HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: The Jeremy Lin world tour continues with much fanfare.
Yesterday, the Harvard alum' crossed-up former first overall pick John Wall, threw down a fierce jam, and hit Knick teammate Tyson Chandler with a chest bump that was more Rucker Park than Ivy League.
Watch the video and tell us if you believe in Lin.
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Odom tried to find an ounce of humor in the sad situation, but the reality is it appears Carlisle is done with the spin, done with the positive reinforcement and maybe even done putting Odom on the floor with nine games left that are so vital to the defending champs' postseason hopes in this strange, strange season. "I can’t read it," Odom said of the immediate future. "It is what it is. What can I do? Coach is always right."
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Lamar Odom became a target the moment he went on TV for something other than basketball.
People fall in love. And Odom fell in love with Khloe Kardashian. But he didn’t have to be part of her reality world, hawking their relationship and various lifestyle products on the ‘E’ network.
Being such a public figure means perhaps he gets more of the blame than he deserves for the Dallas Mavericks’ poor play.
Make no mistake about it, Odom has been disappointing since coming over from the Los Angeles Lakers in a pre-season trade.
But what did Team Cuban expect?
Odom -- when unfocused and uninspired -- is a soft player. There was no way he could do any of things Tyson Chandler did for the Mavericks’ championship run.
Of course, the Mavericks never really wanted Odom. They wanted his contract, which they’ll buy-out at season’s end in order to chase free agent point guard Deron Williams.
Here’s what Odom should do: contact his former brother-in-law Kris Humphries. The Nets’ power forward, after an acrimonious divorce to Kim Kardashian, has kept a low profile, given up on being a second-rate celebrity, and focused on basketball.
Odom should do the same. His career, as a basketball player, depends on it.
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“It was short lived, too bad it couldn’t work out but things happen for a reason. My life has been so crazy the last couple years, as far as issues with my family, as far as going through personal tragedy. And I felt like God was saying, ‘You know what Lamar, I’m going to give you a little time. A little time to step back and soak everything in….”
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Lamar Odom is not Socrates or Dr. Phil, but he was rather introspective when discussing his fall with the Dallas Mavericks.
In case you’ve been living in a cave: the Los Angeles Lakers included Odom in the nixed Chris Paul deal, Odom got mad and demanded a trade, and the purple-and-gold obliged by sending him to the Dallas Mavericks for a paltry trade exception.
Odom was a peculiar fit for the defending world champs’. He was out of shape. He’s also a finesse player and Rick Carlisle’s bunch needed grit to replace Tyson Chandler. And his reality TV relationship with Khloe Kardashian didn’t help matters -even though Mavericks owner Mark Cuban runs the Shark Tank and was an epic failure on Dancing With The Stars.
Then there were the cap implications. The Mavericks only acquired Odom to buy him out at year’s end and use the financial flexibility to chase free agent Deron Williams.
Add it up and Odom struggled miserably in the Lone Star State. Fans booed him. Teammates questioned him. And he had a run-in with Cuban before being told he was on paid vacation.
To be fair, there was much we didn’t know. Odom’s marriage, even if it’s a reality TV spectacle, was stumbling. And his cousin was murdered.
So the forward needed some personal time. Hey we’ve all been there.
Don’t count Odom out, though. He’ll have a few offers this summer and will surely take the Mini-Mid level exception to join one of his two former teams in Los Angeles.
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Does anyone else find it interesting that Tyson Chandler, this year’s recipient of the 2011-12 Defensive Player of the Year award, was only a second team selection on the 2011-12 All-NBA Defensive Team?
Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki is getting fed up with his team because he's now publicly expressing his discontent with the organization.
Hoopsvibe's quick call: Dirk has a point. The Mavericks' management has failed to make any good moves in the past few years.
Any questions ya'll have about my report on D-Howard/Amar'e/Chandler...please listen in to the show NOW! I will NOT keep repeating myself.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s no surprise the Orlando Magic tested the trade waters with the New York Knicks, proposing a Dwight Howard for Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire swap.
The Knicks, who believed they’d contend, have struggled early on. Superstars Carmelo Anthony and Stoudemire aren’t clicking. Coach Mike D’Antoni is on the hot seat. And the Madison Square Gardens masses are restless.
Translation: the Knicks are vulnerable, especially without a wise, veteran executive in the front office to preach patience and/or give D’Antoni a vote of confidence.
Would the Knicks be better with Howard instead of Chandler and Stoudemire?
Well, perhaps. Problem is, they’d still have Carmelo Anthony firing away from the outside and refusing to facilitate for teammates.
Until Anthony’s game becomes more balanced, it won’t matter who the Knicks have at center or power forward.
