have seen this year. Strangling is a job for Latrell Sprewell, but he left the league long ago to feed his kids. Jordan’s position is understandable and his drive to constantly win and/or crush is opposition is well documented but a stricter set of regulations on the players and teams willing to spend is not in character with Jordan the player. He famously told Abe Pollin who owned the Washington Bullets and then the Wizards during the 1998 lockout, “If you can’t make a profit, you should sell your team.” How the tables have turned.

Now, the players have until Wednesday to decide whether to accept the deal, replete with the demands of the hardliners, that the league has proposed. It is not the deal that they want. It is nowhere close to what they will accept. Kessler stated as much after the mediation process ended and Stern singled out Kessler as the one who rejected the league’s offer.

This morning, Novak chimed in again on Twitter, “I was really hoping I would wake up and the owners were gonna say jk!U guys have already given us 200M a year! But no,I guess they want more.” Novak, a trillionaire in his own right, expresses the sentiment of just about every NBA player. They want to play but they do not want to kowtow to the owners demands. Now there are rumblings that a move to decertify the union are more than underway.

Union decertification, a step the NFLPA took early on during their lockout, requires 30 percent of players, about 130, to sign off on the idea. From there it would be another 60 days before a vote would take place for or against decertification. Boston Celtics’ forward Paul Pierce has reportedly taken the lead to decertify the union with many other players, including Deron Williams who tweeted, “I’ve been ready to sign a decertification petition since July? Can’t believe we are just now going this route! SMH,” and agents supporting the move. If the union is disbanded, which would require a favorable vote from at least 50 percent of the players, the players could then file an antitrust lawsuit against the league. A move to decertify could also give the players more leverage in the negotiations with the owners but it is uncertain just how anything will play out at this point.

Wednesday means nothing. It is just an arbitrary day that Stern chose before the league reverts its position back to what it was. It is merely a talking point for the media. The players have already rejected it. The owners have not changed their stance. They have not moved beyond the 50/50 split to meet the players. All this is, as it has been all along is a public relations war of attrition. There can be no winner in this lockout, yet that is what each side is angling for. Not even a Pyrrhic victory is attainable at this point. At the very least the lockout will grow uglier as it drags on. Small pieces of false hope are continually leaked from the meetings between the two sides. It is unclear why people believe them still. There is no hope. This is not even a tug of war. This is two sides hunkered down in their trenches prepared for a protracted engagement. It would be nice to have an NBA season this year, but at this point it does not look likely. Both sides know that and neither is willing to move with the owners more than willing to wait until the players surrender to their demands and because of that everyone has already lost.

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by | September 20, 2011 · 10:40 AM

Fickle Fernandez Shows That NBA Should Protect Its Players

Show me the Euros.

The question back in July was “do I stay or do I go?” for the Mavericks’ then recently acquired Rudy Fernandez.  Well, seems as though the Spaniard has finally decided.

Back on July 5, Fernandez announced that he would not be signing a contract overseas and instead opted to wait out for the lockout, possibly earn a considerably lesser amount of money in the US and have a chance to help the Dallas Mavericks defend their national title.

Well, seems as though someone has changed his mind.

A day after his Spanish team defeated team France for their second European championship title in a row, Fernandez has announced that he will be signing a contract with Spain’s Real Madrid in a move that goes completely against what he stated over a month and a half ago.

The deal was reported late last week by CBSSports.com but was just confirmed today.

The contract allows Fernandez to play for the Mavericks for the duration of his contract, which ends after the 2011-12 season.  He would then jump on plane and return to Spain where his professional career began with DKV Joventut under a contract set to end in 2014.  However, there is an NBA opt-out clause that allows him to end his current contract in Dallas, which is something he has said he wanted to do.

Essentially, this is a long-term, big-money deal for the former Portland Trailblazer.  Real Madrid’s original offer was a six-year deal for about $4.4 million per year.  He would earn around $26 million over six years, a deal that would dwarf the $2 million he is set to earn next season with a qualifying offer of $3.2 million.

As the world turns for Rudy, it’s hard to judge what he will do next but it does bring up an issue that has yet to be addressed.  Currently, the NBA players and teams are not allowed to communicate at all during this strike.  Free agency has been essentially nonexistent, summer league has been cancelled and if labor talks don’t make headway soon, training camps will be called off as well.  However, international play has continued with several NBA players taking part in order to stay in shape.  Additionally, several independent leagues have popped up this offseason for players to take part in street-ball tournaments.

However, several players from Deron Williams to Fernandez have made the bold decision to take their talents overseas.  So while NBA franchises cannot talk with their players, why are these foreign teams allowed to make deals with players currently under NBA contracts?  Essentially, they are stealing athletes from the NBA to compete in what everyone can frankly consider lesser leagues.  Yes, these athletes can make more money in foreign markets that don’t adhere to salary caps but does winning a championship in Europe even hold a candle to hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in a US city?

