NBA Free Agency: Just Incase You Blinked

Dwight Howard's move to Houston is just one of the many free agency moves taken place already this month. (rockets.clutchfans.net)

I've tried to consolidate happenings and possibilities. These changes all came after the Dwightmare.

- Dwight Howard landed in Houston. Superman will be there a total of four years unless he chooses to lift-off after three. Howard, 27, is the oldest player on the roster. His contract is worth $88 million.

- The Rockets escape the anxiety of Royce White in exchange for future draft considerations, courtesy of the Philadelphia 76ers. Perimeter shooters Francisco Garcia and Omri Casspi also join the Rockets. Omer Asik remains in Houston, for now. He is owed just under $15 million next season and, with the Howard signing, is now expendable. He is capable of starting for a team willing to pay the price.

- The Atlanta Hawks, parting with Zaza Pachulia and Josh Smith, could be inclined to pursue either player to compliment Al Horford, though, the team signed Paul Millsap to a two-year deal worth $19 million.

- The Detroit Pistons and Smith agreed to a deal worth $56 million over four years. Smith will not play alongside Jose Calderon, who was imported to Dallas by Mark Cuban for $29 million in another four-year agreement.

- The Mavericks also boasted their backcourt with the addition of Devin Harris. Harris returns to Dallas after nearly six years with other franchises and will receive $9 million over three years.

- OJ Mayo joined the Milwaukee Bucks, who determined Mayo is worth $24 million over three years. It didn't seem anyone was interested in Milwaukee's Monta Ellis until recent rumors of Atlanta became a possible destination. The Bucks could also lose Brandon Jennings, although recent reports are more optimistic Jennings could be returning to Milwaukee next season. 

- Carl Landry found his payday. The Sacramento Kings inked Landry for four years, paying him $27 million.

- The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired veteran guard Jarrett Jack. Jack's presence lifts the load still too heavy for Kyrie Irving to lift on his own. Irving now will have more opportunities to move without the ball. Jack has shown the ability to score in bunches and gives Cleveland a player to fill the sixth man role missing last season.

- The Los Angeles Clippers continue to add pieces by signing the serviceable Darren Collison to keep the sails steady when Chris Paul is off the floor.

- Jeff Pendergraph joined the Spurs, verbally committing to a two-year deal. The terms will not be finalized until Wednesday when contracts can officially be signed.

- The Minnesota Timberwolves' Nikola Pekovic is another center who remains available. Pekovic is a restricted free agent and there is speculation Minnesota will match any offer made to him. Teams making an offer don't have anything to lose.

- Rudy Gay, Danny Granger and Ellis are possible players that could be moved to teams building for a playoff run next season.

- It's been tough to step away from the computer this July without feeling like I would miss something, feel free to add anything I've missed or any new acquisitions made in the comments below.

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Is Dwight Howard Strong Enough For The Lakers To Build Around?

Dwight Howard had a less than impressive first year in Hollywood. (bleacherreport.com)

The roller coaster that was the Los Angeles Lakers' 2012-13 came to an end with a anticlimactic sweep in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Not exactly a Hollywood ending. Kobe Bryant's future is in question thanks to a torn Achilles. And Dwight Howard's future is uncertain because he's been, well, Dwight Howard.

Howard's natural athletic ability can be overshadowed by the holes poked in his emotional and personal state. The Lakers would likely want Howard to be the face of the team that it builds around once Bryant hangs up the sneakers, whenever that may be. But many are wondering if Howard can handle all that comes with being a superstar in LA.


It's well known that Howard wants to be a celebrity, as well as a basketball player. Winning games is great and all, but being on TV is cool, too. Was Howard on the phone with his agent trying to get a cameo on Modern Family while the rest of the team was shooting free-throws every day for the past year? That's the only excuse I can think of for shooting 49 percent from the free-throw line. And since he has yet to appear on the popular sitcom, it's not a very good one.


Howard got away with being the joke-cracking, Superman-calling, attention-seeking basketball player he loved portraying in Orlando because he won them games, and they had no other superstar with a different style to compare. But the Lakers have had the pleasure of watching Kobe Bryant for 17 years; a guy who works harder than anyone else, focuses only on basketball and is very serious about winning, and battles through injuries. Not to mention the five championships he's won. That's a hard act to follow, and Howard is not following well.


