Monday Morning Mehta 4/17/06

Edition # 158
April 17, 2006

www.mondaymorningmehta.blogspot.com

I really have nothing to say about the Phillies this week after a decent 4-2 week. I only like writing about the Phillies when I'm miserable. So I'll hold off on my comments until next week, when the Phillies are in the middle of a 10 game homestand versus Washington, Florida and Colorado (some really bad teams). An 8-2 homestand shouldn't be out of the question, but winning every series would be acceptable (hence 7-3).

Besides, I'm about 15 minutes away from starting to run in the Boston Marathon. I'm going to beat these Ethiopians and Kenyans that keep winning this thing.

In the meantime, it's NBA & NHL playoff time, and Sura & Wasser will cover those for us as always.

NBA - Derreck Sura

- The Sixers started the week off strong with two nice wins, but followed that up two losses. Philadelphia (37-43) was eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday when Chicago and Washington won. The Sixers face two teams with nothing to play for this week: New Jersey & @Charlotte (back to back). I'd say Philly has a chance to win both games, as long as they bring the intensity from the opening tip.

This is a bitter sweet column for me because it will be the last time I'll be covering the Sixers on a weekly basis for MMM. Before everyone gets in an uproar, I'm not saying I'll never write about Philly ever again. What I'm saying is that my days as some kind of beat writer are over. From now on the Sixers only get mentioned if something note worthy happens with them. Just like every other team in the league.

The explanation for this change is simple, I can't stand to observe Philly play anymore. I mean, I've hated viewing them for the past two seasons, but I finally reached my breaking point this year. I can see why people in the City of Brotherly Love hate the NBA and think it's boring to watch. If had to watch only the Sixers play 80-90% of the time, I'd hate the NBA too.

The reason Philly is terrible to follow can be summed up in two words for me: Allen Iverson. I'm not taking anything away from him as a player. He is a Hall of Famer who possesses credentials that speak for themself. With that out of the way, the guy dominates the ball like no other person in the NBA. I know Kobe Bryant takes more shots, but most of Kobe's attempts come in the flow of the game. By that I mean Bryant doesn't bring the ball up the court, pound the air out of it on the perimeter for 18-20 seconds, and then drive through the lane taking what's only considered a "good shot" for him. Seriously, how many other players would get ripped by everyone with the power of speech for taking the shots AI does on a regular basis? Even when Iverson is getting assists, he's still getting them in the same fashion I mentioned above. Only he's passing the ball out of the lane rather then shooting it.

Allen averages 9.8 makes out of 23.3 attempts per game over his career for an overall field goal shooting percentage of 42.1%. He also averages 6.1 assists and 3.7 turnovers for a career assist/turnover ratio of 1.65. Any way you slice that, it's not a winning formula for a club's best player (and PG) to have those kind of numbers. It's impossible to cultivate the chemistry a winning team needs when your best player (and PG) always plays like that. There's also zero chance that any young players will truly develop in that kind of system. Some don't like this line of thinking, and would rather blame poor decisions by management as the reason AI has never had a decent supporting cast. I'd say that some talent has been there, but none of it can figure out how to play successful ball with Iverson. I'm no supporter of GM Billy King, but too many second fiddles have been through the Sixer organization during AI's reign. Yet we're supposed to believe it's on them when the one constant has always been Allen Iverson? I don't think so.

Which leads me back to my original point. It's just not enjoyable to watch one player dominate the ball year after year after year. I'd like to say to the people of Philadelphia that there is plenty of entertaining NBA basketball out there, just not the Sixers. I hate to say this, but it's probably going to get worse before it gets better too. Sorry.

Since this is my last weekly Philly article, I'm going to lay out my top three "I told ya so's" on the Sixers. When I suggested all three of these to my friends I was either laughed at, blasted, or a combination of the two. Keep in mind, all of these were said BEFORE the fact (MMM can back me up, unless I've already alienated him with this piece).

