A few short hours before last night’s game against Boston, Eric Spoelstra decided to finally go out on a limb and reinsert Michael Beasley into the starting lineup.
I can’t give him too much credit for this decision though, as the main reason Beasley started was due to a groin strain that rendered Jamario Moon inactive. So with Udonis Haslem and Moon both out, it really only left Beasley, Wright, or Magloire as possible starters at the four. Choosing the starter in this situation is about as an easy of a choice as being asked to pick out the most attractive Kardashian sister.
Nevertheless, after being subject to some of Spoelstra’s previous rotation decisions this season, I let out a sigh of relief when I saw Beasley on the floor for the tip off.
I think it is pretty safe to say that Beasley’s 23-point, 13-rebound performance against an elite Celtic team (albeit one without Kevin Garnett) further demonstrated just how valuable of a contributor he can be for this Heat team.
He attacked the hoop effectively and scored efficiently (converting 10 out of his 20 shots). His defense was not outstanding, but solid enough. I was most impressed with the 13 rebounds (5 of which came on the offensive end), since it would be a huge boast for the team if Beasley can start hitting the glass like he did in college.
Minus the turnover he had in the final few minutes, Beasley’s play was more or less everything that you could ask for from the second overall pick.
So for those of you keeping track at home, Beasley has now had back-to-back games in the 20-point, 10-rebound range. It will be interesting to see how things pan-out once Moon and Haslem are injury-free again.
In regards to his future playing time and role on the team, I am going to have to be realistic. There have already been a few occasions this season when he has had so called “breakout games,” only to return to his usual role of more or less 20 minutes off the bench a few games later.
We all know how short of a leash he has to work with, so I don’t doubt for a minute that his recent stellar play could be mitigated (in Spoelstra’s eyes, of course) by one disappointing performance in the next few games.
Either way, I am not going to lie; I had a wide smile on my face as I watched Beasley do against the Celtics exactly what I (and many others) knew he could do all along when given the chance.
I just hope Spoelstra sees this too and at the very least bumps Beasley's minutes up to at least 30 every game when the starters return. Or that Haslem and Moon miss a few playoff games with injuries too. I’m just kidding. Sort of.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
A few thoughts as the playoffs approach by Thomas Johnson
Originally published with Playerspress Sportscaster Network: http://playerpress.com/articles/a-few-heat-thoughts-as-the-playoffs-approach
With the playoffs rapidly approaching, and the focus now squarely on whether the Heat will grab the fifth or sixth seed, it seems like a good a time to reflect on the season thus far and look forward to the climax of the basketball season.
As anyone who follows the game will tell you, pretty much every team in the East would rather play Atlanta than Orlando. Of course the only way Miami (41-37) will be playing the Hawks is if they finish fifth, ahead of Philadelphia (40-37), the team that the Heat shares an almost identical record with to this point.
At the moment, all signs point to the race for fifth place coming down to the final game of the season. Miami will face Detroit at home while Philadelphia has to travel to Cleveland. While at first glance it may seem that Miami has a great scheduling advantage here, keep in mind that there is still a chance that Philadelphia will be facing a Cavs team whose fate has already been sealed and in which case will likely be resting their starters, while Miami could be facing a Detroit team still battling to avoid finishing eighth.
Considering that Cleveland (63-15) has a four game lead in the East, their only remaining concern is in regards to securing home court throughout the playoffs by finishing with a better record than the Lakers (62-16). So from a Miami perspective, besides hoping that the Heat more or less win-out, you should also keep an eye on the Cavs and Lakers remaining games, and hope that the two teams remain in a battle for the best record all the way till the last game of the season, making the Cavs-Sixers contest a significant game for both teams. Should that fail to happen, there’s always the chance that Dwyane Wade will give his buddy Lebron a phone call and ask for a favor:
“Come on man. We were in China together for six weeks. China!”
“I’ll put you in a T-mobile commercial. Charles? Charles who? Come on Bron I need this!”
“Just go out there, score 50, grab the scoring title *cough* and a win *cough*, and you can have yourself the perfect ending to the regular season.”
In order for the Heat to finish strong, they will have to play the guys that give them the best to chance of winning. It’s a simple enough concept. Probably not even worth mentioning, right? Well it is when the coach has kept the second best player on the team on the bench for the grand majority of the season in favor of Udonis Haslem and now Yakhouba Diawara (Who? Exactly.)
Now if you look back at some of my older articles, it’s pretty clear that I’ve been saying all along that Michael Beasley should be the team’s starting power forward. There are various arguments echoed by everyone from Pat Riley to Erik Spoelstra as well as some beat writers that defend his role as sixth man. The main reason given to justify him coming off the bench usually centers on the belief that Beasley is a defensive liability and cannot defend the opposing teams’ best power forward without getting into early foul trouble. I have also heard the justification that the team needs Beasley as a spark off the bench, and that he does not grab enough rebounds.
While I still maintain my belief that Miami would be in a better position record wise had they stayed with Beasley as a starter for the majority of the season, or simply played him at least 30 minutes off the bench, I am aware that his defensive lapses have been an issue. However, it is also clear to any objective fan that he has improved in leaps and bounds in this area of his game, and if he is ever going to be more than a career sixth man, he is going to have to learn how to avoid foul trouble while defending quality players. The main way this is accomplished is by gaining experience through playing time as practice can only simulate so much. Besides, what forward on the Heat is he really going to have trouble defending in practice?
Sure he is going to get scored on and give up some big nights offensively to whoever he is defending, but guess what, so does everyone else on this team at some point. Wade, our best defender, has been torched by the likes of Jamal Crawford and even rookie
O.J. Mayo. Mario Chalmers, the rookie leader in steals, has been burnt numerous times by various speedy point guards. Even Sebastian Telfair scored a career-high 30 points against Mario.
(On a side note: When you’re defending a player that’s been in the league for a few years and he happens to set a new career high against you, that’s one thing. But when said career high is a whopping 30 points, well that tells you a little something about the caliber of the player who just owned you. From a personal standpoint, I’d rather give up 50 points to Kobe as that’s something that is almost expected, rather than be the one guy who’s going to play the role of supporting actor for at least half of Telfair’s season highlight tape. That’s like being the one guy Paris Hilton says “No” to.)
I mention all this not to chastise Wade and Chalmers for getting lit up occasionally (well maybe Chalmers just a little. We are talking about Telfair.), but to make the broader point that getting scored on in this league does happen, and it seems inconsistent for a coach to come down so much harder on one player while being far more lenient with others. That aside, I believe that the Heat’s offense needs just as much improvement as Beasley’s defense. On too many occasions this season, it has been Wade or bust. When he is playing at a ridiculously high level that can sometimes work. But when he isn’t, well let’s just say that the results have been far from pretty.
Too often at the end of games, while Beasley is reclining on the bench, the opposing team sends Udonis Haslem’s defender to double team Wade, and the Heat’s offense sputters and stalls out. The best example of this was the Heat-Cavs game a little while back when Mike Brown executed this perfectly by sending Varejo at Wade, basically daring anyone else on the team to shoot, and ended up winning a game that Miami had a significant late lead in. As a fan it’s infuriating.
This same anemic offense is the reason the Heat still tends to find itself facing significant first quarter deposits, and in need of Beasley’s “spark” off the bench in the first place. Crazy concept, but there would be less of a need for said “spark,” if the first unit had enough offensive firepower to get off to better starts. Hmm, I wonder how that could be accomplished.
That considered, it’s shocking how long it has taken Spoelstra to work on developing chemistry between Beasley and Wade. It’s only recently that we’re starting to see a somewhat consistent dose of pick and rolls between the two. And this is with four games left in the season. Instead, for the majority of the season that has been a play centered on Haslem and Wade.