It was in his Orlando exit that we learned more about the real Dwight Howard. Howard wanted to be in a big city where his stardom could grow. What didn't grow was his likeability or his statistics, as he averaged nearly six fewer points and two fewer rebounds than the 2010-11 season in Orlando (Howard only played in 54 games in 2011-12).

It feels like Howard is trying to be Shaquille O'Neal 2.0, but is falling short in every category. Shaq never averaged fewer than 20 points while in LA and still kept basketball first while juggling a career off the court. Howard is still trying to learn that loveable "Shaq being Shaq" quality that O'Neal had mastered from an early age.

LA is a place that can make a star athlete one of the biggest name in sports, but it and its fans can also rip feeble minds to pieces. Howard has some maturing to do if the Lakers are going to hand him the keys, and he's going to have to decide what his priorities are. Leaving for another team would be the easy thing to do, so if Howard decides to stay in LA and face the critics, that would automatically show growth. But it won't be enough. 


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Friday Roundtable: The NBA's Uninjured MVP

 Chris Paul and Kyrie Irving lock eyes during a charity game. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: With Kobe Bryant's injury potentially putting the Los Angeles Lakers in a holding pattern, which uninjured NBA player is most valuable to his team?

Kyle:

The "most valuable player" category is always tricky because people naturally think of the most talented players. While I consider this player one of the best in the NBA, he is not one of the four or five elite scorers that first come to mind.

My most valuable player that a team can't afford to lose to injury is one of the best floor generals in the game; Chris Paul. I considered Carmelo Anthony and James Harden, who both lead their teams in scoring by more than 10 points more than the second leading scorer, but imagine the type of office the Clippers run without Paul. Paul finds his teammates so well (9.6 assists per game) that it almost overlooks the fact he scores 16.6 points per game. Paul's defense and 2.4 steals per game is just as valuable. Other players on the team should be good enough to at least somewhat make up for a lack of scoring, due to injury, on a playoff-caliber team. But good luck finding a backup point guard that can match what Paul brings to the table.

An injury to LeBron James or Kevin Durant would draw questions to the Heat or Thunder's title chances but Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook are both capable of taking over scoring loads. How Paul is able to run the Clippers while he's on the floor is a thing of beauty that fellow Clippers point guards Chauncey Billups and Eric Bledsoe, along with most of the other point guards in the NBA, cannot emulate.

Fred:
Dwight Howard. The Lakers with a healthy and motivated Howard look like a completely different team. Since the All-Star break, Dwight is averaging 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks on 55% shooting. Not surprisingly, the Lakers are 9-3 since then. He’s finally starting to regain his athleticism. He fights hard for rebounds and leaps high for blocks. His demeanor has changed as he finally seems to be having fun on the court again.

The Lakers simply do not have good defensive players outside of Dwight and Metta World Peace. Howard has a tremendous amount of responsibility to protect the paint as speedy point guards blow by the Laker perimeter defense. As soon as Dwight has to come out of the game, the opposing team drives the lane relentlessly without fear. His responsibility is magnified with Jordan Hill and Pau Gasol both being out, forcing the Lakers to go as far as playing World Peace at center while Dwight rests.

There is no denying Kobe has been fantastic this season, but the Lakers wouldn’t have a chance at the playoffs without the recent play of Dwight Howard.

Zach: 
My answer is Kyrie Irving. I just cannot help myself. The guy is not CP3, but he doesn't play in Los Angeles, either. Despite the Cleveland Cavaliers not being a playoff contender this season, Irving has taken fans' recently broken hearts and has begun mending them back together, possession by possession. Irving has brought basketball life back to Cleveland sooner than anyone expected.

This season, Irving averages 23 ppg, shoots over 40 percent from both the field and behind the arc, and dishes away nearly six assists per game. It's not about the numbers. Irving is a showman. Pepsi's 'Uncle Drew' documentaries are enjoyed by everyone, young and old, basketball fan or not. Irving was this year's three-point contest winner at the All-Star Game in Houston. His game presents cunning elements of flash, style and technique all appealing to the eye.

