Where Priorities Lie

So this week we saw two events happen in the NBA, the trade deadline and the first openly gay player played a game in the NBA. Now one of these events got a lot of attention while the other went by relatively unnoticed. The sad thing about this is that  the lack of movement at the deadline went relatively untalked about for the most part, while the Jason Collins isuue got lots of attention.

Now not to say that the first openly gay player in one of America's 4 major sports isn't news, but it didn't need the attention that it received. It got much discussion because it is perceived as a controversial topic, but the real truth is that it is a controversial topic in all of America, so my question then is why does this get so much air time on sports media outlets while real sports topics go in talked about? I don't see everyone talking about how many players do other things that betray the morals we hold to, but the second a controversial moral topic arises the media pounces on it. This is really a non - story other than the fact it is being media driven. If we are going to address moral issues on sports media, then let's discuss in as much depth all of the crimes committed by athletes, the sexual immorality, and the laundry list of other topics that could be addressed.

I know this will never happen, but since when did all of the sports media start thinking it was their responsibility to report on every controversial or even non - controversial human interest piece? I just find this frustrating when I want to turn on a sports station and hear them actually talk about sports. This is what happened to the NBA trade deadline, it got overshadowed by other human interest pieces and left us with relatively no in depth discussion as to why the trades that happened took place and why more movement didn't occur. 

Now on the topic of the NBA trade deadline, yet again there was a complete lack of movement at the deadline. Many teams that should have made moves didn't make, and most of the moves that did take place were very insignificant. The most notable trade that occurred was Evan Turner being traded from the 76ers to the Pacers for Danny Granger. This is a far cry from what the deadline used to offer us as fans. Now this isn't to say that teams should make trades just for the sake of making trades, but there were a lot more teams that should have been moving much bigger pieces. Names like Rondo,Gasol, Monroe, and Carmelo were floated out there as trade candidates and some as actual trade bait, but as fans we were disappointed to see no movement or real buzz on those fronts. 

Well, I guess there is always next year for the trade deadline, and the offseason. One thing is for sure, the sports media outlets need to make more fuss about actual sports stories like this as opposed to reporting the human interest pieces most true sports fans turn the channel from.

As always, leave me your feedback on this week's blog, and don't be shy from getting into some lively debate. Check me out on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Hardwood_Heroes) and join my Facebook fan page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hardwood-Heroes/600694813318335) as well. Also, if you want to check out some of the Jason Collins stuff for yourself, if you haven't heard enough already, you can check it out here http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/66182/collins-extraordinary-day-ordinary-game.

Unproven Winners

The Problem

The NBA and NCAA are doing this little dance right now that is beneficial to no one, not even the fans. That little dance is in regards to the one and done players that clutter the NCAA. It is easy to see why it is such a negative for the NCAA, and if you really think about it is pretty obvious how it affects the NBA. So what the aim is today is to discuss the problems it is causing at both levels and then look at some of the possible fixes.

The NCAA has become the minor league for the NBA. Forget about the Development League (and most people have), the way the NCAA is promoted and hyped the D-League can’t compete.  That being said, the quality of basketball at top name schools has been dropping off and the landscape of college basketball is becoming more of a level playing field. Many people may think this is good for the game, but in all actuality I think the overall level of the college game has gone down because of no continuity from one year to the next. Now obviously players gradate, but at the top tier schools you are seeing less and less of their recruited students leaving after one or two years. Coach K tried his best to avoid the one-and-done players, but after several bad NCAA tournament appearances in the past few years (including one season that saw 2-seed Duke lose to a 15-seed in the first round), even coach K had to recruit a one-and-done. So again, while the NCAA level may seem more competitive, it is falling prey to poorer quality of play.

The NBA’s problem is much bigger, because it is one thing for colleges to borrow/use players for one year; it’s another for a pro team to base multi-million dollar future decisions based on seeing a player play at the prior level for only one year or two. Why do you think so many draft picks have not panned out since the one-and-done phenomenon has started. Not only have so many picks started to not pan out, but many of the top picks have not panned out.  This is a big problem plaguing the league because bad teams getting high picks that don’t pan out just means they stay bad which results in not being able to attract good free agents. But again, the main problem is not getting a good sense of what a college player will be at the NBA level because they don’t have a good enough sample-size.