Of course Haslem is the better screener and has six seasons of chemistry with Wade, but that is exactly why it should be Beasley involved in that play as he needs to get used to playing off of Wade. We already know what Haslem is as a player: a solid leader and supporting player, but at best a 12-point and 10-rebound type of player. Instead Beasley, the player with the much higher ceiling, is only recently showing what he’s truly capable of because he has the chance to now play significant minutes with Haslem injured.
The fundamental problem comes down to perception. The way Spoelstra has managed Beasley would make more sense if Miami were legitimate championship contenders, but considering that this is at best a couple-rounds-and-done team, this season should be used as a building block for next year. That’s not to say that wins and losses go out the window, but as long as the Heat still made the playoffs I think it would have made sense to focus on developing chemistry even at the expense of a win or two.
You can only imagine how much more dangerous this team would be right now with an offense built around a cohesive Beasley-Wade pick and roll that would have had a whole season to work out any kinks. Then imagine how much better they would be in a year’s time with another season of playing together on an every game basis. That chemistry can be the difference between going deep into the playoffs next season and going home early.
The thing that I cannot get my head around is how even with Haslem out and on the heels of Beasley’s 25-point, 9-rebound performance against the Hornets, Spoelstra still hasn’t committed to giving Beasley the starting nod for the Heat’s next game against the Celtics. Instead Coach Spoelstra is sticking to his mantra that Beasley must improve his defense, even though it was Diawara who picked up two early fouls last game. I’m not buying it. At this stage in the season, I think the decision to keep Beasley on the bench comes down to the fact that it makes life easier for Spoelstra personnel-wise.
Hypothetically, if Beasley were to finish out the rest of the regular season as a starter while putting up numbers on par with what he did against the Hornets, then Spoelstra would have a tough (at least in his eyes) decision to make. He would have to decide between starting a hot Beasley or a rusty Haslem in the first round series; a move that would no doubt be highly scrutinized by many (besides just me), assuming the likely scenario that he would stick with Haslem regardless.
Beasley’s success as a starter would also only intensify the second-guessing by the media and fans as to whether the move should have been made far earlier in the season. By playing it safe and staying with the same rotation, Spoelstra avoids the same level of questioning and scrutiny, so on an personal level it makes a lot of sense for him. Does it make basketball sense? I didn’t think so before, and I still don’t now.
One final note: Check back here soon after the playoff seeding has been determined as I will be breaking down each series and picking the winners.
With the playoffs rapidly approaching, and the focus now squarely on whether the Heat will grab the fifth or sixth seed, it seems like a good a time to reflect on the season thus far and look forward to the climax of the basketball season.
As anyone who follows the game will tell you, pretty much every team in the East would rather play Atlanta than Orlando. Of course the only way Miami (41-37) will be playing the Hawks is if they finish fifth, ahead of Philadelphia (40-37), the team that the Heat shares an almost identical record with to this point.
At the moment, all signs point to the race for fifth place coming down to the final game of the season. Miami will face Detroit at home while Philadelphia has to travel to Cleveland. While at first glance it may seem that Miami has a great scheduling advantage here, keep in mind that there is still a chance that Philadelphia will be facing a Cavs team whose fate has already been sealed and in which case will likely be resting their starters, while Miami could be facing a Detroit team still battling to avoid finishing eighth.
Considering that Cleveland (63-15) has a four game lead in the East, their only remaining concern is in regards to securing home court throughout the playoffs by finishing with a better record than the Lakers (62-16). So from a Miami perspective, besides hoping that the Heat more or less win-out, you should also keep an eye on the Cavs and Lakers remaining games, and hope that the two teams remain in a battle for the best record all the way till the last game of the season, making the Cavs-Sixers contest a significant game for both teams. Should that fail to happen, there’s always the chance that Dwyane Wade will give his buddy Lebron a phone call and ask for a favor:
“Come on man. We were in China together for six weeks. China!”
“I’ll put you in a T-mobile commercial. Charles? Charles who? Come on Bron I need this!”
“Just go out there, score 50, grab the scoring title *cough* and a win *cough*, and you can have yourself the perfect ending to the regular season.”
In order for the Heat to finish strong, they will have to play the guys that give them the best to chance of winning. It’s a simple enough concept. Probably not even worth mentioning, right? Well it is when the coach has kept the second best player on the team on the bench for the grand majority of the season in favor of Udonis Haslem and now Yakhouba Diawara (Who? Exactly.)
Now if you look back at some of my older articles, it’s pretty clear that I’ve been saying all along that Michael Beasley should be the team’s starting power forward. There are various arguments echoed by everyone from Pat Riley to Erik Spoelstra as well as some beat writers that defend his role as sixth man. The main reason given to justify him coming off the bench usually centers on the belief that Beasley is a defensive liability and cannot defend the opposing teams’ best power forward without getting into early foul trouble. I have also heard the justification that the team needs Beasley as a spark off the bench, and that he does not grab enough rebounds.
While I still maintain my belief that Miami would be in a better position record wise had they stayed with Beasley as a starter for the majority of the season, or simply played him at least 30 minutes off the bench, I am aware that his defensive lapses have been an issue. However, it is also clear to any objective fan that he has improved in leaps and bounds in this area of his game, and if he is ever going to be more than a career sixth man, he is going to have to learn how to avoid foul trouble while defending quality players. The main way this is accomplished is by gaining experience through playing time as practice can only simulate so much. Besides, what forward on the Heat is he really going to have trouble defending in practice?
Sure he is going to get scored on and give up some big nights offensively to whoever he is defending, but guess what, so does everyone else on this team at some point. Wade, our best defender, has been torched by the likes of Jamal Crawford and even rookie
O.J. Mayo. Mario Chalmers, the rookie leader in steals, has been burnt numerous times by various speedy point guards. Even Sebastian Telfair scored a career-high 30 points against Mario.
(On a side note: When you’re defending a player that’s been in the league for a few years and he happens to set a new career high against you, that’s one thing. But when said career high is a whopping 30 points, well that tells you a little something about the caliber of the player who just owned you. From a personal standpoint, I’d rather give up 50 points to Kobe as that’s something that is almost expected, rather than be the one guy who’s going to play the role of supporting actor for at least half of Telfair’s season highlight tape. That’s like being the one guy Paris Hilton says “No” to.)
I mention all this not to chastise Wade and Chalmers for getting lit up occasionally (well maybe Chalmers just a little. We are talking about Telfair.), but to make the broader point that getting scored on in this league does happen, and it seems inconsistent for a coach to come down so much harder on one player while being far more lenient with others. That aside, I believe that the Heat’s offense needs just as much improvement as Beasley’s defense. On too many occasions this season, it has been Wade or bust. When he is playing at a ridiculously high level that can sometimes work. But when he isn’t, well let’s just say that the results have been far from pretty.
Too often at the end of games, while Beasley is reclining on the bench, the opposing team sends Udonis Haslem’s defender to double team Wade, and the Heat’s offense sputters and stalls out. The best example of this was the Heat-Cavs game a little while back when Mike Brown executed this perfectly by sending Varejo at Wade, basically daring anyone else on the team to shoot, and ended up winning a game that Miami had a significant late lead in. As a fan it’s infuriating.
This same anemic offense is the reason the Heat still tends to find itself facing significant first quarter deposits, and in need of Beasley’s “spark” off the bench in the first place. Crazy concept, but there would be less of a need for said “spark,” if the first unit had enough offensive firepower to get off to better starts. Hmm, I wonder how that could be accomplished.
That considered, it’s shocking how long it has taken Spoelstra to work on developing chemistry between Beasley and Wade. It’s only recently that we’re starting to see a somewhat consistent dose of pick and rolls between the two. And this is with four games left in the season. Instead, for the majority of the season that has been a play centered on Haslem and Wade.