No, it doesn’t.

The NBA needs to create a provision that would protect its most valuable asset: its players.  This “rule” would freeze all contracts in the NBA thus forbidding any players under NBA contracts to contact their NBA team or foreign teams if another lockout ensued.  Despite the fact that they are on strike, they are still under contracts here in the United States that should be respected.  These foreign teams are turning these tournaments into tryouts while NBA owners have to stay at home.  It leaves their franchise players vulnerable to making essentially the poor decision of signing overseas contracts.

This is further proven by Fernandez whose deal wasn’t even confirmed by Real Madrid until a day after the Euro Championship.  Was it a tournament or merely a scouting camp?  Under current NBA rules, we would say the latter.

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by | September 18, 2011 · 8:57 AM

Kobe Byrant still considering Playing Overseas

Asia calling?

Kobe Bryant is skeptical about the ongoing labor strife in the NBA. As the neither the National Basketball Players Association nor the NBA and the owners can come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement the prospects of a regular season grow ever more dim. Bryant knows this and his keeping his options open.

“I could [play abroad],” Bryant told the Associated Press Saturday. “I’m playing abroad right now.”

This summer Bryant has traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia. He has held youth  clinics in the Philippines, China, and is currently holding one in Singapore. When he says he is “playing abroad” he does not mean professionally in an organized league. At least not yet.

Bryant’s main suitor during the lockout has been the Turkish team Besiktas, where Deron Williams and Zaza Pachulia now play. Besiktas has gone as far as to have meetings with representatives of Bryant but nothing further ever transpired. There has also been interest shown by Chinese teams. However, China is currently barring all players currently under contract in the NBA from playing in the Chinese league. Bryant, even though the owners have locked out the players, is still under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite the hurdles that the Chinese have imposed, playing in China would seem like the most likely next step for Bryant if he were to play overseas. He is the most popular NBA player in China and considers it a second home. He would receive superstar treatment and then some everywhere he went and arenas that he played in would be filled to capacity.

He would not be the first NBA player to play in China, if he chose to do so. Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith have reached agreements with Chinese teams and Patrick Beverley, the one-time future starting point guard for the Miami Heat, played in China last season after he was let go by Miami in order to create room for Jerry Stackhouse on the roster. Former NBAers such as Stephon Marbury and Bonzi Wells have also found success in China, with Marbury still playing there for the Foshan Dralions.

Bryant is, however, open to the idea of joining his Lakers’ teammates for informal workouts that the players must organize themselves. No such workouts have been scheduled yet.

The more protracted the lockout becomes, the more it could hurt the Lakers. Los Angeles brought in Mike Brown as their new head coach this summer to replace Phil Jackson, who retired. Brown is known as a defensive minded coach and will likely replace the triangle with a system of his own. He said as much in an interview with Kevin Ding of the OC Register:

“In Cleveland, I had a guy who liked to come off the top of the floor, liked to play in space and play pick-and-roll and make plays for others. Here, I’ve got two guys similar to what we had in San Antonio; you’re able to throw them the ball on the block.”

So, if the future of the Lakers is post-oriented offensive schemes involving Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum then where does that leave Bryant, the face of the franchise since being drafted by the Lakers straight out of high school in 1996? In China perhaps.

There are plenty of uncertainties surrounding the future of the NBA and its players and Bryant is just one of them. What is known, though, is that Bryant wants to compete against the best the world has to offer. As of right now the only place he can do that is in the NBA. Expect him to only sign overseas as a last resort if he sees no labor resolution in sight. Bryant became the player he is in the NBA and anything else, outside of playing on the U.S. national team in the Olympics, would be a step down.

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by | September 12, 2011 · 11:14 AM

Deron Williams debuts for Turkish Team

Deron's first game was a good one

While chugging beer, being bombarded by jingoistic 9/11 tributes, and watching football you probably neglected to notice that Deron Williams actually began his playing career in Turkey. Okay, it was just an exhibition game. The Turkish league’s season has not started yet, but Williams is already making an impact even though he was not scheduled to play for Besiktas Cola Turka in the Bormio Tournament in Italy.

Besiktas won the game against Montepaschi Siena, 93-91, as Williams tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in just 18 minutes of playing time. He did all of that without even knowing any of the plays and just two days after arriving in Turkey.

Williams was the first marquee player to leave the NBA to play overseas due to the lockout and Besiktas has tried to lure more. Besiktas first found a prominent name inside the United States when they signed Allen Iverson last season after each NBA team showed little except disinterest in him. After acquiring Williams earlier this summer, Besiktas made a hard push to enlist the services of Kobe Bryant but those talks never amounted to more than fodder for the internet. However, Williams is not the only player from the NBA on his new team. Zaza Pachulia from the Atlanta Hawks also joined Besiktas this summer.