The Solutions

The first solution is to change the mandate placed on graduating high school athletes. In my opinion, it makes more sense for the NBA to let these athletes get some experience at that level, but it also lets these young players develop as athletes and men. This will also help them establish a reputation and a resume for professional teams to evaluate them on, which will lead to less bad picks at the top of the draft.  Also, by either extending the time these players have to stay in college or eliminating the restrictions altogether, the NCAA level will also see a boost in its level of play due to more continuity amongst their rosters.

The second solution is for players to go overseas if they wish to forego the college route. Brandon Jennings chose to do this and it seems to have worked out for him. There is no telling whether going the college route would have done him any differently, but by going overseas he was able to get a contract right away and build a resume based on playing against players in a notable, albeit foreign, professional team. This avenue would allow players to earn money instead of “paying for free at college. The major downside to this is that many players from foreign countries and foreign leagues are very unpredictable as to how their particular style and play and skills will translate at the NBA level. It seems to be a 50/50 shot whether player will pan out or not.

The final solution would be to revert to the former system and eliminate the minimum college restriction. The NBA has seen many talented players take this avenue and become superstars; Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James just to name a few. However, the league has seen more busts or underwhelming players come to the league this way.  So again we are looking at the same dilemma as the foreign players, but in some regards worse; at least the foreign players know what it is like to go through the rigors of a professional schedule, whereas freshly graduated high schoolers may not be mature enough to handle what is waiting in just a few short months.

Really, all of these choices have their pros and cons, but hopefully after taking some time to think about it we can all agree that both levels of the game would benefit from change. Not only that, but the fans who pour so much time into watching be rewarded by the change as well.  

The Coaching Carousel Continues

So, the Pistons fired there coach again. What does that make it 15 coaches since they last won a championship? No, actually it is has just been 5 since then. Well, it must have been 15 to 20 years since they last won. Wrong again, it has been less than 10 and 1 of those years was with the coach that won the championship. So really, we are looking at 6 coaches in less than 10 years.

And yet, I don’t think that is the real problem with the team. You might be reading this and wondering, well then what is it? The real problem lies with the front office. By saying that, I’m not putting all the blame on Joe Dumars (the president and GM), the blame lies with the former ownership and the resent ownership group. Having sai that, most of the blame does rest with Joe Dumars.  So let’s take a look at why that is, and what blame lies elsewhere.

First let’s start with the ownership. When the Pistons were doing well and chugging right along, the ownership was strong and involved.  Mr. Davidson was a very good team owner and was justly rewarded. But when he became ill and eventually passed away, decision making and the team stalled. Joe Dumars became a lame duck GM and took much unfair criticism as a result. He wasn't allowed to make decisions that could affect the team’s long term goals in a positive way.

When the team was sold to Tom Gores, and his ownership group, they retained Joe Dumars are many of the same assumptions, but he still didn’t seem have the same level of empowerment of endorsement he had when Mr. Davidson owned the team.  Not only had Joe Dumars made coaching decisions, but it is widely accepted that Lawrence Frank was hired because that is who Tom Gores wanted.  So it’s not just the coaches that Dumars hires that fail.

The lowest common denominator is Joe Dumars, and that cannot be disputed. But I don’t want to just continue the same banter that other people always spout on about. Instead, I want to take a little bit different approach to the subject.

In my opinion, it all goes back to the draft. I know I know, queue the “old bit siren”. But it’s true, and not in the way that everyone thinks.  In my opinion, it comes back to player development. It is one thing to pick “bad” player after “bad player”, it’s another to not develop anyone out of the bunch. And before you say “well what about Andre Drummond?” I would argue that 1. He hasn’t been developed yet and that is partially due to time and 2. He fell into Joe’s lap and should have been fired on the spot for not taking him.  I dare to you to read this and think of someone that really developed. Tayshaun Prince is the closest thing that you will find in your search.  I know hinsight is 20/20, but some of these things everyone could see coming.

I won’t even blame Dumars for the Darko pick. So many “experts” and draft gurus were saying it was the right choice, and he seemed like a sure thing. He wasn’t who I would have taken, but I understand why he did what he did. My problem really lies with trying to be the smartest guy in the room, being seemingly lazy with draft prep, and not developing the talent you draft.