Before Irving even has turned 21, Cleveland has seen plenty of disappointment. We remember Micheal Jordan beating the buzzer, jumping in celebration. We remember 'The Decision', the removal of 'We are Witnesses' posters, and jerseys set aflame as a town feeling betrayed cursed their once hometown hero. Irving will be able to enjoy a well-deserved cocktail a week from tomorrow.

Irving's importance to the Cavaliers is clear. He is the guy and, barring injury, he will be for a long time. 

Alex: 

If Bryant suffered a more serious injury – one that sidelined him for the rest of the regular season – the answer would be Steve Nash. He would be the captain capable of solidifying the Lakers as the eighth seed or possibly overtaking the Rockets to move higher. In the absence of an alternately ball dominant or uber-facilitating Kobe, Mike D’Antoni would hand Nash the reigns to a slightly diluted Seven Seconds Or Less offense that incorporated pick-and-rolls with Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol.

As it stands, however, Bryant only has a (badly) sprained ankle and a reputation for playing through pain. Instead of Nash, another point guard is the most important, uninjured asset of his team: Jrue Holiday. Working with the Philadelphia 76ers’ patchwork roster of under-developed young players, journeymen and aging role players in the absence of could-have, should-have, would-have been game changer Andrew Bynum, Holiday has been the brightest spot for a team that was competing for a playoff spot until a few weeks ago.

Aspects of Holiday’s game could certainly use improvement, namely his main duty of ball handling. The fourth-year PG has committed 232 turnovers this season (third in the NBA), but that is due more to his position as a crutch in the Sixers’ offense. It only becomes troubling if the trend continues if/when Bynum returns and Philadelphia’s strategy shifts, as Holiday’s miscues have spiked this season by 1.8 more turnovers per game.

Luckily for his team, the good outweighs the bad: Holiday is fourth in the league in assists with 8.7 per game and second in the overall category with 521. Not surprisingly, he is assisting on 39.1 percent of his teammates field goals when on the floor. Presuming those numbers sustain through the end of the season (or even if he can rack up just 11 more assists), they will all be career highs. While a .445 field goal percentage – brought down by a .326 percentage from long range – does not jump off the page, Holiday is shouldering the 76ers’ burden by playing 38.6 minutes per game, leading the scoring charge with 18.6 points per game (which, if he keeps it up, will make for a career-best season 4.6 ppg higher than his current record) and facilitating at a high rate to teammates of a lesser quality.

Holiday’s Win Shares per 48 minutes has dipped since he became the team’s focal point this season, but his career-high 17.7 player efficiency rating and first All-Star nod validate his performance. Philadelphia is 8.5 games out of the eighth seed. Barring a miracle, the Sixers will miss the postseason. But with even a slightly better supporting cast or even a few games swung by a healthy Bynum? We could get caught up in the pre-playoff rush and be talking Holiday up to be the NBA’s next great point guard.

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Friday Roundtable: Popularity Contests, Snubs and the NBA All-Star Game

An injured Yao Ming and the other 2007 Western Conference All-Stars. (NBA.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Voting for the NBA All-Star game is almost over (go here if you wish to cast a vote) and the starting line-ups are nearly set. But is the current process of letting fans vote for starters and having coaches choose reserves the right way to set an All-Star roster, or is there a better method?

Kyle Davis: 
I'm usually fine with any sort of fan involvement that makes those who watch the NBA and make it popular feel like they have a voice. But fans have biases and fans don't watch every team play every night. It's not because they are trying to ruin the system, but they'll vote for the names they know and for players on the team they support. It's easy to do. This last MLB All-Star Game was in Kansas City and I voted for a handful of Royals players (yes, it is as painful as you would imagine being a Royals fan) because I wanted to see them play in their city in an All-Star game, even though there were probably more qualified candidates.

The same happens in the NBA. How else do you explain why Jeremy Lin is third in the Western Conference Backcourt category, ahead of his teammate James Harden and Russell Westbrook? Steve Nash is sixth in that category, ahead of Tony Parker, Ricky Rubio and Stephen Curry and he's been injured for most of the season. Somehow Dwight Howard is second in the Western Conference Frontcourt voting and is ahead of the likes of Blake Griffin, Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol and Kevin Love. Yet Anderson Varejao, currently NINTH in the Eastern Conference Frontcourt, leads the league in rebounds and is having a breakout season. Possibly most egregious is that LaMarcus Aldridge is seventh in the league in scoring, only Kevin Durant is a Western Conference forward scoring more, yet Aldridge sits at No. 11 among Western Conference forwards.

