Bobcats Winning at Losing

It's been that kind of season
for Bobcats coach Paul Silas (AP Photo).

The Charlotte Bobcats are working on a historic season, but for all the wrong reasons.

Owner Michael Jordan might want to consider renaming the franchise the Bob-Kitties, because Charlotte's failures are reaching epic proportions.

With a 15-point loss on Leap Day, the Bobcats now only trail the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers for worst win-loss percentage in a single season. The Sixers historic 9-73 season (.110 winning percentage) is in jeopardy of falling.

That only tells a part of how bad Charlotte has been. This team has not been competitive at all.

The Bobcats have lost 10 game by at least 20 points, and just one team, 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks, had a worse margin of victory.

Charlotte has the second to worst defense in the league, and its offense is worse, averaging just 86 points per game. Its three leading point scorers have a total two full NBA seasons under their belts. That offers a glimmer of hope for the future, but not the present.

In the meantime, this team does not have to try hard to go for the gold and become the worst team ever. At least that would be something.

Once you hit rock bottom, there is certainly no place to go but up.

You've Gotta Root for Dallas Now

There's an old sports cliche that says it's not over until the final whistle or horn.

Apparently, that doesn't hold true when it comes to planning a victory parade.

A company in south Florida is already soliciting workers for a Miami Heat victory parade via Craigslist.

That's right. The unnamed company wants people to sell Heat Championship gear during the parade IF AND WHEN it happens.

While it's doubtful the group has any ties to the team, it seems ill-advised to start advertising for something that may or may not happen. Last time I checked you have to win four games for a title, not two.

Still, the company deserves some credit for creatively borrowing from its new Heat hero, "WE NEED YOU--NBA CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE. TAKE YOU TALENTS TO SOUTH BEACH."

An eternity ago in sports years, the City of Dallas prematurely released a map of the Mavs victory parade route in 2006. That didn't pan out too well.

Even if you don't care for the NBA, you've gotta root for the Mavs now, even if it's just so you can smile at some real life irony.

LBJ not the heir to "His Airness"

There's "The Shot," "The Drive," "The Fumble" and now "The Decision" or is it "The Betrayal"?

Cleveland sports fans probably feel betrayed since Akron's own LeBron James announced he's moving to South Beach during a ridiculous TV spectacle Thursday.

In joining fellow stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, LeBron creates a mega-buzz. But his move to Miami removes the doubt in my mind that LeBron will never measure up to his idol, Michael Jordan.

The NBA above all other professional leagues measures greatness by rings. Russell, Jordan, Magic all greats, all won multiple titles. But they were also unquestionably the guy.

Which is why LeBron's move is a head scratcher.

James said "it's the best opportunity to win and to win now and to win in the future also. Winning is a huge thing for me." But he's going to Wade's town, where Dwayne Wade is the guy. Basically, James is choosing to play the role of second fiddle, a Scottie Pippen type to Wade's Jordan.

"The Decision" to join the Heat, is why I hesitate to even including him in the same breath as "His Airness".

Jordan was super-competitive. He had to be the guy. And in this situation, I think Jordan would have wanted to go head-to-head with Wade and run him out of the gym, not share the gym.

Killer instinct. Jordan had it, Kobe Bryant has it, and LeBron... well it's not clear it's there.

Without a doubt, LeBron is one of the premiere players in the NBA and his legacy depends on rings.

He had a great chance to win in Jordan's town, and be embraced by Bulls fans after years of losing.

He could have stayed home and become an immortal hero in Cleveland, but instead he chose to share the spotlight.

LeBron may have worn No. 23, but he's no "Airness." Not even close at this point.

Now as we move forward, the question becomes can you even make the Finals with LeBron, Wade, Bosh and a bunch of minimum-salary guys?

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More LeBron Coverage:

James Inflicts Endless Pain - Terry Pluto, Cleveland Plain Dealer

Easy Come, Easy for LeBron - Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports

LeBron Better Win Titles - Jay Mariotti, Fanhouse

Decision Disastrous for Knicks - Chris Sheridan, ESPN.com NY

Measuring the NBA post-"Decision" - DJ Gallo, ESPN Page 2

A Sonics victory 2 years too late

From the files of under-reported stories, Seattle SuperSonic fans scored a minor victory last week.

The robber baron owners of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Clay Bennett & Co., agreed to pay former Sonics season-ticket holders $1.6 million to essentially go away.

It's now awaiting approval from a federal judge.

Basically, 1,000 former Sonic ticket-holders filed a class-action lawsuit alleging when the team was ripped from the Emerald City and moved to Oklahoma, they reneged a deal to let them renew their tickets at 2006-07 prices through 2010.

The fans argued if they were allowed to transfer tickets to OKC's Ford Center, they could have resold them at higher prices.

Two years after the Sonic fans had their collective hearts crushed, they finally got something. But that's going to be the last basketball-related win for a while.

Even with five or six potential NBA franchises available for sale (Memphis with prior Northwest ties included) Seattle doesn't show up as a blip for a new franchise.