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by | July 14, 2011 · 10:57 AM

NBA Lockout Day 14: USA, Colangelo Gearing Up for London 2012

Colangelo would like to see the U.S. win a third consecutive gold

There are currently 34 players listed on the United States Men’s National Team roster. That is 22 more than will make the trip, reserves excluded, to London next summer to compete in the Olympics. With the NBA lockout now two weeks old, Jerry Colangelo must start considering who will make the final cut as training camp will begin early next July. Final roster selections have to be submitted by June 18, 2012.

One year is not a lot of time to assemble a national team especially with a lockout going on. Since Team USA won the gold at the FIBA World Championships last summer in Turkey they received an automatic bid for the Olympics. That means that they will not have to compete in the FIBA Americas Championship which begins August 30 and runs through September 11. However, it also means that Colangelo will not have an opportunity to see the players compete as a cohesive unit this summer and with a protracted lockout it may be some time before he can see them in game situations.

With the breadth of talent that Colangelo has to draw from it should not be a major concern when whittling down the roster. Most of the players already on the national team’s roster already have a well established pedigree of competing internationally and are household names in the NBA. Due to this, Colangelo has stated that there are really closer to 18 players who are under consideration to compete in London. He will begin contacting players in a month or so to gauge their interest in being a member of the national team.

Currently, each member of the Redeem Team that won gold in Beijing in 2008 is committed to returning to the program in 2012. This includes Kobe Bryant who stated his interest in returning to the Olympics last year. Other members of the Redeem Team including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, and Tayshaun Prince have yet to make a public statement of interest in returning to the team. Wad has said that he is on the fence about whether he should return but Chris Paul has stated that he will play.

Two players from the 2008 gold metal team, Jason Kidd and Michael Redd, are no longer with USA basketball which leaves at least two roster spots open but Colangelo has said that “three or four of those spots are vulnerable.” These spots will likely be filled by members of the 2010 FIBA World Championship team. That team was led by Kevin Durant and also featured Chauncey Billups, Tyson Chandler, Stephen Curry, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon, Danny Granger, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook. A name that has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, though he is currently not on Team USA’s standing roster, is Blake Griffin.

These two pools of players present Colangelo with a combination of skilled veterans, players in their prime, and explosive young talent. What will play into the final roster decision is how Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski want to shape the team. Both the Beijing and Turkey teams are very different. In Turkey, Krzyzewski chose to stray away from the traditional five-man lineups that have been a cornerstone in basketball since its inception which was more indicative of how the Redeem Team played. Instead he went with players who were versatile and could play multiple positions on the floor. These players also used their length and quickness to their advantage which played into the stifling defense that the team showed during the World Championships. The team also went small. Chandler was the only true center on the roster and Odom started at the position during the tournament.

Based on the success that the smaller, speedier lineup had it would not be surprising if Team USA maintained this model for the Olympics in 2012. The team has a bevy of speedy guards to choose from who can either create for themselves, like Rose and Westbrook, or distribute, like Paul. However, position versatility will likely remain the most important factor when selecting players to fill the roster.

This is beneficial for players like James, Durant, Love, and Amar’e Stoudemire who can alternate around the wing and in the frontcourt. Though any incarnation of the 2012 team will likely feature Howard as the anchor in the middle, depending on his entry into free agency next summer, he would likely be one of only a couple of players on the team that played a fixed position. Paul would be another such player.

As Colangelo begins to contact players he must also weigh the present state of the NBA and what may or may not happen between now and next July. How will the lockout, and potentially newly structured collective bargaining agreement, play into the player’s decisions? If players continue to sign overseas, how will those contracts be structured in terms of eligibility to play on a national team? If the NBA season is canceled should he hold a minicamp for tryouts? How will Bryant’s knee hold up for another year? How will free agency play into the minds of Howard, Paul, and Williams? How much will each player require in terms of insurance if they get injured while playing for Team USA? If the lockout is protracted, what shape will the players be in? Phew! And those are only some of the questions that Colangelo must consider. At least the lockout does not prevent Colangelo from speaking with the players.

No matter the make-up of the future roster, the United States will be heavy favorites to repeat as gold medalists. Tough all of the players from 2008 opted out of playing in 2010, the Olympics are too big of a stage to ignore. Colangelo knows this as it creates even more “value to them in terms of their own brands.” These days, for many players, it is all about marketing themselves and what better place to do it than in front of the eyes of the world? James, for one, could certainly use some good press and another Olympic gold would go a long way. It looks to be a long year with many uncertainties for the players and Colangelo but the outlook is optimistic. “The one thing I do know,” Colangelo said. “We have an outstanding pool of players. Whoever the 12 turn out to be, they will represent our country very well.”