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This can be discussed even during a lockout. Dirk and the Mavs are still riding high from their hard earned 2011 NBA title. They swept Kobe’s Lakers, beat Durant/Westbrook Thunder, and then took out the Miami Heat. The team is battle tested especially with the grand fail against the Golden State Warriors in the 2007 playoffs. The Mavs lost a lot with a solid roster in the past. They overcame all of that in 2011.What’s next? Repeat. Duh.
The Dallas Mavericks are about to sign a player they've long coveted, reaching terms Saturday on a one-year contract with free-agent forward Yi Jianlian, according to sources with knowledge of the deal.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: I like Yi. I, however, don't like him on the Dallas Mavericks.
The four-man is tall, skilled, and talented, which means he could be a rotation player for most teams.
But the Mavericks are different than most. The world champions do not need another skilled guy like Yi, as they recently added Vince Carter and Lamar Odom.
Here's what they do need: a grimy, blue-collar big to fill part of the void created by Tyson Chandler's departure to the New York Knicks.
Chandler brought an intensity, especially on the defensive end, that took the Mavericks from good to great. He was a one-man zone that solidified the back-end for Coach Rick Carlisle.
That's gone. And since they haven't replaced Chandler, so are the Mavericks' chances of repeating.
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“We look old and slow and out of shape — a bad combination,” said Dirk Nowitzki, who scored 20 points and sat out the entire fourth quarter for a second straight game, yet another indication of how bad things are going. “I still think this team has a lot of potential. But we have to turn the corner.”
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Dirk Nowitzki is right. The Dallas Mavericks are old, slow, and out of shape.
This, however, is not their greatest problem. Their greatest problem is a lack of enthusiasm.
Tyson Chandler, for all his limits on the offensive end, is a terrific defensive player, who anchored and dominated the paint for Rick Carlisle’s squad. J.J. Barea was a spunky scorer, who changed the energy, flow, and feel of every game he played in.
Both were key to the Mavericks winning the NBA Title. And both are gone.
Chandler inked a four year, $58 million pact with the New York Knicks, while Barea accepted the Minnesota Timberwolves multi-year pact for $19 million.
Their replacements: Vince Carter and Lamar Odom.
Carter and Odom are talented, but don’t bring the second effort or consistency that Chandler and Barea did.
For instance, Carter once admitted in an interview that he didn’t always give his all for the Toronto Raptors. Odom seems more interested in his career as a reality TV star than playing basketball.
So getting younger, faster, and in shape is only part of the solution for Dallas. They need true replacements for Chandler and Barea.
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Carter waived Friday by Phoenix so Suns could buy out his $18 mil salary for $4 mil. Mavs quickly into advanced talks w/VC for vet depth.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: I don’t like it.
With the signing of Vince Carter and departure of Tyson Chandler, the world champion Dallas Mavericks have become a softer, perimeter team.
Carter, of course, has underachieved. Too often, he shies away from contact, refuses to do the all-important little things, and settles for low percentage shots.
The Mavericks provide an opportunity for the former All-Star to salvage his career -or what is left of it.
Will he grab the opportunity, though?
Give Chandler his due. Sure, his career had been mixed, but the seven-foot giant gave the Mavericks an inside, defensive presence that was key in winning a championship.
That element, however, is gone. Chandler is a Knick; Carter is on the verge of becoming a Maverick. And the world champions have taken a step back in the Western Conference.
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The Knicks are nearing completion on a deal with Tyson Chandler worth $58 million over four seasons.After their efforts to trade for Chris Paul stalled, sources say the Knicks intensified their efforts to sign Chandler.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: The NBA lockout and shortened season has created a tight window for free agents, so multiple scenarios are in play.
One strong possibility: Tyson Chandler leaves the world champion Dallas Mavericks to sign a multi-year deal with the New York Knicks for between $50-60 million.
Then things would get awfully complicated.
The Knicks would first have to create cap space by waiving/trading point guard Chauncey Billups and/or post Ronny Turiaf. Inking Chandler would provide other options -like using Amar'e Stoudemire as trade bait.
Or, they could keep Stoudemire and partner him with Chandler and Carmelo Anthony. This would, perhaps, be the NBA's premier front-court.
Bottom line: signing Chandler is the first of many changes coming to New York.
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"With the collective bargaining agreement and some of the things that they're trying to enforce, it would basically prohibit me from coming back," Chandler told KESN-FM FM in Dallas. "It would take it out of my hands -- and the organization's -- because it would almost be pretty much impossible for me to re-sign. I just think that can be the worst thing that can happen."