It's a simple reason why. Seattle does not have a modernized arena paid for by taxpayers, and there is no political will to devote public money to such a project.

Enjoy the tiny win Seattle, and get ready, Spring Training starts soon.

Raise the Age Limit

The draft declaration for the NBA is not a celebrated sports holiday, mainly due to people watching their alma mater college rosters crumble as players defect to the pros chasing millions of dollars.

This year’s deadline just passed and the group is no different. High profile entries include K-State’s Michael Beasley, Memphis’ Derrick Rose, USC’s O.J. Mayo, Stanford’s Lopez twins and D.J Augustin of Texas.

However, if it were up to Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban all of these athletes wouldn't have a chance to be drafted this year. Cuban wants to raise the age limit to enter the NBA to 22 or when a respective player’s class graduates from college.

Cuban takes this simplistic approach. He writes “If a kid is NBA ready to play at 18 or 19, he will be NBA ready at 22. They don't forget how to play basketball and they don't get worse. What does change considerably between the ages of 18 and 22 is the maturity level of the kids.”

I haven’t agreed with Cuban on a lot recently, especially the Mavs trade for Jason Kidd. But on this topic Cuban just makes sense.

Fundamentals in NBA have been slowly declining for a number of years, although things are slightly improving. That’s in part to the reduction of early entries in the NBA draft from high school. At 6 feet, 8 inches playing basketball in high school athletes don’t need great skills. But fundamentals set winners and losers apart when comparable athletic ability is paired.

To maintain the integrity of the game, the NBA should adopt Cuban’s age philosophy with a twist. Increasing the age limit moderately to 20-years and using the NBA Developmental League as a minor league system would dramatically improve the quality of rookies at the highest level.

NBA franchises should be allowed to draft the rights to kids coming straight out of high school, but those athletes could not join their pro team until they spent two years in the “minors.” The other option is let students go to college as amateurs for two years and then think about coming out.

Looking at baseball as a model, the minor league system works. The NBA should follow Cuban’s lead and raise its minimum age limit yet again.

Desperate in Dallas

Never mind the fact that forward Dirk Nowitzki may be finished for the season after crumpling to the floor with a high ankle sprain. Never mind the fact the Mavs can’t seem to buy a win against teams with a .500 record or better, Dallas has bigger problems.

First, owner Mark Cuban mortgaged their future to bring in aging-star Jason Kidd in a keeping up with the Joneses West Conference deadline deal. More vital to the team’s success is getting Kidd and teammate Josh Howard on the same page. Since the trade the two have looked like characters in separate novels.

The team chemistry between the future Hall of Famer and the slashing small forward doesn't exist. In their first 11 games together, Howard has averaged nearly 15.5 points per game, roughly four points under his season average and has been shooting over 6 percent worse from the floor.

Their two respective styles should have meshed. Kidd has superior court vision and a knack for passing while Howard is at his best heading toward the hoop. Coach Avery Johnson has not shown much concern saying the two will click.

But for Dallas fans and for Johnson’s sake, they better click quickly or the Mavericks could be watching the playoffs from home, an unfathomable thought at the start of the season.

Northwest hoops hysteria

It’s great a time to be a hoops fan in the Northwest.

On Monday night, Gonzaga thumped Santa Clara clinching their eighth consecutive West Coast Conference title. In the opening five minutes GU harassed Santa Clara and jumped out to a 12-0 lead. It only got uglier from there. The Zags continued an unprecedented string of dominance, now having won 10 of the past 11 WCC titles. Holding rankings in both top 25 polls, the Zags are getting primed for yet another NCAA tournament run.

Just 90 miles south in Pullman, typical Pac-10 doormat Washington State is almost a lock for its second-consecutive NCAA bid. The Cougars hit a rough patch in late January dropping four of five games, but bounced back winning four in a row. A disappointing loss at No. 8 Stanford over the weekend wasn’t a bad thing. Guards Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low will lead the stingy Cougs into March again. It’s a surprise, considering the recruiting mecca the Palouse is.

And yes, even Idaho Vandal fans have reason to smile. Not only has the men’s team doubled its win total from a year ago (four to eight), but the team boasts a two-game win streak heading into their regular season finale. Also, former Vandal women’s star Leilani Mitchell is thriving in her new home in Salt Lake. Mitchell transferred to Utah after her high school and Idaho assistant and her two high school teammates left. The 5-foot-5 guard is fifth in the nation in assists per game (7.2) and paces the No. 15 Utes. Mitchell is garnering national attention, first by SI’s Kelli Anderson and then by ESPN’s Graham Hays. Great to see her playing well and getting credit where credit is do.

Unfortunately, there’s little solace to be found in Seattle. However, ESPN’s Bill Simmons did a fantastic job accumulated nearly 15,000 words of anguished e-mails from Sonics fans finally giving a voice and national publicity to the pending departure of Seattle’s beloved NBA franchise.