#1 - Trade Allen Iverson, blow up the team, and start the rebuilding process after Larry Brown left town following the 2002-03 season. Just look at the four bad contracts that would not have been given if my advice was followed. Re-signing Kenny Thomas and Derrick Coleman. Then extending the contracts of Eric Snow and AI himself. All four of those deals were handed out the summer after LB split. Talk about setting the franchise back years. To top it off, every one of those guys except AI was dealt the next season. KT signed on 7/16/03, traded on 2/23/05. DC signed on 8/6/03, traded on 8/4/04. E Snow signed on 10/3/03, traded on 7/20/04. You might ask what the problem is since they were all sent packing? Due to the ridiculous length of those new contracts, the Sixers ended up having to take players back with equally absurd deals. Kevin Ollie (signed through '06-07) for Snow, Corliss Williamson ('06-07) for DC, and Chris Webber ('07-08) for KT. This has led to what you have now in Philly. A capped out mediocre team always trying to tinker around the edges in hopes that will get them over the top. Not gonna happen.

#2 - Do not replace Jim O'Brien with Maurice Cheeks as head coach. When you consider the above scenario, Obie was the perfect fit to get the most out of that mess (which he did by the way). Knowing that I was going to be doing a little write up on this, I decided to ask the man himself about his feelings on the matter during his chat on ESPN.com this week. His answer is better then anything I could've come up with.

Derreck (Veneta, OR): C'mon Jim, I know it's a touchy subject, but do you feel any vindication seeing how the Sixers have performed this year with basically the same roster as you had last season?

Jim O'Brien: I really don't think I needed to feel vindicated. We took a team that won 33 games the year before and won 43 and got them into the playoffs. What is interesting is that Billy King is starting to realize his young players are not as good as he thought they were. When we took over in Philly and he told me of his opinion of all his young players, I did not agree that they were nearly as good as he thought they were. Defense is hurting them badly. We were 11th (44.3%) in field goal defense last year and now they are 22nd (46.3%). It is also interesting to see that the fans have turned their backs on what is happening.

I guess the editors at ESPN.com thought that my question was pretty good, because it was published in the 'Daily Dime' the following day. Check out #10, "Indication of Vindication" to see for yourself. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-060413

#3 - Pull sign and trade deals last summer with free agents Samuel Dalembert, Kyle Korver, and Wille Green before the rest of the league figures them out. Umm, too late. It might still be a little early on this one, but this is the next set of events that set the franchise back years.

Signing Sam D and KK to six year contract extensions is beyond asinine. What has each shown in their career so far to warrant such lengthy deals? Well, KK is a great shooter and Sam D is an above shot blocker. Other then that, those two don't bring much to the table. KK can't defend anyone or create his own shot. Sam D still has terrible hands, no go to move on offense, doesn't always play hard, and has a very low basketball IQ. I'm not saying re-signing either was a terrible idea, but for SIX years each? They are role players for cripes sake, and there is no need to sign role players for anything longer then three years. Was an effort even made to gauge the interest in those two around the league? I doubt it, just like I doubt other teams were lining up to sign KK for six years. I'm sure Sam D would've received that kind of interest, which is exactly why a sign and trade would have made so much sense. Maybe too much.

Philly got real lucky with Green. He too had a six year deal on the table just waiting for his signature. Why, I have no idea? There are 10-15 guys in the CBA and NBDL that can do exactly what Wil G does. Hogwash you say? What did Green ever show when he played? He can score, yes, but is there anything else to his game? He's a gunner that shoots a low percentage from the floor and turns the ball over too much. Remind you of anyone? Alas, Willie tore his left ACL and lateral meniscus in a pickup game a few days before the signing period opened. He ended up signing a two year contract for the pro rated league minimum on 3/23/06. Next year is a player option, so Wil can opt and become a free agent again this summer. Good luck with that buddy.