The worst seemed to be this years’ draft because it included most of those problems just mentioned. The pistons seem to finally be in good shape with bad contacts coming off the books after this season and what does he do? Joe goes and signs/gets two more bad contracts. He signs Josh Smith to a contact no one else was willing to give him and puts him in a role that isn't conducive to team success. And he trades Brandon Knight and others to acquire Brandon Jennings. Normally I would be all for that trade, but you pass on Trey Burke to do that? Again, it’s trying to be the smartest guy in the room by making that trade, passing on a good talent, and taking an unknown in KCP (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope).

All of that being said, the worst part has been the atmosphere of losing and its tolerance. Players have been left to do what they will, while coaches are continuously fired for not being able to control them. Well no kidding Joe, you’re the one signing and drafting these guys, and then re-signing them. A losing culture had been accepted and tolerated for too long and it has corrupted the locker room.  It really is time for a new voice at the top, hiring the right coach, bringing in the right players, and as a result changing the overall tenor of the organization.

Let Them Play

This week I want to discuss one of the biggest problems facing the game right now, at both the professional and collegiate levels.  This problem is officiating. Now I know what everyone is thinking,  “here we go, just another guy ranting and raving about poor officiating, can’t he be more original”? But the truth is, I don’t think the officials are the problem; instead I believe it is the way that they are being instructed to call the game, how often and to the extent by which the rules are constantly being changed, and also the disadvantage of everyone now having access to all sorts of replays and enhanced pictures. So sorry to disappoint some people, but hopefully this article comes as a bit of refreshment when talking about the subject and a little bit of a new perspective.

I was recently trying to watch a game and became so frustrated I changed the channel to another game hoping the problem with the first was just limited to the officiating in that game, but to my dismay, he next game was just as bad. IT wasn’t just limited to the games of this one weekend either, almost every game I have watched this season has been just as bad. The problem I’m finding is that there is no flow to a game because there is a foul being called every other time down the court. It is getting to the point where I don’t even know what a foul is any more. I grew up watching the “going to work” Pistons of the early 2000s, this was a team that prided itself on playing great team defense and won a title because of that focus. The way the game is being called today that team may have never made the playoffs because they would have been called for a foul just for playing good defense. Now I am all for highlight offense and watching guys light up the scoreboard, but I am a true basketball fan which means being a fan of both sides of the ball.

I know that the league is more popular than ever and more global than ever, but I think the NBA in particular is cheapening itself by putting such a terrible product out there for fans and casual viewers. By having the game called this way they are opening themselves up to lots of new viewers because it seems exciting and more appealing, but to the “basketball elite” or other longtime fans, this isn’t the real game of basketball anymore.

The second thing plaguing the NBA and college level, is that rules are constantly being changed or enforced differently. As already mentioned, fouls are getting to the point of being ridiculously called, both the frequency and what is being defined as a foul. This is really hurting the college game. This year the NCAA is calling a lot more of the handcheck fouls, and it is bordering on unconscionable the extent to which they are doing it. There was no easing into this either, the rules/enforcement committee demanded that  referees call more of these fouls or at least enforce them more tightly. This seems to move the game to a more NBA style of calling.

Along those lines is the amount of “And 1” calls being made, or what is being defined as continuation. It wasn’t too long ago that a foul on the shot was truly a foul that occurred on the shot. Now, a guy can take one dribble at half court get fouled at the 3-point line and finish at the basket then head to the line for a free-throw. What? Yes, I said he gets a free throw for being able to pick the ball up after the wind blowing on him, take 3 steps, and then make an uncontested layup. This may be a slight over exaggeration (but in all reality, not by much), but the principle here is that the rules have changed so drastically from their original intentions that the rules may as well be rewritten.

BLOW YOUR MIND WARNING: next time you watch a game pay close attention to players when they catch the ball, particularly outside the three-point line. Now, what you are looking for is the excessive amount of travelling that occurs when they receive the ball, pivot/whatever else they do when they catch it, and then come to a stop before moving again. I guarantee you will see a handful or more travels per game.