Some players who are having great, breakout years will likely be watching the game at home, unless their conference All-Star coach brings them in as a reserve. The system is more of a popularity contest than a reward for great performance, and that should change. Let the basketball writers select the starters. They have watched more basketball than anyone (coaches and players don't have a lot of time to watch games other than their own) and are paid to be unbiased and objective. The coaches can still pick the reserves, and if you want to keep fans involve, let them vote for the first player off the bench. Fans still get a voice and those players who have had tremendous seasons, but aren't household names, can still get the recognition they deserve. 



Alex Skov:
While the current voting system is one of the numerous ways the NBA has built a strong rapport with fans -- especially casual ones -- it has been sitting on a cracked foundation since becoming a rule. See: Yao Ming's starter status on the occasions that he had missed a majority of games due to injury. See also: Tracy McGrady's inclusion on the Western Conference roster as he got a glean of votes from being Ming's teammate on the Houston Rockets.

With Ming, and his worldwide popularity, in basketball retirement, there is no chance of a repeat incident, but the obvious arrow now points to another Rocket. After the explosion of Linsanity in the early half of 2012, the NBA felt compelled to have Jeremy Lin participate in All-Star weekend despite not qualifying or being pre-selected for any of the events. While he is not as visible to viewers in the United States since he downgraded media markets upon leaving New York City, the Linsanity outbreak showed that the point guard is capable of harnessing benefits similar to those received by Ming. Some of that could be due to race (although being of Taiwanese descent is very, very different than being Chinese) and some of it could be because, like Ming, Lin is a talented basketball player.

ESPN LA writer Arash Markazi recently revealed another flaw in the All-Star voting:

"That [Jamal Crawford] is not on the All-Star ballot while players who haven't played this season are, again shows why balloting needs to change."

It is the same Ming Theory, yes, but it also points out that against the popular vote, and likely against coach votes, even the most deserving players who typically fill back-up roles have no shot at garnering the same accolades as their starting counterparts. Some are designated as reserves simply because they perform better when coming off the bench, like Jason Terry during his Dallas Mavericks years and Crawford and the Knicks' J.R. Smith this season.

In response to Markazi's tweet, Crawford expressed his wish for 15-man squads with players voting on the last final three roster spots. That would at least be a start, but some kind of weighted voting between fans, coaches and players with minimum requirements for number of minutes played would make for line-ups that accurately represent the best interest of each of those three demographics. Maybe cater to viewers by giving them a majority of the votes for starters while splitting the remaining votes, including those for second-stringers, between coaches and players.

Champ:
The NBA made a great change this year to the All Star ballot system. Now instead of two guards, two forwards and a center, fans will just vote for three front court players and two back court players. This is a good addition in the age of basketball because positions are not clearly defined as they have been. Players like Kevin Garnett and Chris Bosh spend a lot of time at the center position but don't play like one; meanwhile, Pau Gasol and Tim Duncan spend enough time in the low post to be considered centers, but are often times listed as power fowards because of bigger teammates.


The biggest criticism to this rule is that it takes away from the hard work that centers do every night. Some people, like Dwight Howard, insist that smaller players get flashier highlights than centers who spend most of their time with their backs to the basket, and more people will vote for forwards like Kevin Durant. I don't think this is true, though. Most fans know the value of a true center. Howard has the second highest number of votes among big men in the West and Tyson Chandler is high in the East. It's true that players like Marc Gasol and Anderson Varejao are low on their lists, but that has more to do with being in small markets.


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Lakers Hire D'Antoni, But Not in a Panic

Pau Gasol and Steve Nash practice Mike D'Antoni's "Synchronized Swimming" defense. (AP photo)

The Los Angeles Lakers fired Mike Brown on Friday and by Saturday afternoon it was a foregone conclusion that Phil Jackson would be returning to the head coaching job from which he had retired twice before. The word circulating was that the organization already had a handshake agreement with the 11-ringed Zen Master and pen would be put to paper yesterday afternoon.

Until Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak called Jackson and told him otherwise on Sunday evening.