As for the current bunch of Sixers, they're just not that talented as a whole. I never understood why the public in Philly bought GM Billy King selling the same crap in a different wrapper every year. It's no news flash that the Sixers aren't any good, but what gave people so much hope these past couple of seasons? I don't know, and quite frankly, it's not my issue anymore. I don't expect that BK is going anywhere this off season, even though he deserved to be fired a few years ago. Taking that fact into account, I have two suggestions for Philly to ignore once again. First, do not resign John Salmons. He is another CBA caliber player that has shown nothing in his career. Next, and much more controversial, is trade Allen Iverson and rebuild around Chris Webber and Andre Iguodala.

The reason I say this is because no one in their right mind is taking C-Web off the Sixers' hands until his contract is up. I do understand that BK won't get equal value back for AI, but it's certainly possible to get a decent PG (sorry Kevin Ollie), a young SG or PF, and a pick for Iverson. Before everyone moans and groans about rebuilding that way, let me ask you this, where is Philly headed now? Nowhere, and fast.

I know C-Web is not a #1 option anymore, and never will be again, but I think in the right system (one where a single player doesn't totally dominate the ball) he can still be a quality third option with his passing, rebounding, and jump shooting ability. I truly believe that AI2 has the potential to be a #2 scoring option as well as defensive stopper. I know he hasn't really improved that much since his rookie year, but in a new system (you know by now) where he has plays designed to fit his strengths, he could really explode onto the scene with that added confidence. That leaves the team with no #1 option, but how much worse off will they really be? If they miss the playoffs again, but are more aesthetically pleasing and entertaining, I'd take that as a step in the right direction.

- Since we're on the topic of teams that drive me freaking nuts, let's move on to my new home team the Portland Trail Blazers (21-59). What an ungawdly mess they are right now. First, let's deal with the owner. How Paul Allen got so rich is beyond me. He just doesn't seem like he knows how to run a business. He let former GM Bob Whitsitt run completely wild, which in turn created an atmosphere that the franchise is still paying for it. Trader Bob was allowed to sign anyone he wanted, for anything he wanted, regardless of fit or chemistry. Then Whitsitt went ahead and cornered the market on high school prospects with checkered pasts. So who does Allen bring in to clean up the mess? None other then John Nash. No, not the crazy John Nash from 'A Beautiful Mind' (although he probably would have done a better job), the NBA John Nash that had failed miserably and been fired from every other franchise he worked for. Hey Paul, there was a reason Nash was doing TV work.

Nash's tenure has been nothing short of a disaster. He started off by unloading perennial head aches like Bonzi Wells, Jeff McInnis and Rasheed Wallace, but things went horrible wrong from there. He had what I would consider one of the worst off seasons in the history of the NBA in the summer of 2004. He started off by totally botching the 2004 draft. He took Sebastian Telfair at 13 (bust so far), Viktor Khryapa at 22 (shown some potential), Sergei Monia at 23 (already traded), and Ha Seung-Jin at 46 (a complete joke). So he had four picks and got basically nothing. Then he went on to sign Theo Ratliff through '07-08, Darius Miles through '09-10, and Zach Randolph through '10-11. Meaning he undid all the progress he made in one fell swoop.

Just for good measure, my boy Nash decided to trade the third pick in 2005 for another high schooler in Martell Webster and another PG in Jarrett Jack. Why oh why he did this I'll never know. Two easy moves he should have made besides not resigning Zach, Theo, and Darius. #1, take Al Jefferson instead of Telfair. #2, take Chris Paul with that third pick. The Blazers would have a totally different future, not to mention some semblance of a fan base, if those two simple moves were made.

If the personnel situation wasn't bad enough (and it is), Portland now is losing money hand over fist. You could blame the bad product on the court leading to no fans in the stands leading to less money coming in, but it's actually simpler then that. See, the company that paid for and ran the Rose Garden was is dire financial straights. So what does Paul Allen do? He declares bankruptcy rather then pay interest on the arena debt. Since Allen owned the company that owned the Rose Garden, he made the decision to save some coin in the short term, not taking into account what it would mean long term. What it meant long term was that the Blazers would no longer see ANY revenue from the arena. NONE. Parking, concessions, advertising, seat licensing, you name it, they don't get it. It all goes to the bank that stepped in when he declared bankruptcy. Now you get what I mean about Paul being a bad business man.