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Tyson Chandler could be a casualty of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The owners’ offer of a low 50% share of Basketball Related Income and a more restrictive system might make it impossible for the Dallas Mavericks to re-sign Chandler, the club’s starting center and a key cog in last year’s success.
Chandler believes it’s unfair the CBA is changing after the Mavericks` championship run, arguing that the Los Angeles Lakers never faced such restrictions.
The timing is unfortunate, but not unfair.
After all, everybody knew there’d be drastic changes after the last CBA expired. And Chandler will still get his money -just not with the Mavericks.
Of course, Chandler could always discount his services and take less if he feels passionately about returning to the Mavericks.
Something, however, tells me this won’t happen.
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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Well, at least we can laugh about the NBA lockout.
NBA players were involved in a funny skit at last night’s ESPY awards, poking fun at their out-of-work status. While the skit works, it only provides a temporary reprieve from the frustrating impasse between players and owners.
Anyway, watch Tyson Chandler, Blake Griffin, and Kevin Love participate in the ESPYs, and get at us with your thoughts on ‘Lockout Professionals’.
--Oly Sandor.
Dwain Price: "He has to be the most scrutinized player of all-time." --Mavs center Tyson Chandler, talking about Bron-Bron on ESPN's Sports Nation.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: It's his fault, though.
Tyson Chandler is right to declare LeBron James the world's most highly scrutinized athlete. However, James, and nobody else, is to blame for this.
After all, The Decision was not a good look. It was an example of how not to handle free agency and what will go wrong when 'your boys' handle your career.
Then there was The Victory Party. After signing James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat threw a pre-emptive championship shindig, complete with all the bells and whistles.
The Three Kings hadn't won a championship. They hadn't even won a game. Such details didn't prevent James from suggesting his Heat would win several championships.
These acts, The Decision and The Victory Party, sealed James' fate. He went from hero to villain faster than any athlete, actor, or musician of recent memory.
James dug his grave. He must now live in it –which means having the masses cheer when his star-studded Heat lose the 2011 NBA Finals to Chandler's Dallas Mavericks.
There's a solution: James leads the Heat to a championship. Hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy would silence most, if not all, of his critics.
Most would begrudgingly forgive James for The Decision and The Victory Party. They wouldn't forget but they'd forgive.
Forgiveness would be the start of James, the world's most scrutinized athlete, rebuilding his image.
--Oly Sandor.
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Whenever the NBA lockout ends and a frenzied free-agency period begins, Chandler and his agent, Jeff Schwartz, know he will have the entire league -- or at least those teams with spending power -- in the palm of his large hand.
"It's a great point in my career, and I'm coming up under free agency and there's a lot of great teams out there, a lot of great opportunities out there, a lot of up-and-building things," Chandler said Tuesday in a phone interview. "So, I mean, I've got to take a look at all that. I've got to take everything into consideration, and the good thing is I'm on a good side. I'm coming off an incredible year, so it's not a situation where it's worrisome."
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Memo to Mark Cuban. Don’t let Tyson Chandler leave your Dallas Mavericks as a free agent. Back up the brinks truck and re-sign him.
Sure, Chandler is raw. Sure, he’s injury prone. But his size, length, and athleticism gave the Mavericks a different dimension from years past.
The end result: they finally won that elusive NBA championship.
So Cuban must check his ego. The renegade owner can’t be stubborn –like when Steve Nash departed as a free agent in 2004.
New Collective Bargaining Agreement or not, Chandler will have offers –lots of offers, in fact. Cuban must authorize GM Donnie Nelson to offer fair value or the lanky five will walk.
And Chandler’s departure would close the door on the Mavericks repeating as champions.
--Oly Sandor.
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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: I like James Harden. I do. However, I disliked his flop in game three of the Western Conference Finals.
For those that missed it: Harden’s face gently grazed Tyson Chandler’s elbow, but he still hit the floor like a member of the Italian national soccer team.
Chandler got a technical. Oklahoma City went to the free throw line.
Two things are worth noting. First, Harden’s ‘performance’ could’ve changed the series. Suppose Chandler already had a technical; something that was not unlikely given his battles with Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins.
Harden’s flop job would have led to Chandler getting ejected, which would have had ramifications on game three and the series.
Second, Stern and the suits at head office should fine and/or suspend players for flopping. Other sports like hockey and soccer punish players for embellishing infractions.
The NBA should do the same, which may deter flopping.
Anyway, watch the video and get at us with thoughts on Harden in the comment box below.
--Oly Sandor.
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Krstic left with 2:18 left in the first half of Thursday's game after landing awkwardly on his right leg. His knee became bent out of shape and he immediately felt the pain. With the help of Celtics trainer Ed Lacerte, Krstic limped off the floor. Krstic will return home to Boston where he will undergo an MRI on Friday.