Of course Haslem is the better screener and has six seasons of chemistry with Wade, but that is exactly why it should be Beasley involved in that play as he needs to get used to playing off of Wade. We already know what Haslem is as a player: a solid leader and supporting player, but at best a 12-point and 10-rebound type of player. Instead Beasley, the player with the much higher ceiling, is only recently showing what he’s truly capable of because he has the chance to now play significant minutes with Haslem injured.
The fundamental problem comes down to perception. The way Spoelstra has managed Beasley would make more sense if Miami were legitimate championship contenders, but considering that this is at best a couple-rounds-and-done team, this season should be used as a building block for next year. That’s not to say that wins and losses go out the window, but as long as the Heat still made the playoffs I think it would have made sense to focus on developing chemistry even at the expense of a win or two.
You can only imagine how much more dangerous this team would be right now with an offense built around a cohesive Beasley-Wade pick and roll that would have had a whole season to work out any kinks. Then imagine how much better they would be in a year’s time with another season of playing together on an every game basis. That chemistry can be the difference between going deep into the playoffs next season and going home early.
The thing that I cannot get my head around is how even with Haslem out and on the heels of Beasley’s 25-point, 9-rebound performance against the Hornets, Spoelstra still hasn’t committed to giving Beasley the starting nod for the Heat’s next game against the Celtics. Instead Coach Spoelstra is sticking to his mantra that Beasley must improve his defense, even though it was Diawara who picked up two early fouls last game. I’m not buying it. At this stage in the season, I think the decision to keep Beasley on the bench comes down to the fact that it makes life easier for Spoelstra personnel-wise.
Hypothetically, if Beasley were to finish out the rest of the regular season as a starter while putting up numbers on par with what he did against the Hornets, then Spoelstra would have a tough (at least in his eyes) decision to make. He would have to decide between starting a hot Beasley or a rusty Haslem in the first round series; a move that would no doubt be highly scrutinized by many (besides just me), assuming the likely scenario that he would stick with Haslem regardless.
Beasley’s success as a starter would also only intensify the second-guessing by the media and fans as to whether the move should have been made far earlier in the season. By playing it safe and staying with the same rotation, Spoelstra avoids the same level of questioning and scrutiny, so on an personal level it makes a lot of sense for him. Does it make basketball sense? I didn’t think so before, and I still don’t now.
One final note: Check back here soon after the playoff seeding has been determined as I will be breaking down each series and picking the winners.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The cost of being an occasionally 'rational' sports fan by Thomas Johnson
Originally published with Playerspress Sportscaster Network: http://playerpress.com/articles/the-cost-of-being-an-occasionally-rational-sports-fan
On the heels of yet another season-defining performance from Dwyane Wade, I should be sharing my thoughts on what just transpired a mere 24 hours ago. I would love to, however, there’s a small problem. That is, I wasn’t able to watch past the three-minute mark of the fourth quarter. That’s right, I missed the first overtime period. Second period? Missed that too.
The irony of all ironies is that I could have been at this game. I could have witnessed Wade’s buzzer beating three-pointer first hand. But I didn’t. I could have been one of the fans cheering hysterically as he stood on the scorer’s table. But I wasn’t. You see, being the broke college student that I am, I decided to actually be somewhat fiscally responsible for once. And a lot of good that did me.
This fateful story begins with Erika, a good friend of mine calling me regarding some discounted lower bowl tickets she had come across. While my immediate gut reaction was of course ‘Yes!!’ this decision was unfortunately short-lived.
Shortly after being told about the offer, I proceeded to call a couple more friends to get them in on it too. I called my buddy Andrew (a fellow Heat-diehard) to let him in on this sweet deal as well, only to be met with an ‘I’d love to, but I’m broke’ reaction. Ugh, sobering reality.
Up until that point I had forcefully ignored the fact that only two days earlier I had been lamenting over my dire finances. I had pushed past this detail and was doing well with my reliable short-term gratification justification of ‘only living once’ and ‘not being able to put a price on experience’. You see, the funny thing about the majority of people (myself included) is that it’s just so much easier to do something you know you shouldn’t be doing when there is someone else right there with you making the same mistake. This can apply to anything: skipping class, that one last drink, buying tickets you can’t afford, you name it.
Unfortunately for the both of us, this time Andrew wasn’t joining me in mistake-making. Still, undeterred by his initial reaction, I thought I’d go online and check my bank account to see if I could spot him the cash. I was in for a surprise.
Forget spotting Andrew, judging by the lack of digits and decimal places, it probably wasn’t too smart of an idea for me to be spotting myself. That’s not to say, that I couldn’t have afforded the tickets, just that it would have been PB and J sandwiches for lunch and dinner for the next solid week or so.
Consequently, It was at about this point that I made the stupid decision to be rational. Gone was my ‘only living once’ mantra. Instead I started trying to rationalize the more frugal choice:
‘The playoffs are coming up. I’ll need some cash for those games…’
‘It’s 6:30 already, by the time we get there the first quarter will be done and I’ll be one of those annoying late-arriving fans that I can’t stand….’
‘At least I’ve already seen Derrick Rose in person once this year…’
‘There’s always TV, I’ll just watch it with a couple beers, it won’t be so bad….’
After talking myself into saving some money by not going, I called Erika back and let her know that I would unfortunately have to give the game a miss. Since my girlfriend had just arrived at my house, ‘we’ instead decided to make it a movie night. I had just come across the movie ‘Taken’ and figured why not? I went into the other room and set the DVR to record the game. However, like an idiot, I forgot to record the next program right after the game, a precautionary measure just in case the game ran a little longer.
(Time for a mini rant: Is it such a crazy, technologically-improbable idea that somewhere, somehow, one of the geniuses working at DirecTV could come up with a more fluid recording system? I don’t know, maybe one that allows networks to notify the satellite companies when a program is obviously going to run past its time slot so they can digitally extend the recording time. I know I can’t be the only person out there that has watched an entire recording of something only to miss the last 10-15 minutes of the program because the show ran longer than expected. When was the last time a basketball game ended at the time it was scheduled to anyway? Maybe change the estimated run time for basketball games from two and a half hours to three. Is that crazy? It’s 2009 and somehow DVR’s seem to cause just about the same amount of frustration that VCRs did. It drives me wild. And if you think I’m deflecting the attention from my lack of forethought to modern technology, then you know me too well.)
That aside, let’s get back to my depressing reality. Whilst I was in the midst of ‘enjoying’ a pretty generic action flick, Wade had probably just hit his third three pointer of the night, although it’s anyone’s guess. At this point I think that it’s also worth mentioning that I can no longer even pretend to be a fair critic of ‘Taken’. Don’t ask me what I thought of the movie. Seriously. I now have way too many negative associations with this film to even pretend to look at this flick as a movie, and not as something that just took away my time from something far more important. (Yeah, I’m not bitter)
So anyway, after the movie my girlfriend leaves and I decide to finally sit down and watch the recording of the game. This tends to happen more and more frequently where I’ll miss watching a game live and instead watch the recording later that night after avoiding pretty much any sports media, text message, or phone call that could possibly tip me off as to the result. This might be the only thing I’m kind of OCD about. I read way too much into things and just based on the tone of a buddy’s voice, even if there is no mention of the game, I feel like I can guess if Miami won or not (and more often than not I’m annoyingly right). So there’s that.