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by | July 9, 2011 · 11:38 AM

NBA Lockout Day 9: Beef Stew

The stew is served

Nine days into the lockout and a big heaping bowl of Beef Stew will cure what ails you. Now, if only the teams and players would take a helping from the Crock pot we would all be in better shape. Oh well, on with the Stew…

Yao Calling it Quits

As the space shuttle Atlantis lifted off on Friday morning it ushered in a new era in NASA’s history as it will be the last mission flown by the shuttle. Mission control in Houston, as it has done many times before, took over control from the Kennedy Space Center as the shuttle and its rockets climbed into the sky. It was a bittersweet moment as the future of American space travel now has questions surrounding it. On the same day, though not as grand in its scope as human exploration beyond Earth, the city of Houston was met with more bittersweet news.

Yao Ming, the seven-foot six-inch center for the Houston Rockets announced that he planned to retire. The Rockets spend a small fortune acquiring the rights to Yao from the Chinese government and selected him with the number one overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.

His career will be noted for moments of greatness mixed with nagging injuries that limited and eventually sidelined his career. Yao is one of only two players over seven feet tall to have averaged 20 points and ten rebounds for a season. The other is Shaquille O’Neal, who also retired this summer.

Here at the Beef we were never avid supporters of Yao as we have taken the stance that the breed of player which he was is a dead position in the league. However, his contributions cannot be dismissed. With Yao came the global marketing of the NBA. Yes, there were foreign players before him but none of them had the appeal and marketability that he had. He is responsible for the boom in popularity the league has seen in China over recent years. If it was not for Yao would NBA players regularly sign with Chinese clubs as their NBA careers are dwindling? Would there be talk of a barnstorming tour of China if the lockout persists? No. Yao opened the doors and the NBA is better for it.

Turkey on Rye

With Deron Williams planning to suit-up for Besiktas, Allen Iverson‘s former team, the interest in Turkey has never been stronger especially after the team announced that it would pursue Kobe Bryant as well. There is just one problem though, how does a lower tier Euroleague team have the sway, and by sway I mean money, to lure NBA talent to play for them? Williams’ one-year deal is said to be worth $5 million. However, the team has not released any numbers in terms of compensation. In Williams’ case, Besiktas’ coach Ergin Ataman said that the team’s president, Yildirim Demiroren, would find a sponsor to provide his salary.

When and if Williams touches down in Turkey he will likely not be the only NBA player on his team. Zaza Pachulia, of the Atlanta Hawks, has also structured a deal to play with Besiktas is the lockout cuts into the NBA season. It is always nice to see a friendly face in a foreign country.

Sonny Boy

Sonny Weems was one of the first players to show interest and then actually sign a contract to play overseas when the lockout started. However, it was not announced where he would sign although he already had a one year contract that did not have an opt-out clause. Now we know where he will play. Weems will play in Lithuania next season for Zalgiris Kaunas, the same team that Omar Samhan plays for.

Are they News Worthy?

While players around the league seem to be leaping at the opportunity to play overseas, one player has a different stance. Jonas Jerebko of the Detroit Pistons, though being a Swedish national, has no intentions of pursuing playing time in Europe or elsewhere. He wants to remain in the NBA. Detroit has offered him a qualifying offer of $1 million and will be able to match any offer he receives from other teams, when the lockout is over, as he is a free agent.

Where as Jerebko wishes to remain in the NBA, his teammate DaJuan Summers had different plans. Summers inked a two-year deal to play in Italy when the Pistons did not extend a qualifying offer to him earlier this summer.

Another player looking to play overseas is Adam Morrison. Yes, the same Adam Morrison who was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats and eventually wore a suit on route to a ring with the Lakers. He did not play in the NBA last season and is looking to take his career elsewhere. Morrison may not have to look across oceans for playing time, however.

Canada’s newest basketball league, the National Basketball League of Canada, is looking to attracted minimum level salary NBA players to join their ranks during the lockout. Chances are this would be appealing to some current NBA players who are currently weighing their options and are not excited about the possibility of playing outside of North America. One has to imagine that the choice to play in Canada would be relatively safe as well, unless they somehow gain the following of the Vancouver Canucks and fail their fanbase horribly.

Can’t do no Wrong

After making it official that Frank Vogel would be the team’s full-time head coach, the Indiana Pacers have hired former Portland trail Blazers’ general manager Kevin Pritchard. He has been brought in a director of player personnel. Pritchard’s duties will include that of scouting and helping the team make decisions in free agency, whenever it eventually takes place. He is best known for turning around the franchise in Portland which was struggling after its “Jailblazer” days in the early part of the millenium.

While most teams have been relatively quiet during the lockout and watching their players sign contracts to play overseas, the Pacers have been making all the right moves to better themselves as an organization. This is a team on the rise in the league and it would not be surprising if they are mentioned as an elite team in the Eastern Conference in the coming years as their personnel and front office decisions have been on-point thus far this summer.

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