Now as for the loss to the Spurs, Kobe said, "I'm just pissed." "That doesn't mean you're going to play mad [against New Orleans] does it?" I said with just the right amount of concern. "I don't know," Kobe said. "I've been playing mad as long as you have been writing mad."
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The Los Angeles Lakers don’t need Kobe Bryant pissed off. They do need Andrew Bynum healthy and playing well.
The giant post missed the first two months of the season recovering from knee surgery, and he has struggled to find his form since returning.
Simply put, Bynum, when on his game, makes the Lakers unstoppable. His height (7-1) and wingspan were the difference between winning and losing game-seven of last year’s NBA Finals against the Celtics.
Well, imitation is the greatest form of flattery, as several teams added size to battle Bynum in the playoffs. The Boston Celtics signed Jermaine and Shaquille O’Neal; the Dallas Mavericks traded for Tyson Chandler and re-upped with Brendan Haywood; the San Antonio Spurs brought Tiago Splitter from Europe and developed the powerful DeJuan Blair.
Of course, Bryant will be better than yesterday’s game against the Spurs, where he missed 13 straight shots.
However, the purple-and-gold needs a healthy Bynum, not a pissed off Bryant, to win their third consecutive championship.
--Oly Sandor.
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While executives with the Raptors or the Charlotte Bobcats have yet to confirm the trade, multiple media outlets and even some of the players involved have said Toronto is putting together a multi-team deal that will see last year’s free agent signee-turned-disappoinment Hedo Turkoglu sent to the Phoenix Suns while Jose Calderon will be sent to the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Raptors would get guard Leandro Barbosa from the Suns, along with a traded player exception worth $2.7-million (all currency U.S.), while Charlotte is sending both Boris Diaw and center Tyson Chandler to Toronto.
HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo is making moves like he’s on a home makeover show.
Except he’s changing centers, forwards, and guards. Not blinds, wall colors, and furniture.
In one week, Colangelo remodelled a Raptor squad that missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2010, and made a habit of imploding down the stretch.
Out is superstar Chris Bosh, 2009 free agent prize Hedo Turkoglu, and platoon point guard Jose Calderon; in are former Sixth Man of the Year Leandro Barbosa, defensive stud Tyson Chandler, and former Most Improved Player of the Year Boris Diaw.
Colangelo also drafted power forward Ed Davis, re-signed Amir Johnson, and tendered an offer to restricted free agent Linas Kleiza.
How the new parts fit together is unknown. However, the Raptors have improved in three areas: defense, attitude, and cap flexibility.
Chandler, Davis, and Johnson instantly add a get-stops attitude. Of course, this is also an addition by subtraction situation; Calderon is the NBA’s worst defensive point guard.
With better interior defenders, the skilled Andrea Bargnani can slide from centre to power forward, his natural position. This will help the Italian on both ends of the floor.
Turkoglu was a problem all year. He arrived out of shape, underperformed, and spent too much time socializing before requesting a trade. And now he`s gone.
Meanwhile, Bosh gave his all and, with the exception of the last ten days, behaved like a professional. However, the losing took a toll. He and the club both needed a change.
Best of all, the Raptors gained cap space. For instance, Turkgolu has four years and $40 million remaining on his deal, while Calderon is on the books for three years and over $30 million.
Coming back is Chandler’s expiring pact for $12 million, while Barbosa and Diaw each have two-year contracts for a combined $32 million. This financial flexibility can be used to sign free agents or retain in-house talent.
Toronto will certainly be different in 2011. But will Colangelo’s latest remodel job and improvements lead to more wins and a post-season birth in a revamped E»astern Conference?
-- Oly Sandor.
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We knew a few veteran players with big contracts and opt-out clauses would be entering free agency this July in order to avoid relying on the power of the union in its collective bargaining negotiations over the next year. Despite that, a few opt-out declarations have come as surprises.
Count Bobcats center Tyson Chandler among them. Chandler, a 27-year-old scheduled to make $12.6 million next season, is strongly considering opting out of his deal, reports ESPN's Chad Ford.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Only a tier-one, creme de la creme player should opt-out, leave eight-figures on the table, and become a free agent.
Translation: unless you're Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, or LeBron James, stay put. Average players - sorry, but that's you Chandler - should enjoy the obscene contract they signed when times were good in the NBA because the free agent landscape has changed.
For the most part, free agency now favors the buyer. Teams dictate money. Teams dictate term. And average players no longer command obscene, Enron-inflated contracts.
Chandler, an injury-prone center, won't get the money or a security he covets in free agency. His best option: not opting out and staying another year in Charlotte.
Should Chandler opt-out or stay with the Bobcats?