However, all of this is a moot point, because even with all the avoidance in the world, none of it mattered when my recording stopped at the 3:34 mark of the fourth quarter. I had been fast-forwarding through the game, with an eye on how much time was left, so it wasn’t really a surprise. (Of course I was hoping that the last 20 minutes of the recording somehow fit in the entire fourth quarter. Ah, delusional optimism.) It was a close game at that point (I believe the Bulls were up by two), and I figured that it would probably be decided in the final seconds. I just didn’t know that these last seconds would in fact still be a couple overtime periods away.
Of course I then go online to find out how the game finished, not expecting anything too out the ordinary, so you can imagine my shock when I see the headline “Wade scores 48 to beat the Bulls in double overtime” staring back at me. I had such a mixed reaction to the news. Being a Heat fan, I was of course thrilled to see that Wade had once again surpassed his own lofty standards of greatness and willed the team to a significant victory with playoff implications.
But that aside, on a purely selfish level I felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. It was a weird mix of knowing that while I should be feeling overjoyed by the news, I just couldn’t convince myself that that was how I actually felt. I’m guessing that this odd combination of joy and frustration is kind of comparable to what a former star player feels when winning a championship, not as a core contributor, but as the tenth guy on the bench (see Glen Rice). While there is no denying that winning a championship is in and of itself awesome, I’d be shocked if inside, Glen Rice wasn’t significantly bothered by the fact that he finally got his ring as a footnote instead of as a headliner.
Part of the frustration was due to the fact that I knew, (based on a lifetime of watching basketball) just how much of a thrill ride it must have been to watch that game live. I watched the highlights almost out of obligation and the dramatic ending of the game (Wade stealing the ball and hitting a three at the buzzer) only added insult to injury. It’s a game I’ll never get back. I will only be able to halfheartedly nod in agreement when friends tell me how incredible it was, and when I hear commentators reference this particular game to make a broader point about Wade’s MVP candidacy or career, part of me will always cringe on the inside.
Considering that I could have had good seats for this game made the matter so much worse. Upon reflection, I couldn’t believe my own financial justifications for not going. What was I thinking? My own motto of never putting a price on experiences was looking so wise in hindsight. I wish I would have ran with it.
In a way, it’s games like this that give the relationship between sports and fans some sort of perspective. One of the main reasons people watch sports at all is because on any given night, something amazing might happen. Considering that I am fortunate enough to be watching Wade at the peak of his career, in the midst of one of his best stretches of play, only increases the odds that something unbelievable like this 48-point game might happen at any time. All things considered, there are three things I can take away from this whole ordeal:
1. Dwyane Wade has reached the point where I am going to have to start fitting my schedule around watching Heat games. Not the other way round.
2. If I ever have a chance to get a good deal on tickets again, you better believe I’m food stamping it up before I miss another potentially epic game.
3. I will never watch ‘Taken’ again. Ever.
On the heels of yet another season-defining performance from Dwyane Wade, I should be sharing my thoughts on what just transpired a mere 24 hours ago. I would love to, however, there’s a small problem. That is, I wasn’t able to watch past the three-minute mark of the fourth quarter. That’s right, I missed the first overtime period. Second period? Missed that too.
The irony of all ironies is that I could have been at this game. I could have witnessed Wade’s buzzer beating three-pointer first hand. But I didn’t. I could have been one of the fans cheering hysterically as he stood on the scorer’s table. But I wasn’t. You see, being the broke college student that I am, I decided to actually be somewhat fiscally responsible for once. And a lot of good that did me.
This fateful story begins with Erika, a good friend of mine calling me regarding some discounted lower bowl tickets she had come across. While my immediate gut reaction was of course ‘Yes!!’ this decision was unfortunately short-lived.
Shortly after being told about the offer, I proceeded to call a couple more friends to get them in on it too. I called my buddy Andrew (a fellow Heat-diehard) to let him in on this sweet deal as well, only to be met with an ‘I’d love to, but I’m broke’ reaction. Ugh, sobering reality.
Up until that point I had forcefully ignored the fact that only two days earlier I had been lamenting over my dire finances. I had pushed past this detail and was doing well with my reliable short-term gratification justification of ‘only living once’ and ‘not being able to put a price on experience’. You see, the funny thing about the majority of people (myself included) is that it’s just so much easier to do something you know you shouldn’t be doing when there is someone else right there with you making the same mistake. This can apply to anything: skipping class, that one last drink, buying tickets you can’t afford, you name it.
Unfortunately for the both of us, this time Andrew wasn’t joining me in mistake-making. Still, undeterred by his initial reaction, I thought I’d go online and check my bank account to see if I could spot him the cash. I was in for a surprise.
Forget spotting Andrew, judging by the lack of digits and decimal places, it probably wasn’t too smart of an idea for me to be spotting myself. That’s not to say, that I couldn’t have afforded the tickets, just that it would have been PB and J sandwiches for lunch and dinner for the next solid week or so.
Consequently, It was at about this point that I made the stupid decision to be rational. Gone was my ‘only living once’ mantra. Instead I started trying to rationalize the more frugal choice:
‘The playoffs are coming up. I’ll need some cash for those games…’
‘It’s 6:30 already, by the time we get there the first quarter will be done and I’ll be one of those annoying late-arriving fans that I can’t stand….’
‘At least I’ve already seen Derrick Rose in person once this year…’
‘There’s always TV, I’ll just watch it with a couple beers, it won’t be so bad….’
After talking myself into saving some money by not going, I called Erika back and let her know that I would unfortunately have to give the game a miss. Since my girlfriend had just arrived at my house, ‘we’ instead decided to make it a movie night. I had just come across the movie ‘Taken’ and figured why not? I went into the other room and set the DVR to record the game. However, like an idiot, I forgot to record the next program right after the game, a precautionary measure just in case the game ran a little longer.
(Time for a mini rant: Is it such a crazy, technologically-improbable idea that somewhere, somehow, one of the geniuses working at DirecTV could come up with a more fluid recording system? I don’t know, maybe one that allows networks to notify the satellite companies when a program is obviously going to run past its time slot so they can digitally extend the recording time. I know I can’t be the only person out there that has watched an entire recording of something only to miss the last 10-15 minutes of the program because the show ran longer than expected. When was the last time a basketball game ended at the time it was scheduled to anyway? Maybe change the estimated run time for basketball games from two and a half hours to three. Is that crazy? It’s 2009 and somehow DVR’s seem to cause just about the same amount of frustration that VCRs did. It drives me wild. And if you think I’m deflecting the attention from my lack of forethought to modern technology, then you know me too well.)
That aside, let’s get back to my depressing reality. Whilst I was in the midst of ‘enjoying’ a pretty generic action flick, Wade had probably just hit his third three pointer of the night, although it’s anyone’s guess. At this point I think that it’s also worth mentioning that I can no longer even pretend to be a fair critic of ‘Taken’. Don’t ask me what I thought of the movie. Seriously. I now have way too many negative associations with this film to even pretend to look at this flick as a movie, and not as something that just took away my time from something far more important. (Yeah, I’m not bitter)
So anyway, after the movie my girlfriend leaves and I decide to finally sit down and watch the recording of the game. This tends to happen more and more frequently where I’ll miss watching a game live and instead watch the recording later that night after avoiding pretty much any sports media, text message, or phone call that could possibly tip me off as to the result. This might be the only thing I’m kind of OCD about. I read way too much into things and just based on the tone of a buddy’s voice, even if there is no mention of the game, I feel like I can guess if Miami won or not (and more often than not I’m annoyingly right). So there’s that.
However, all of this is a moot point, because even with all the avoidance in the world, none of it mattered when my recording stopped at the 3:34 mark of the fourth quarter. I had been fast-forwarding through the game, with an eye on how much time was left, so it wasn’t really a surprise. (Of course I was hoping that the last 20 minutes of the recording somehow fit in the entire fourth quarter. Ah, delusional optimism.) It was a close game at that point (I believe the Bulls were up by two), and I figured that it would probably be decided in the final seconds. I just didn’t know that these last seconds would in fact still be a couple overtime periods away.