Simmons writes “…This isn't a case that you can say, ‘You know, I kind of understand both sides here.’ There is only one side. An NBA team is getting hijacked and there's no way of sugarcoating it, defending it or justifying it. Again, if it happens to the Sonics, it could happen to your team. That’s why you should care.” And that’s why you should read on.

Now, Simmons published a sequel to his "Save The Sonics" piece, including a possible solution David Stern could facilitate – “assuming he cares at all about not murdering the Sonics in Seattle.” That is eerily familiar to another solution brought to light here.

In parting, ESPN’s Jim Caple takes a humorous shot at David Stern and his passive approach to keep Seattle a viable NBA market in this biting piece, which I highly recommend.

Blogger’s Note: How could I leave out my Alma mater. That’s right the Whitworth men’s basketball team, champions of the Northwest Conference, earned a first round bye in the NCAA Division III Tournament. That was a truly shocking development, due to a recent number of snubs by the NCAA for past brilliance. Can someone say make-up call? Anyway, the best of luck to them, go Pirates!

Dumb or Dumber

A flurry of big trades occurred in the NBA right as the trade deadline came to pass. After the LA Lakers successfully trade, Dallas and Phoenix attempted to keep up with the Joneses in a Western Conference arms race.

Kidd returns “home”

The Dallas Mavericks brought back their former No. 2 overall pick, All-star point guard Jason Kidd. Obviously, Kidd has a lot of upside. He’s got great court vision, is a tremendous passer and allows Jason Terry to finally settle into his natural position at shooting guard. Kidd also matches up better with most of the West’s elite guards (Parker, Nash, Paul, Williams, Davis).

However, Devin Harris (now with the Nets) arguably kept up with Spurs point guard Tony Parker better than anyone the past two years. For Dallas, it’s time worries should stem beyond San Antonio. The Mavericks know best that it’s no longer a given that top seeds make it out of the first-round of the playoffs. So was this trade dumb? Maybe, Dallas did give up a lot. But this team, above all others, needed a shake up heading toward the playoffs. Kidd will give the Mavs a chance to win now, but his value will be more as passer than as an aging jump shooter.

The valley of Shaq

The Phoenix Suns made the boldest trade deadline move, shipping Shawn Marion to Miami for injuring-riddle Super-star Shaquille O’Neal. The true brilliance or folly of this move will not fully be determined until the postseason. What the Suns did was give up on their small ball style to address their proceived lack of frontcourt prowess. Shaq is a formidable defender in the post and if healthy can match San Antonio’s Tim Duncan or LA’s Andrew Bynum /Pau Gasol stride-for-stride. Why O’Neal brings confidence to locker room, one question remains. Will Shaq’s presence create an identity crisis in Phoenix that’s too much to overcome? By far, this was the dumber move. But the overall outcome is still pending.

Finally, I want to leave you with post NBA deadline rumor from SI.com’s Fan Nation. Something to ponder…


NBA execs question Sonics trades
Posted: Friday February 22, 2008 06:09AM ET
In a three-way trade with the Bulls and Cavaliers, the SuperSonics got just the expiring contracts of Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall and Adrian Griffin in a deal that raises questions after Seattle moved Kurt Thomas to the Spurs earlier this week. The feeling among several league executives is new Seattle general manager Sam Presti, who got his current job after working for the Spurs under current Cavs general manager Danny Ferry, is paying off debts by trying to help the Spurs and Cavs.
Chicago Tribune

Blogger’s Note: Dallas was 3-1 since the addition of Jason Kidd at the time of this post. Phoenix was 2-2 since addition of Shaq, including a 30-point drubbing by the Detroit Pistons.

Bon-a-fide contender

The NBA’s Western Conference is crowded with elite teams. Phoenix, Dallas and defending champion San Antonio are all challenging for the top spot in the conference with upstart New Orleans in the mix. There are 10 teams fighting for eight playoff spots, separate by six games or less.

On Friday, a traditional Western power inched closer toward elite status. The Los Angeles Lakers acquired former All-Star Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010.

Gasol offers the Lakers a crutch in the post while budding center Andrew Bynum recovers from a knee injury. The Spaniard is an underrated 20-10 forward that will help the Lakers immediately. While he may be a touch soft, Pau’s been incredibly consistent. The trade is a win-win for LA. They gained an All-Star and dumped the cantankerous Kwame Brown.

Some analysts are questioning if Gasol can withstand the pressure in LA. But who really cares if Gasol was 0-for-12 in the postseason with Memphis? He carried the Grizzlies to the postseason several times!

For Memphis, this trade essentially means the organization is waving the white flag. They’re already playing for a lottery pick and they just added a second first-round pick in the upcoming draft. The Griz can continue to develop their younger talent in Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley Jr. The most crucial outcome for Memphis in dumping Gasol is financial relief. With loads of cap room to work with, Memphis is bound to be a player in next summer’s free agent market.

The LA Lakers just secured their position as the fourth-best team in the Western Conference. Suddenly, they look a genuine threat entering the second-half of the season.