Instead, the only NBA franchise with a $100 million payroll opted to hire Mike D'Antoni, a run-and-gun master and pick-and-roll enthusiast who guided new Laker Steve Nash to two Most Valuable Player awards when the point guard played under him in Phoenix.

For all the rampant scoring done and individual honors gathered those Suns runs, though, the teams' postseason appearances never breached Finals competition. More recently, D'Antoni was ousted as the head coach of the New York Knicks in favor of Mike Woodson, a man who values defense more than putting triple-digit numbers on the scoreboard.

But just because D'Antoni's never helmed a title-winning campaign doesn't mean he never will. Remember: at one point in each of their respective careers Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James were players who could never win a ring. Then they did.

The Lakers' current lineup boasts more latent talent than any NBA team D'Antoni's ever coached. Nash, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are all in their 30s, but are still capable of playing at an All-Star level. Dwight Howard protects the rim better than most basketball players in the world and the best of his Los Angeles stint is probably ahead of him, when he is fully recovered from back surgery.

The bench is still an issue. The age and durability of Bryant and Nash are issues. The possibility of D'Anonti's favored PNR offense could also be problematic, positioning Gasol and Howard away from the points where they play some of their best ball.

There will not be instant success for the yellow-and-purple clad lads in Staples Center just because there's a different man in a suit sitting on the sidelines. These are all men willing to adapt, though. D'Antoni has history with two of the major cogs in the Lakers' system through his work with USA Basketball. His success with Nash is being retread time and again for stories about their reunion, and he has at least a slight familiarity with Gasol after coaching the Lakers' division rival.

Bryant is still the heart, the vocal leader of this team. A Facebook post may not mean much in the days of new media, but Bryant seems to be buying in early, no matter how much he may have wanted his old coach back.

A title isn't guaranteed, but if Jackson was asking for too much for his return, the Lakers got the second-best available option. As long as the front office doesn't trade for Carmelo Anthony, everything should be fine.


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What to Make of Dwight Howard as a Laker

Dwight Howard's not sure why you're so upset. (icareitmatters.com)

There's no reason to like him.

Dwight Howard is personable in public, likes to crack wise, and, hell, he even recorded a Kidz Bop album (quality not to be mentioned) in an attempt to endear himself to fans. He is can be a good sport and sells it all with a charming smile.

Howard damaged his public image, though, as he snaked his way out of Orlando and the extension he chose to sign that would have kept him as the Magic's centerpiece for the 2012-13 season. Maybe, to the casual fan, that's no big deal. But NBA diehards will not — should not — forget Howard's actions.

Howard tried to preserve his reputation by stating publicly his intention to stay with the organization that drafted him in 2004. Amidst rumors that Stan Van Gundy could be a victim of the Dwightmare, Howard put on a fabricated front. All was naught, because word leaked that, despite signing the extension, behind closed doors Howard still desired a trade.

He may redeem himself in time. Lakers fans will love him as soon as his first promotional photos are released, if they aren't already fawning.

As they should. No matter your take on Howard's tactics leading to the massive four-team trade which landed him in Los Angeles — and, including draft picks, shuffled more than 12 players around the league — he made the right choice. That statement does not need to appear in bold font because it should not shock anyone.

Few places can offer the talent that will surround Howard as the yellow-clad team of Staples Center. Remember, the Lakers were Howard's original team of choice before being swayed by the Brooklyn Nets. Howard has wanted to be part of a superstar cast rather than be a roster's headliner since the beginning of this messy saga.

The Orlando front office simply wasn't getting it done. Gilbert Arenas is not Kobe Bryant. As strong as he came on last season, Ryan Anderson is not Pau Gasol. For what he can do, Jameer Nelson is light-years away from being Steve Nash.

If he wants a ring sooner than later, Howard did the right thing. If he wants a bigger or longer contract in a place of his own choosing, Howard has the right to explore free agency next summer. The trade was, ultimately, a business decision made by the Magic. They forsook better offers from Brooklyn and the Houston Rockets, and were forced to settle for less.

Dealing Howard before seeing him on the court again was right for multiple reasons (locker room presence, the aftermath of back surgery, et al.). The Orlando front office is right for having done it. And for all the hemming and hawing, Howard is right purely on a basketball level for having forced the Magic's hand.

Assuming he wants to win now, Howard has improved his place in the NBA, even if he unmasked himself in the process.