Of course I then go online to find out how the game finished, not expecting anything too out the ordinary, so you can imagine my shock when I see the headline “Wade scores 48 to beat the Bulls in double overtime” staring back at me. I had such a mixed reaction to the news. Being a Heat fan, I was of course thrilled to see that Wade had once again surpassed his own lofty standards of greatness and willed the team to a significant victory with playoff implications.
But that aside, on a purely selfish level I felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. It was a weird mix of knowing that while I should be feeling overjoyed by the news, I just couldn’t convince myself that that was how I actually felt. I’m guessing that this odd combination of joy and frustration is kind of comparable to what a former star player feels when winning a championship, not as a core contributor, but as the tenth guy on the bench (see Glen Rice). While there is no denying that winning a championship is in and of itself awesome, I’d be shocked if inside, Glen Rice wasn’t significantly bothered by the fact that he finally got his ring as a footnote instead of as a headliner.
Part of the frustration was due to the fact that I knew, (based on a lifetime of watching basketball) just how much of a thrill ride it must have been to watch that game live. I watched the highlights almost out of obligation and the dramatic ending of the game (Wade stealing the ball and hitting a three at the buzzer) only added insult to injury. It’s a game I’ll never get back. I will only be able to halfheartedly nod in agreement when friends tell me how incredible it was, and when I hear commentators reference this particular game to make a broader point about Wade’s MVP candidacy or career, part of me will always cringe on the inside.
Considering that I could have had good seats for this game made the matter so much worse. Upon reflection, I couldn’t believe my own financial justifications for not going. What was I thinking? My own motto of never putting a price on experiences was looking so wise in hindsight. I wish I would have ran with it.
In a way, it’s games like this that give the relationship between sports and fans some sort of perspective. One of the main reasons people watch sports at all is because on any given night, something amazing might happen. Considering that I am fortunate enough to be watching Wade at the peak of his career, in the midst of one of his best stretches of play, only increases the odds that something unbelievable like this 48-point game might happen at any time. All things considered, there are three things I can take away from this whole ordeal:
1. Dwyane Wade has reached the point where I am going to have to start fitting my schedule around watching Heat games. Not the other way round.
2. If I ever have a chance to get a good deal on tickets again, you better believe I’m food stamping it up before I miss another potentially epic game.
3. I will never watch ‘Taken’ again. Ever.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Dwyane Wade: A Case Study on the Effects of Superstardom by Thomas Johnson
Originally published with Playerspress Sportscaster Network: http://playerpress.com/articles/dwyane-wade-and-the-high-price-of-superstardom
They say that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but can the same be said about fame and success?
Considering the fact that Dwyane Wade seems to be continually out doing himself recently, you’re probably expecting this to be an article advocating his MVP candidacy.
To the surprise of most, I’ll have to leave that piece for another writer. I’m not going to mention his stat-stuffing performances that include a 50-point game against Orlando, 31-point, 16-assist game against Detroit, followed by his 46- point domination of New York (including a fourth quarter in which he outscored the entire Knicks team), or the 41 he just dropped against the Cavs’ top-three defense. No, no. I’m not going to mention any of that. (I couldn’t resist.)
For as amazing as his performances have been this year, one subplot that has really stood out to me is just how much his personality has evolved over time; from a shy Marquette rookie to the international superstar we see today. You see, living in Miami, I watched Wade closely from day one. Like many, I saw the potential for something special early on.
In that first year, there was no Shaq-given nickname, no huge endorsements and ad campaigns, and unfortunately no jump shot either. At that point, Wade’s marketability was yet to be realized.
Dwyane Wade was simply a shy kid from the Chi, trying to fit in on a veteran team. Looking back at that 2003 draft night, Wade’s personality and life experiences were so vastly different to Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony, two players selected ahead of him.
Wade, a few years older than both, was already a married father, while the other two were more or less fresh out of high school. As crazy as it sounds now, Wade received next to no hype. There’s an interview he did with Slam magazine when he was still at Marquette, in which the interviewer notes how shy and out of his element Wade appeared to be when he was recognized by other students on campus.
In comparison, Lebron was already a pretty big blip on the basketball radar by the time he was 16, and two years later signed a huge contract with Nike before he had even played his first NBA minute. Carmelo also received a large amount of national attention after leading Syracuse to a national championship during his one year in college. Even Darko had the intrigue of being a completely unknown variable, combined with the potential bust-factor.
The fact that Wade was in the shadow of two of his fellow rookies suited him (and Miami fans) well. He often mentioned how he was free to operate without the same national media scrutiny that Lebron and Carmelo were constantly under.
As strange as it seems today considering his widespread popularity, that year I went to a mall and walked into literally every sports store looking for a Wade replica jersey to nearly no avail. I finally found one at a specialty store after shifting through countless Eddie Jones and Brian Grant castoffs. It took me so long to find one, not because they were sold out, but because none of these chain stores carried his number ‘3’ jersey yet.
In that first year he was our guy; a player that was loved in Miami, but hardly known nationally. His exciting style of play and humble demeanor made it impossible not to like the guy.
His demeanor and personality are worth mentioning because basketball is one of those sports where fans tend to feel more directly connected to players. Whereas in football, a league where teams have always been marketed over players, and the helmets and pads create a buffer; in basketball any emotion is instantly noticeable to the fans.
It’s a sport where fans tend to study players’ body language just as they would examine a box score. (Just look at how many NBA analysts where down on Beasley because of his pre-draft workout body language.)
That digression aside, I remember speaking to friends at the time about how atypical a player Wade was. In this Cribs-era of sports, where posses and groupies are the norm, Dwyane seemed to be cut from a different cloth. As corny as it may sound, I remember watching interviews and thinking that he seemed like a genuine guy, the type of guy you’d let your sister date.
In games, he had that killer instinct, but it was offset with a humble undertone, which meant he rarely ever displayed outward emotion that could be seen as showing an opponent up. In a sense he was more Tim Duncan than Kobe Bryant.
I mention all of this to make one thing clear; as far as judging personal characteristics, Wade seemed to have as strong a foundation as anyone I have seen. While it’s hard to make these assertions from afar, from all accounts he appeared to be a good-natured, down to earth, human being.
Fast-forward six years to present day. With Shaq having come and gone, and this now truly being Wade’s team, it’s amazing how times have changed.
I remember joking around with a couple friends how after signing a deal to model with Sean John, Diddy probably tried talking Wade into upgrading from his high school sweetheart and start dating actresses now that he was ‘big time.’ The fact that at the time he appeared to be a happily married man that had just built his mom a church, only made the premise more unlikely and funnier. Now that he is divorced and allegedly dating Gabrielle Union, the same joke seems somewhat prophetic.
The man went from someone who was uncomfortable in the off-court spotlight at Marquette, to the guy we see on countless commercials, mingling with A-listers, and wearing a band-aid bearing his own name. To put it mildly, Wade is not exactly camera shy anymore.
Some would say that it’s just a case of his personality developing over time and having the confidence to be himself.
While I can see this to an extent, I highly doubt that Wade would have developed in such a way, had he never been in the spotlight, surrounded by people acquiescing his ego. Based on what I observed when he first entered the league, had he never made the NBA and instead lived the life of an average person, it’s easy to imagine him going through life as an everyday, softly spoken, family man. Of course it’s anyone’s guess.
You have to understand, the point of all this is not to cast judgment and imply that Wade has changed for the worse, but rather to ask the question of whether it is even possible for anyone to stay grounded when fans and media alike, as well as the core group of people around you (many of whom tend to have a vested interest in your success) are constantly telling you how wonderful you are.