Here's my plan to fix the situation long term whether Allen sells the team or not and whether there is a new GM or not. It's nothing we here in Oregon haven't heard before, but this time it actually needs to happen no matter what. Get rid of every bad apple this summer. I don't care what the Blazers get back in return, as long as they take back less total contract years. First, don't even consider offering Voshon Lenard a new contract. Next, don't go crazy trying to resign Joel Przybilla. The "Thrilla" works hard, but is no more then a role playing big man off the bench. 3 year contract offer for him, and no more. Finally, trade Zach, Darius, Sebastian, and Travis Outlaw.

Randolph, even with all his issues and contract, will be seen as a guy who just needs a change of scenery. He is still only 25 and can play with his back to the basket. I think the market for him will be surprisingly strong. Miles will be much tougher to move, but I'm sure he still intrigues some GM out there. Telfair is young (21) and has a very reasonable salary (1.8 million), so there should be no problem dumping him. This is the only one that gives me pause. "Bassy" has shown flashes of potential, and could still be a really good player in a few years, but this is a serious house cleaning and he has to go. Outlaw is still a bit of mystery to me as far as potential goes. He's never really been given regular minutes, but again, he's been a cancer at times, so bye bye.

Portland would need to get back a few SF's and PF's in those deals to fill out their roster. Draft picks and cap relief would be nice, but are not necessary. The Blazers would obviously be terrible next season, but at least they would play hard and listen to coach Nate McMillan (an improvement). This may seem a little crazy until you factor in the final part of my plan. Since Portland would easily be the worst the team in the league again next year if they do what I say. They would also have the most ping pong balls for the lottery. Hence the Blazers would have the best shot at landing Greg Oden. If you don't know who Oden is, he's 7'0, 245 lbs, and headed to Ohio State for year long cameo. I've heard Oden compared to everyone from Bill Russell (shot blocking to teammates) to Shaquille O'Neal (back to the basket inside power game). Seriously. Can't miss franchise big men don't come along very often. Which is why I'm advocating a year long tank job in the Rose City. Remember, Portland is last in home attendance at 14,948 per game, so it's not like anyone will notice.

- Yao Ming was really some playing some fabulous ball after he returned from missing 21 games following his left toe surgery. He was moving around the court the best I had ever seen, and it was showing in his production. Just look at his March numbers: 27.6 points on 52.9% shooting including 11 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 37.7 minutes. He was looking every bit of the best center in the game and was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the final week of March. Then he broke a bone in his left foot on 4/10 when Utah's Mehmet Okur inadvertently kicked him in the side of the foot while battling for position down low. Yao had surgery on Friday
and is expected to miss four to six months while he recovers.

Coach Jeff Van Gundy sounds worried, and rightly so. "I think the bigger concern is he's had a lot of problems with his left foot, and (big players) with foot problems are a concern. He had the ankle surgery on his left foot, the toe surgery on his left foot, now he's broken it. He broke it earlier when he was 19. So to me that's the bigger concern, and that's why it's imperative that he stays in great shape and keeps his weight down throughout his career." While I understand JVG's anxiety, I view this as a good thing for Yao long term. He won't have to play for China in the World Championships this summer. Giving him two straight summers of rest and conditioning. With what I saw from him this year, combined with the rest, I don't think it's a stretch to say Yao will be back better then ever next season.

- Playoff race updates.....

EAST - The top four seeds are locked up, but the rest is up for grabs.

5. Washington (40-40) - Mil & @Det (b2b)
Won the game they needed to on Sunday to clinch. Probably hoping the Pistons rest their starters on the final day of the season.

6. Indiana (39-41) - @Tor, Orl
Already in, but playing like garbage. They need to get something positive going in their last two games.