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NBA's 2012-13 Schedule Released Thursday

Dwight Howard prefers Jameer Nelson to the Magic's 2012-13 point guard. (Zach McCann/Orlando Sentinel)

The NBA released a schedule for the 2012-2013 season on Thursday. A full schedule; not a 66-game imposter. Old rivalries will continue to simmer, new jerseys (not New Jersey; that no longer exists in the NBA) will be donned, and new storylines will overtake Orlando's Dwightmare (eventually).

As usual, the Christmas Day docket is must-watch material, and opening night will feel like seeing an old friend who moved to warmer climates. Plenty of people have already analyzed the schedule, and Eric Freeman highlighted 10 under-the-radar games that should be fun to watch. Get your fill of reading "vs." and "at" while you can because Association-branded basketball returns in 94 days.


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There's Always a Place for Pure Shooters

Incoming KU freshman Andrew White (Rivals)

The first night University of Kansas incoming freshman Andrew White arrived on the KU campus in Lawrence, he went to the gym to shoot around. His idea of a shoot-around doesn’t mean practicing trick shots or his dunking, but instead making game-type shots. And he makes lots of shots. 

A story on KU Sports.com tells of White shooting 150 3-pointers that night in the gym, with 135 of them going in. For those counting at home, that’s 90 percent. White takes his shooting ability seriously and even created his own drill where he shoots from 10 designated spots on the floor - five of the spots from 3-range. He has to make 50 shots from each spot on the floor - 500 makes total - and two weeks ago he made his 500 shots in just 592 attempts. Again for those counting, that’s a staggering 84.5 percent. White said in an interview for that story that he breaks his goal of hitting the 80 percent mark roughly one-third of the time.

White follows a shooting philosophy that seems to be slipping away in the college and pro game. It is not about the number of shots, but about the number of makes. Any player can claim they shoot 500 shots every day, but making 500 shots is much more difficult and time-consuming. Those 500 makes will also make you a better player than 500-shot Guy.

White is one of the few who represents the great equalizer as a basketball player. He’s a pure shooter.

The growing phenomenon, especially in the NBA, is of players who use strength and speed to overpower their defender and get to the basket — a.k.a. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, and the list goes on. These players — minus Howard — can still make shots, but it is not their strength.

But there will always be a place in the college and professional game for great shooters. Kevin Durant has the height, but not the size, to be a power forward in the NBA. He can, however, hit shots over anyone from every spot on the floor.

Stephen Curry was said to be too small to play in the NBA, but his electrifying shooting not only got him from a mid-major standout to a first-round draft pick, but now Curry is a successful professional player.

Stephen Curry showing his shooting touch at Davidson (Sports Illustrated)

Ray Allen has embodied what all pure shooters strive to accomplish. He’s the all-time 3-point leader in the NBA and a future hall of famer. Every ball he shoots looks like it is going in, and it is expected to. If players can learn enough of a complementary offensive game to still get open for shots, shooting ability can get them a long way in the league.

Ray Allen (Celticslife.com)

What makes people fans of shooters, of course, is they are fun to watch when they’re hot. Unless he’s playing against your team, you probably won’t complain about Ray Allen or Stephen Curry hitting 8-of-9 3’s to start the game and hope he starts dinging them off the backboard.

It is fun to watch great shooters work — making defenses look around helplessly as another shot goes in — just like it is fun to watch great dunkers or great quarterbacks who unmercifully pick apart defenses. Shooters are great to root for because what they’re doing isn’t due to natural athletic ability. It took thousands of hours in the gym, continuously perfecting the craft to get to what we see on TV.

Hopefully White and other current and upcoming college players take pride in the ability to shoot well, and allow us to continue in awe of all those hours in the gym paying off.


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Cart Before Horse: Brook Lopez gets a Max Contract

Mired on a team with few highlights for years, Brook Lopez quietly developed into a serviceable center. It wasn't until the (then) New Jersey Nets dealt rookie forward Derrick Favors, point guard Devin Harris, two first-round draft picks and cash to the Utah Jazz for Deron Williams that any positive attention appeared in Newark.