We see it all the time in Hollywood and the music industry. Kanye West is a prime example. A large part of his initial popularity was due to his average Joe perspective in his first album that made him easier to relate to than a gangster rapper. However, over time his ego grew and image evolved to the point that while he is still putting out quality music, his entourage now resembles Prince’s Revolution and he is debating changing his name to something more Louis Vuitton-related. Now is this a bad thing? It depends on how attached you are to first impressions. Kanye’s ever-changing persona is generally entertaining to the public, just as Wade wearing boxing gloves and a robe to address the media is.
As an entertainer, Wade has developed as much as he has in basketball. And in a way this is a good thing. From a marketing standpoint, the more outgoing you are, the better. There’s a reason that Kevin Garnet has more commercials out there than Tim Duncan. Quiet doesn’t sell.
On the flip side, neither does arrogance (for the most part). The smart athletes and public figures are able to control their perception by saying the right things so that people simply see them as confident, yet still modest. To put it cynically, almost every athlete is arrogant, the popular ones are just better at hiding it. Wade has this skill. In interviews he’ll never say where he thinks he ranks in terms of the best players in the league, even though I’m sure that on the inside he’s not putting anyone ahead of himself. On the other hand, going back to Kanye, he seems to almost take pride in arrogance and outlandish statements; something that does not sit well with the majority of people.
Now I know this article might lead you to believe that I feel a bit negative towards this ‘changed’ Wade, but overall I don’t. Granted, when he first joined the Heat, the humble attitude was a refreshing change, but at the same time, for Wade to be the phenomenal player he is now, supreme confidence is a necessity. If the same confidence that enables him to score 24 points in a fourth quarter also means that his ego sometimes shows up in other situations, then so be it.
Would the younger, quieter Wade scream out “THIS IS MY HOUSE!” to the crowd during that same 24-point fourth quarter? Definitely not. And you know what, that was probably my favorite moment of the season thus far.
I think everyone privately thinks that they are different and that their personality would be immune to money, fame, and praise. I see it the other way. If I were in the same position I don’t doubt for a second that all of it would go to my head. (‘Johnson’ Band-Aids here I come!) I’m sure I’m nowhere near as humble now as Wade was when he was in college, so if this guy ever makes it big, look out.
The bottom line is that as long as the effect of stardom and everything that comes with it is limited to simply inflating an athlete’s ego, but not to the point of creating an alienating arrogance, then all things considered, there are far worse things that can happen to a player. Like getting drafted by the Clippers.
They say that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but can the same be said about fame and success?
Considering the fact that Dwyane Wade seems to be continually out doing himself recently, you’re probably expecting this to be an article advocating his MVP candidacy.
To the surprise of most, I’ll have to leave that piece for another writer. I’m not going to mention his stat-stuffing performances that include a 50-point game against Orlando, 31-point, 16-assist game against Detroit, followed by his 46- point domination of New York (including a fourth quarter in which he outscored the entire Knicks team), or the 41 he just dropped against the Cavs’ top-three defense. No, no. I’m not going to mention any of that. (I couldn’t resist.)
For as amazing as his performances have been this year, one subplot that has really stood out to me is just how much his personality has evolved over time; from a shy Marquette rookie to the international superstar we see today. You see, living in Miami, I watched Wade closely from day one. Like many, I saw the potential for something special early on.
In that first year, there was no Shaq-given nickname, no huge endorsements and ad campaigns, and unfortunately no jump shot either. At that point, Wade’s marketability was yet to be realized.
Dwyane Wade was simply a shy kid from the Chi, trying to fit in on a veteran team. Looking back at that 2003 draft night, Wade’s personality and life experiences were so vastly different to Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony, two players selected ahead of him.
Wade, a few years older than both, was already a married father, while the other two were more or less fresh out of high school. As crazy as it sounds now, Wade received next to no hype. There’s an interview he did with Slam magazine when he was still at Marquette, in which the interviewer notes how shy and out of his element Wade appeared to be when he was recognized by other students on campus.
In comparison, Lebron was already a pretty big blip on the basketball radar by the time he was 16, and two years later signed a huge contract with Nike before he had even played his first NBA minute. Carmelo also received a large amount of national attention after leading Syracuse to a national championship during his one year in college. Even Darko had the intrigue of being a completely unknown variable, combined with the potential bust-factor.
The fact that Wade was in the shadow of two of his fellow rookies suited him (and Miami fans) well. He often mentioned how he was free to operate without the same national media scrutiny that Lebron and Carmelo were constantly under.
As strange as it seems today considering his widespread popularity, that year I went to a mall and walked into literally every sports store looking for a Wade replica jersey to nearly no avail. I finally found one at a specialty store after shifting through countless Eddie Jones and Brian Grant castoffs. It took me so long to find one, not because they were sold out, but because none of these chain stores carried his number ‘3’ jersey yet.
In that first year he was our guy; a player that was loved in Miami, but hardly known nationally. His exciting style of play and humble demeanor made it impossible not to like the guy.
His demeanor and personality are worth mentioning because basketball is one of those sports where fans tend to feel more directly connected to players. Whereas in football, a league where teams have always been marketed over players, and the helmets and pads create a buffer; in basketball any emotion is instantly noticeable to the fans.
It’s a sport where fans tend to study players’ body language just as they would examine a box score. (Just look at how many NBA analysts where down on Beasley because of his pre-draft workout body language.)
That digression aside, I remember speaking to friends at the time about how atypical a player Wade was. In this Cribs-era of sports, where posses and groupies are the norm, Dwyane seemed to be cut from a different cloth. As corny as it may sound, I remember watching interviews and thinking that he seemed like a genuine guy, the type of guy you’d let your sister date.
In games, he had that killer instinct, but it was offset with a humble undertone, which meant he rarely ever displayed outward emotion that could be seen as showing an opponent up. In a sense he was more Tim Duncan than Kobe Bryant.
I mention all of this to make one thing clear; as far as judging personal characteristics, Wade seemed to have as strong a foundation as anyone I have seen. While it’s hard to make these assertions from afar, from all accounts he appeared to be a good-natured, down to earth, human being.
Fast-forward six years to present day. With Shaq having come and gone, and this now truly being Wade’s team, it’s amazing how times have changed.
I remember joking around with a couple friends how after signing a deal to model with Sean John, Diddy probably tried talking Wade into upgrading from his high school sweetheart and start dating actresses now that he was ‘big time.’ The fact that at the time he appeared to be a happily married man that had just built his mom a church, only made the premise more unlikely and funnier. Now that he is divorced and allegedly dating Gabrielle Union, the same joke seems somewhat prophetic.
The man went from someone who was uncomfortable in the off-court spotlight at Marquette, to the guy we see on countless commercials, mingling with A-listers, and wearing a band-aid bearing his own name. To put it mildly, Wade is not exactly camera shy anymore.
Some would say that it’s just a case of his personality developing over time and having the confidence to be himself.
While I can see this to an extent, I highly doubt that Wade would have developed in such a way, had he never been in the spotlight, surrounded by people acquiescing his ego. Based on what I observed when he first entered the league, had he never made the NBA and instead lived the life of an average person, it’s easy to imagine him going through life as an everyday, softly spoken, family man. Of course it’s anyone’s guess.
You have to understand, the point of all this is not to cast judgment and imply that Wade has changed for the worse, but rather to ask the question of whether it is even possible for anyone to stay grounded when fans and media alike, as well as the core group of people around you (many of whom tend to have a vested interest in your success) are constantly telling you how wonderful you are.