7. Milwaukee (39-41) - Det & @Wsh (b2b)
Already in, but struggling to find a rotation. Their last game in Washington is going to determine the fate of multiple teams.

8. Chicago (39-41) - @Orl (b2b), Tor
Got a gift from the Heat to clinch, but are still 8-2 in their last ten. With the way the teams above them are
playing, the Bulls can certainly move up.

WEST - The second and third seeds are set, but the rest of the teams are still jockeying for position.

1. San Antonio (61-19) - Uth (b2b), @Hou
Beating the hapless Rockets will be enough to clinch the best record in the West.

4. Dallas (60-21) - LAC
Made a valiant run at the top spot, but injuries probably did them in.

5. Memphis (47-33) - LAC & @Min (b2b)
Their show down Tuesday with the Clips should decide who gets #5.

6. Clippers (46-34) - @Mem & @Dal (b2b)
Do they really want to beat the Griz so they can face the Mavs in the first round?

7. Lakers (44-37) - NO/OKC
I still can't believe they made it. The Hornets will not lay down for them in the final game though.

8. Sacramento (43-38) - Sea

There should be no questions about how good Ron Artest is now. They are going to give their playoff foe all they can handle and more.

Look for my playoff series previews on the website (www.mondaymorningmehta.blogspot.com) before each begins. Then on Monday I'll have my post season awards ballot along with the now famous tap dancing segment.

NHL Week in Review By : Ed Wasser

- This will be short and sweet, the playoffs start this week and I'll be doing series by series reviews so the real work starts next week. I've taken my remote control in to get greased up so I can watch all the series' at once.

- Last Tuesday, LA King winger Luc Robitaille announced his retirement effective after the season. Much more then Wayne Gretzky, Robitaille was the face of the King franchise. Los Angeles is often regarded as a hockey waste land because nobody gives a damn about the team unless they're winning and even then most of the interest is by the hard core fans. It's like Mike Lupica said about the Rangers, "they have 20,000 fans and they go to every game". But Robitaille always loved Los Angeles and he made it a point to tell everyone at his retirement press conference that Los Angeles was his home, it's where he learned how to speak English, where he became a man, where he met his wife, and he'll never leave. Towns like Los Angeles generally never garner that type of loyalty. If the Kings are smart, and history would indicate they aren't, they would put Robitaille in the front office immediately.


- Wanna know who's been getting a free ride in this town? Petr Nedved. The guy has been a ghost since he got here (5 goals in 26 games) but his name is never brought up when you hear about guys playing badly.

And another thing....remember when the Flyers had a crappy start and idiots like Howard Eskin were saying that it doesn't matter and nobody will even remember those games at the end of the season? Well, I remember them. And if the Flyers had won a few of those games they would have been ahead of the Rangers in the standings right now and could have been up there with the Senators and Canes and getting ready to play some stiff team like the Habs or the injury riddled Bolts in the first round of the playoffs. But no, now they'll probably have to play the Rangers or the Devils, two teams that have the Flyers number. EVERY GAME COUNTS!!

- Another crap week for the Flyers. It started with a 4 - 3 win against the lowly Penguins, a game in which they surrendered a 3 - 0 lead to one of the worst teams in the league. Then the Flyers played the Devils in the swamp and came up embarrassingly small. They lost 4 - 1 in a game that Robert Esche played very well, if he hadn't the score would have been 20 - 1. The Flyers beat the Rangers 4 - 1 at home last Saturday and just when you thought the Flyers may grab a little momentum they faced the Devils yesterday and got crushed 5 - 1. The Devils have now won 10 games in a row and are going into the playoffs like an avalanche. The Devils game was a huge game and every weapon was needed but Peter Forsberg decided to sit out because of his groin. Look, the guy is a great player, one of the best ever, but this is getting old. Keep in mind, the guy who is making the decision not to play is Forsberg himself. It's suck it up time Pete!!