Brook Lopez reveals his charbroiled secret to scoring in the post. (Getty Images)

Williams-to-the-Nets meant a top-tier facilitator paired with one of the few legit 7-footers in professional basketball. Their first whole season together, 2011-2012, should have been full of ESPN Top Ten plays. An early foot injury derailed that possibility, limiting Lopez to just five games.

Fast forward to this summer. The Nets moved across the Hudson River to roost in Brooklyn, continued flirting with the Orlando Magic in an attempt to acquire the increasingly dramatic Dwight Howard, and had to handle Lopez's restricted free agent status with kid gloves. Then it became clear that, when the Dwightmare is over, Howard wouldn't wake up on the East Coast.

Despite his injury, Nets management had to re-sign Lopez. What's more is, they had to offer Lopez at least $58 million over four years unless they wanted to start a bidding war with the Houston Rockets — another team pursuing Howard — or Portland Trailblazers, who missed out on RFA Roy Hibbert when the Indiana Pacers matched the maximum offer sheet the All-Star center signed with the Blazers.

Make no mistake: keeping Lopez is not a move to patch holes. He is a threat to score 20 points in the paint each night, and there are exactly zero NBA teams that would shy away from a center who can fill the bucket like that. Unquestionably, though, there are problems with the deal, and with Lopez. The Standford product puts up points, but is somewhat of a liability on the defensive end. Through four pro seasons, Lopez is averaging just 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 34.1 minutes on the floor. Worse yet is that the numbers dipped last season to 3.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks. Whether or not the numbers from such a small sample size are indicative of what he would have done over a 66-game season, those are unacceptable statistics for a center at any level of basketball — Biddy through The Association.

Lopez has a new contract and, as often is the case in pro sports, he must now prove that he's worth even a fraction of what he's owed. The general populous would do inscrutable things for $60 million. All Lopez has to do is keep making a ball go into a basket, and ensure that his hands work when that orange sphere clangs off the iron.


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NBA Free Agency - The Association's Christmas Morning

New Laker teammates Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant - bleacherreport.com

The NBA holiday season is in full swing as the hangover of promise from the NBA Draft is starting to wear off as the free agency period has taken off.

It has been a busy first week of free agency, with an already blockbuster move consisting of a former MVP and a dynasty-rich NBA juggernaut. Yes, you may have heard about Steve Nash accepting a deal to play for the Los Angeles Lakers next season, giving LA a much-needed passer and floor general to make sure Kobe Bryant gets the ball, while also having the ability to create shots.

The draft and free agency are both very exciting times for NBA fans, but in very different ways. The excitement around the draft is all about hope and optimism. This is where the future is born and general managers pray the big-time talent transfers from college to pros.

The draft is the bigger spectacle, with both college basketball and NBA fans alike glued to the coverage, listening to the results of every workout, combine and interview. NBA fans want to know who to welcome to their team, and college fans want to see the player they helped grow make his dream come true. Analysts break down every aspect of a player’s game and personality for months until the player becomes transparent. Mock drafts flood the Internet with lofty predictions (I’m expecting the 2018 mock draft to be released next week) as everyone wants to play detective and determine who will make it and who will crumble.

The draft may have primetime coverage under the bright lights of New York City (or in this year’s case, Newark, New Jersey) but for NBA fans, the draft isn’t Christmas morning, but rather New Years Day.

It gives you the same promise as a new year, where you make goals and strive to get better. But how those goals will play out is far from clear. It is a time to wash away bad draft picks and losing records from the past for a brighter future, but just like New Years Day, the work has just begun.

The real holiday for NBA fans is free agency. Waking up to the glow of your computer while opening up NBA blogs may as well be you under the Christmas tree shredding through wrapping paper. Either you got the toy you had been wanting for months (Steve Nash or Deron Williams), something practical but not exciting (Hasheem Thabeet) or you are Dwight Howard, who might not have any presents to open at all.

wn.com

The point is, the best time for fans is free agency. Turning around a franchise in the draft is a shot in the dark, and usually takes firing multiple shots to work. But in the free-agent market, the immediate future of your fanhood is impacted by every move.

These are not fresh-from-college hopefuls looking to prove themselves. Even the most talented of the college draft class, Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal and Thomas Robinson, will take time to mature into superstars.

But free agency is where a league MVP or top-10 player can wear your jersey, already being a seasoned veteran. In the best cases, there’s no assembly required with this Christmas present.