We see it all the time in Hollywood and the music industry. Kanye West is a prime example. A large part of his initial popularity was due to his average Joe perspective in his first album that made him easier to relate to than a gangster rapper. However, over time his ego grew and image evolved to the point that while he is still putting out quality music, his entourage now resembles Prince’s Revolution and he is debating changing his name to something more Louis Vuitton-related. Now is this a bad thing? It depends on how attached you are to first impressions. Kanye’s ever-changing persona is generally entertaining to the public, just as Wade wearing boxing gloves and a robe to address the media is.
As an entertainer, Wade has developed as much as he has in basketball. And in a way this is a good thing. From a marketing standpoint, the more outgoing you are, the better. There’s a reason that Kevin Garnet has more commercials out there than Tim Duncan. Quiet doesn’t sell.
On the flip side, neither does arrogance (for the most part). The smart athletes and public figures are able to control their perception by saying the right things so that people simply see them as confident, yet still modest. To put it cynically, almost every athlete is arrogant, the popular ones are just better at hiding it. Wade has this skill. In interviews he’ll never say where he thinks he ranks in terms of the best players in the league, even though I’m sure that on the inside he’s not putting anyone ahead of himself. On the other hand, going back to Kanye, he seems to almost take pride in arrogance and outlandish statements; something that does not sit well with the majority of people.
Now I know this article might lead you to believe that I feel a bit negative towards this ‘changed’ Wade, but overall I don’t. Granted, when he first joined the Heat, the humble attitude was a refreshing change, but at the same time, for Wade to be the phenomenal player he is now, supreme confidence is a necessity. If the same confidence that enables him to score 24 points in a fourth quarter also means that his ego sometimes shows up in other situations, then so be it.
Would the younger, quieter Wade scream out “THIS IS MY HOUSE!” to the crowd during that same 24-point fourth quarter? Definitely not. And you know what, that was probably my favorite moment of the season thus far.
I think everyone privately thinks that they are different and that their personality would be immune to money, fame, and praise. I see it the other way. If I were in the same position I don’t doubt for a second that all of it would go to my head. (‘Johnson’ Band-Aids here I come!) I’m sure I’m nowhere near as humble now as Wade was when he was in college, so if this guy ever makes it big, look out.
The bottom line is that as long as the effect of stardom and everything that comes with it is limited to simply inflating an athlete’s ego, but not to the point of creating an alienating arrogance, then all things considered, there are far worse things that can happen to a player. Like getting drafted by the Clippers.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Deadline Deal Decisions by Thomas Johnson
Originally published with Playerspress Sportscaster Network: http://playerpress.com/articles/the-amare-fiasco
Now that the All Star Game festivities have come to a close, with the West giving the East a Chris Brown-like beating, I thought this would be a good time to ramble on for a few hundred words about the recent trade activity (or lack thereof) in the NBA. Right, where to start? How about with the biggest story coming from the land of the Suns: the Amare Stoudemire situation.
Being the Miami fan that I am, I have to say that upon hearing the news that the O’Neal-Marion swap had finally been made after weeks of conjuncture, my reaction fell somewhere between relieved and what T.I. felt when he found out he could do an MTV show to avoid 30 years in the pen. Since Miami had been rumored to be in the front-running to make a deal involving Beasley and Marion for Amare, I had been terrified that Riley, Mr. Short-Term-Gratification himself, would not be able to resist the possibility of making the team relevant again (in his eyes) with a big-name acquisition.
I have argued this point with a few heat fans recently and my basic premise is this: If the Heat would have made the trade, they would have basically been losing Beasley for a year and a half of Amare, with no guarantee that he would re-sign here anyway.
Would the move sell tickets? Yes.
Would it be completely mortgaging the future for a shaky present? Definitely.
While I am content with the deal Miami made with Toronto I don’t know if I can give Riley too much credit for not pulling the trigger on the Amare deal since many sources close to the situation have said that it ultimately came down to Suns GM Steve Kerr not wanting a reunion with Marion while also wanting the Bull’s Tyrus Thomas more than Michael Beasley. Tyrus Thomas? Really?!
I like Steve Kerr, I really do. I’ve heard him in various interviews and by all accounts he seems to be a fairly levelheaded guy, but that last comment might be a fair reflection of his ability to assess talent.
His assessment of Beasley’s value in relation to Tyrus Thomas’ tells me one thing for certain; some of these GM’s do not watch as much basketball as we think they do. While Beasley’s numbers are far from gaudy (a fairly average 13 and 5), this is more of a reflection of his inconsistent minutes than basketball ability. If you go through his game log, the kid has played his best in the games that matter the most on a personal and team level.
For starters he has outplayed Derrick Rose in both meetings (including his ‘don’t trade me game’ right before the O’neal deal when he put up 21 points and 7 rebounds on 9 for 10 shooting). Then there was the 23 point (10-16 shooting), 5 rebound game in Los Angeles against the Lakers, a game in which he led the team in fourth quarter scoring and almost single-handedly brought the team within striking distance. He also has games of 20 and 8 against the Spurs, 17 and 11 against the Celtics, to name a couple more.
I’m not going to go over every good game he’s had. The point is that when the lights are the brightest, Beasley has the ability to step up and deliver on the biggest stage and in the most important moments.
This mentality is not something you can teach. Combine this with his ambidextrous scoring ability around the basket and his 37 percent shooting from three and you have all the ingredients for a future All Star in this league. Oh, and he just turned 20.
To put it plainly I don’t know how someone like Kerr does not see this, or how a significant portion of the national media mumbles about Beasley being a potential bust. It blows my mind.
While there are definitely weaknesses in his game (I would love to see him finish stronger at the rim and set better screens), I will be shocked if he does not take the next step, if not with Miami then somewhere else. And that was my worst fear in this situation. That Beasley, under-appreciated even by a solid number of Heat fans, would get traded and put up monster numbers elsewhere for the next ten to fifteen years. That’s why I would be fuming if the Stoudemire deal went through.
There is a good chance that in six years when Beasley is Amare’s age, he will be an even better player. Besides, Amare plays less defense than even Beasley does now. Now if we were talking about a Beasley-Bosh deal… Well, let’s just say that would require more consideration. Anyway, at least the Heat and I have made it through year one of the Beasley era. I’ll try not to bring up this whole Beasley issue again. No promises though.
All right, on to other things. Now where were we? The Beasley-snub aside I’m going to put my GM hat on for a second and look at what else the Suns could do with its current unit. Assuming they’re going into full blown demolition mode and are determined to move Amare I don’t see how making a deal with Chicago isn’t the best move for both sides. The Bulls have a plethora of young moveable pieces: Hinrich (expendable now that Rose has bloomed), Luol Deng (proven he is far more Robin than Batman), Tyrus Thomas (Steve Kerr’s apparent love interest), as well as the lesser names (Nocioni, Noah, etc).
Is it just me, or does Stoudemire and Barbosa for Hinrich, Thomas, and Deng make too much sense not to happen?
The Suns get a solid point guard to eventually take the reigns from an aging Nash; an athletic power forward in Thomas to replace Stoudemire; and Deng, a big upgrade over their current small forwards. Chicago would finally get the explosive inside scoring and post presence they’ve always needed as well as be able to team Barbosa and Rose together at the guard positions, giving them by far the fastest backcourt in the league.
Maybe that’s the problem. It is after all a deal between Steve Kerr and John ‘I’m glad I helped this team win championships with my threes, because this GM thing isn’t working out so well’ Paxson.
I’m going to try to be brief here because Paxson’s missteps are worthy of a separate column.
Basically his hesitance towards big trades involving trading away young players (remember the potential Kobe deal that never happened?) as well as general missteps (Ben Wallace, Tyson Chandler, Lamarcus Aldridge anyone?) has led to an under performing, mediocre team. This is without even mentioning that he gave the head-coaching job to an unproven Vinny Del Negro while someone who would have made a lot more sense like Celtics assistant coach and defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeau was left constantly checking his empty voicemail box this past summer. Whoops, guess I mentioned it.
In a way Pax is somewhat bizarro Riley, a GM so concerned about not moving young players with potential that he is willing to bypass Hall of Fame talent. That being said, for someone that has made so many mistakes yet still retains his job, you would hope that at the very least there is the chance he will learn from past misjudgments. I mean there is enough material.
So why not make this deal? Considering how determined Phoenix seems to be to make some sort of move, Paxson could probably even make the deal without losing Deng. If I were in Paxson’s position right now, I’d give up almost anything short of Rose to make this deal happen. How does an offense based around a Rose-Stoudemire pick and roll game not make the playoffs every year?
Anyone who even casually watches the NBA knows how essential the pick and roll is to an offense, and it’s hard to imagine Rose and Stoudemire not being the next unguardable duo.
The barometer for the impact of any deal is how other teams in the same conference perceive the moves, and you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think that every coach in the East would cringe at the thought of this deal happening for Chicago.
As a basketball fan I would love to see it happen. As a Heat fan, I hope Chicago stays put. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Now that the All Star Game festivities have come to a close, with the West giving the East a Chris Brown-like beating, I thought this would be a good time to ramble on for a few hundred words about the recent trade activity (or lack thereof) in the NBA. Right, where to start? How about with the biggest story coming from the land of the Suns: the Amare Stoudemire situation.
Being the Miami fan that I am, I have to say that upon hearing the news that the O’Neal-Marion swap had finally been made after weeks of conjuncture, my reaction fell somewhere between relieved and what T.I. felt when he found out he could do an MTV show to avoid 30 years in the pen. Since Miami had been rumored to be in the front-running to make a deal involving Beasley and Marion for Amare, I had been terrified that Riley, Mr. Short-Term-Gratification himself, would not be able to resist the possibility of making the team relevant again (in his eyes) with a big-name acquisition.
I have argued this point with a few heat fans recently and my basic premise is this: If the Heat would have made the trade, they would have basically been losing Beasley for a year and a half of Amare, with no guarantee that he would re-sign here anyway.
Would the move sell tickets? Yes.
Would it be completely mortgaging the future for a shaky present? Definitely.
While I am content with the deal Miami made with Toronto I don’t know if I can give Riley too much credit for not pulling the trigger on the Amare deal since many sources close to the situation have said that it ultimately came down to Suns GM Steve Kerr not wanting a reunion with Marion while also wanting the Bull’s Tyrus Thomas more than Michael Beasley. Tyrus Thomas? Really?!
I like Steve Kerr, I really do. I’ve heard him in various interviews and by all accounts he seems to be a fairly levelheaded guy, but that last comment might be a fair reflection of his ability to assess talent.
His assessment of Beasley’s value in relation to Tyrus Thomas’ tells me one thing for certain; some of these GM’s do not watch as much basketball as we think they do. While Beasley’s numbers are far from gaudy (a fairly average 13 and 5), this is more of a reflection of his inconsistent minutes than basketball ability. If you go through his game log, the kid has played his best in the games that matter the most on a personal and team level.
For starters he has outplayed Derrick Rose in both meetings (including his ‘don’t trade me game’ right before the O’neal deal when he put up 21 points and 7 rebounds on 9 for 10 shooting). Then there was the 23 point (10-16 shooting), 5 rebound game in Los Angeles against the Lakers, a game in which he led the team in fourth quarter scoring and almost single-handedly brought the team within striking distance. He also has games of 20 and 8 against the Spurs, 17 and 11 against the Celtics, to name a couple more.
I’m not going to go over every good game he’s had. The point is that when the lights are the brightest, Beasley has the ability to step up and deliver on the biggest stage and in the most important moments.
This mentality is not something you can teach. Combine this with his ambidextrous scoring ability around the basket and his 37 percent shooting from three and you have all the ingredients for a future All Star in this league. Oh, and he just turned 20.
To put it plainly I don’t know how someone like Kerr does not see this, or how a significant portion of the national media mumbles about Beasley being a potential bust. It blows my mind.
While there are definitely weaknesses in his game (I would love to see him finish stronger at the rim and set better screens), I will be shocked if he does not take the next step, if not with Miami then somewhere else. And that was my worst fear in this situation. That Beasley, under-appreciated even by a solid number of Heat fans, would get traded and put up monster numbers elsewhere for the next ten to fifteen years. That’s why I would be fuming if the Stoudemire deal went through.
There is a good chance that in six years when Beasley is Amare’s age, he will be an even better player. Besides, Amare plays less defense than even Beasley does now. Now if we were talking about a Beasley-Bosh deal… Well, let’s just say that would require more consideration. Anyway, at least the Heat and I have made it through year one of the Beasley era. I’ll try not to bring up this whole Beasley issue again. No promises though.
All right, on to other things. Now where were we? The Beasley-snub aside I’m going to put my GM hat on for a second and look at what else the Suns could do with its current unit. Assuming they’re going into full blown demolition mode and are determined to move Amare I don’t see how making a deal with Chicago isn’t the best move for both sides. The Bulls have a plethora of young moveable pieces: Hinrich (expendable now that Rose has bloomed), Luol Deng (proven he is far more Robin than Batman), Tyrus Thomas (Steve Kerr’s apparent love interest), as well as the lesser names (Nocioni, Noah, etc).
Is it just me, or does Stoudemire and Barbosa for Hinrich, Thomas, and Deng make too much sense not to happen?
The Suns get a solid point guard to eventually take the reigns from an aging Nash; an athletic power forward in Thomas to replace Stoudemire; and Deng, a big upgrade over their current small forwards. Chicago would finally get the explosive inside scoring and post presence they’ve always needed as well as be able to team Barbosa and Rose together at the guard positions, giving them by far the fastest backcourt in the league.
Maybe that’s the problem. It is after all a deal between Steve Kerr and John ‘I’m glad I helped this team win championships with my threes, because this GM thing isn’t working out so well’ Paxson.
I’m going to try to be brief here because Paxson’s missteps are worthy of a separate column.
Basically his hesitance towards big trades involving trading away young players (remember the potential Kobe deal that never happened?) as well as general missteps (Ben Wallace, Tyson Chandler, Lamarcus Aldridge anyone?) has led to an under performing, mediocre team. This is without even mentioning that he gave the head-coaching job to an unproven Vinny Del Negro while someone who would have made a lot more sense like Celtics assistant coach and defensive mastermind Tom Thibodeau was left constantly checking his empty voicemail box this past summer. Whoops, guess I mentioned it.
In a way Pax is somewhat bizarro Riley, a GM so concerned about not moving young players with potential that he is willing to bypass Hall of Fame talent. That being said, for someone that has made so many mistakes yet still retains his job, you would hope that at the very least there is the chance he will learn from past misjudgments. I mean there is enough material.
So why not make this deal? Considering how determined Phoenix seems to be to make some sort of move, Paxson could probably even make the deal without losing Deng. If I were in Paxson’s position right now, I’d give up almost anything short of Rose to make this deal happen. How does an offense based around a Rose-Stoudemire pick and roll game not make the playoffs every year?
Anyone who even casually watches the NBA knows how essential the pick and roll is to an offense, and it’s hard to imagine Rose and Stoudemire not being the next unguardable duo.
The barometer for the impact of any deal is how other teams in the same conference perceive the moves, and you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think that every coach in the East would cringe at the thought of this deal happening for Chicago.
As a basketball fan I would love to see it happen. As a Heat fan, I hope Chicago stays put. That should tell you everything you need to know.
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