All it takes is one move to make your team a playoff contender next season.

You’ll plead with your superstar to stay for another three years, entice a former rival player to join forces for the greater good of winning a championship or keep a close eye on that team whose dealings could bring your potential trade crashing to the ground.

You will welcome players with open arms, hate him for leaving and scratch your head when thinking about your GM’s “strategy” this offseason.

You will be ecstatic, furious, content and confused; everything you love about the holidays.

So enjoy your Christmas morning, NBA fans, because outside of your team holding up the trophy, it is the most exciting time of year. 


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The Dwight Howard Trade Saga - No Sleep Till Brooklyn

bleacherreport.com

The words Dwight Howard told Yahoo! Sports Sunday night were not surprising to anyone who has kept up with his trade saga. 

It was just surprising to actually hear Howard say them. 

Howard told Yahoo! that he would only re-sign with a team on his list of acceptable trade locations. Why he even mentioned his “list” of teams is unknown since he continued the interview by saying, “There’s only one team on my list and if I don't get traded there, I'll play the season out and explore my free agency after that.” 

So he didn’t come right out and say it was Brooklyn he wanted to be traded to. His words were still vague, which isn’t surprising. But the timing of his comments cuts through his jungle of veiled hints rather easily. 

On Friday, Howard met with new Orlando Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan. Afterward sources told ESPN’s Chris Broussard that Howard let Hennigan know he wanted to go to Brooklyn.

Hennigan didn’t tell Howard during the meeting whether or not the trade would happen, but for everyone involved, Howard needs to play for the Nets.

While Howard’s words to media continue to be ambiguous, his actions are filling in the blanks. It just doesn’t feel like this can all be about basketball. Howard wants to be a star off the court as much as on the court. He wants endorsements and commercials, and to be the biggest fish in a giant pond, much like Kobe Bryant in LA. 

Surely that’s why Howard is choosing Brooklyn over the Lakers, who have also shown interest in trading for Howard. The Lakers are much closer to being a championship-caliber team, especially with a powerful inside force like Howard, while the Nets have a long way to go. One of Howard’s chief complaints in Orlando is that he didn’t have a strong supporting cast. But Howard would always be second to Bryant, and he knows this. He was the man with Orlando, and took them to the NBA Finals, but the stage wasn’t big enough for him. 

Much of Howard’s recent time in Orlando has been questioned. His effort lacked at times during the trade period last season, and the rumors that Howard tried, successfully, to get coach Stan Van Gundy fired drew the attention of the players, team and fans off the court. After Orlando signed new players and fired their coach and GM to please Howard, Howard now says he was “blackmailed” into staying with Orlando last season. 

When the trade didn’t happen last season, the feeling I got was that fans and the team looked at it as a relief; it was a celebration that the superstar was still in a Magic uniform. But Howard wasn’t happy, and that was clear. One way or another, Howard would be leaving Orlando.

The Houston Rockets and the Lakers are among the teams vying for Howard’s services, but I would heed them to get out now. The Rockets or Lakers may land Howard, but they won’t be getting the full player and person they want. Howard wants Brooklyn, and is anyone confident that, should he instead go to Houston, he will be any different that this last year with the Magic? If Howard isn’t happy, everything else goes out the window. Rockets fans will be cheering for a player that is not fully invested in the team and community, and his effort and production will surely reflect this. 

Let the Nets have their shot, should they want it, but other teams should put their feet down. We don’t know if the behavior over the past year is the real Dwight Howard, but it brings up a lot of concerning questions. If the Nets turn him away, then he may be worth pursuing. The rejection may humble him into appreciating a team that will welcome him and support him. But until then, it will be impossible to change his mind and attitude, and it is not worth the risk.

The saga has gone on way too long, and it will end with Magic fans losing their superstar in a stinging way. LeBron James’ The Decision set the bar for how not to handle leaving for a new team, but at least LeBron’s heartbreak to the city of Cleveland was like pulling off a Band-Aid. It was painful, but it was quick. 

Howard drug the city of Orlando and its fans with him on his continuous roller coaster that should have left everyone sick on board. He has the talent to make the Nets fan base very happy, but also has the potential to take an innocent Rockets fan base on the same roller coaster ride that won’t leave anyone happy.


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