Author: maggiepilloton

NBA Owners, Players Reach Tentative Deal

This morning, NBA owners and players reached a tentative agreement, ending the 149-day lockout. The season will include 66 games beginning on December 25th with training camp and the free agency period beginning December 9th. Both sides met earlier in the week and then decided to have another meeting on Friday, which lasted for 15 hours. The new agreement would allow players to receive between a 49-51 BRI. If there are no significant schedule changes, fans will be able to see a thrilling triple-header on Christmas Day/Opening Day. The 2011-2012 season will open with the Boston Celtics playing the New York Knicks in New York, then the Miami Heat returning to Dallas to play the reigning NBA champions Dallas Mavericks, and then, lastly, the Bulls will play the Lakers at Staples Center.

Before this deal can become official, both the owners and players need to ratify this deal. The owners of 15 of 29 teams (the NBA owns the New Orleans Hornets, which would be the 30th team) need to approve the deal. For the players, the union needs a majority out of the 430-plus members to approve the deal. This becomes a little tricky, since the players dissolved the union on November 14th. The players will need to re-form the union and drop the anti-trust lawsuit against the owners before the agreement can be voted upon. A lot has to be done before a vote can be taken, but hopefully this will all be done within a timely manner.

Many players showed their excitement about the end of the lockout today on Twitter. Anthony Tolliver, who has been quite active in the lockout negotiations, tweeted, “Shoutout to the haters that kept tryna convince us to take a bad deal lol…this is not a GREAT deal but good enough to play. #iSTILLloveya.” Lebron James tweeted, “Man I just got up not to long ago and see we have a deal! I feel like my kids on X-mas day! So juiced!! Excited for the fans that stayed patient with us! #NBAlove.” David Lee tweeted, “GREAT TO BE BACK!!! Thanks to all the fans that were patient! Can’t wait to get back to the Bay and continue my preparations! #greatday.” It seems as if the majority of the players’ union will vote for the new agreement just so they can play basketball again. It would be in the owners’ and players’ best interest to vote as soon as possible and get the season started immediately. This lockout has gone on long enough, and it’s time for it to finally end.

The Warriors’ To-Do List

When and if this lockout finally ends, the Warriors are going to have a lot of preparation and re-structuring to do. First of all, the players will have a rookie coach, Mark Jackson, and a whole new system to learn in a matter of a few weeks. There will be a period after the lockout ends that will serve as “training camp,” but with a new coach, this team really needed a full summer to work out together and learn the new system. Time will be severely limited, and chemistry could become an issue. The rotation isn’t set at all and this particular Warriors team is so young to begin with that the bench is naturally very weak. The Warriors have to address some key issues once this lockout is over.

Mark Jackson

No one knows what new provisions the new collective bargaining agreement will have and how much the new salary cap will be. Therefore, we can’t fully examine the Warriors’ options when it comes to free agency. However, we can determine what the Warriors should address once the lockout is over and what potential free agents they should go after. First and foremost, the Warriors have to address the center position. This is not shocking whatsoever, because Andris Biedrins displayed a whole new level of uselessness this past season. He was supposed to have increased his confidence and his overall game last offseason, but clearly that never happened. Yet again, he was timid to show any form of aggression because he’s afraid of shooting free throws. He was also injured for segments of the season, so he truly was the epitome of useless. The other options the Warriors have for the center position are all players that are generally thought of to be power forwards but have been “converted” to centers since the Warriors severely lack size in the frontcourt. Those players include Lou Amundson, Ekpe Udoh, and Jeremy Tyler. These players have not proven yet that they can be starting centers, so the Warriors have to assume that the center situation is of the utmost importance.

Andris Biedrins

In an ideal world, who could the Warriors target for the center position? Once again, we can’t exactly determine how much the Warriors will be willing to spend on free agents because of uncertainty about the terms of the new bargaining agreement, but from now on let’s just examine all feasible options. One of the top tier centers that will be available this offseason is Nene of the Denver Nuggets. Nene averaged 14.5 points per game, 7.6 rebounds, a .615 field goal percentage, and 1.0 blocks per game during 30.5 minutes per game. Nene’s rebounding numbers aren’t outstanding, but he’s an efficient scorer and is a strong defensive presence in the paint. Nene would be a great fit for the Warriors because he’d allow other scorers such as Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, and Dorell Wright (and even David Lee) to get their usual shots, but he’d still chip in offensively and defensively without disrupting the natural flow of the game. He might require a longer-term, expensive contract though. The Warriors could also try to acquire DeAndre Jordan or Samuel Dalembert, who aren’t quite as talented as Nene, but are still solid center options. Jordan is known as an “energy guy,” who fights for rebounds and is a vicious shot blocker, and would be a valuable player to have on the Warriors. The fear with signing Jordan though is that he is a player who could easily be overpaid. He hasn’t fully proven himself in the league yet, so he shouldn’t receive a long-term, high-salary deal. Dalembert is a good rebounder, another fantastic shot blocker, and a seasoned veteran. Dalembert is also a great guy and a great leader, so his veteran presence would definitely be appreciated on a young Warriors team. His field goal percentage and points per game aren’t as stellar as Nene’s though.

Nene

Another component that the Warriors will have to address is the third guard/backup point guard situation. This can be expanded to just a general improvement in depth. Jeremy Lin is extremely overrated by Warriors management and should not be depended on for backup point guard duties. The other option the Warriors have right now is Charles Jenkins, but he’s a rookie and we don’t know if he can fill that role yet. The Warriors first round draft pick this season is Klay Thompson who could be the third guard off the bench and he could back up both Monta Ellis and Dorell Wright because of his size and athleticism. However, he’s also a rookie and the Warriors cannot rely on a rookie to provide all the scoring off the bench. The Warriors have an extremely grim amount of depth on the team and that is one of the main reasons why they weren’t successful last season. A deeper bench will create a more well-rounded team and will help reduce minutes for the starters.

Jeremy Lin

The Warriors need to bring in rotation-type players during the free agency period that could play the 1-3 positions. In free agency, the Warriors should target players such as: Jason Richardson, Arron Afflalo, Sebastian Telfair, Shane Battier, and Tayshaun Prince. The Bay Area will always love Jason Richardson, and if he doesn’t sign with some championship-level team, he has said he’d love to return to the Warriors. He could fill the sixth-man role and can score quickly and efficiently, so he’d be a perfect fit. Arron Afflalo is an exceptional defender and a good 3-point shooter, but the Nuggets seem to want to keep him, so it might be difficult to sign him. Sebastian Telfair could be an inexpensive free agent that the Warriors could sign, and his experience in the league would make him a much better backup point guard option than Jeremy Lin. Shane Battier, like Afflalo, is a top-notch defender, but he seems like he wants to be on a consistent playoff team. Tayshaun Prince is a solid small forward who is an efficient scorer, has won an NBA championship, and has nine years of experience. He might require a bigger contract than what the Warriors want to pay though.

Jason Richardson

In the new collective bargaining agreement, there will be an amnesty clause, which will allow teams to waive a player and have his salary immediately come off the books instead of it coming off the books whenever the contract ends. The Warriors are one of the teams in the NBA that could benefit from this provision immensely. Based on their biased views of certain players’ skillsets and contributions to the team, Warriors management has immensely overpaid those players and given them horrible contracts (examples: Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, and David Lee, just to name a few). Although it would make sense to amnesty someone like Biedrins who has a very expensive contract and who is a player that should be waived, the Warriors often fall into the trap of being extremely illogical with their decisions. The apprehension towards waiving Beidrins would be that he’s the only true center on the roster, but if management was able to waive his contract, they could easily go after a higher-level center in free agency such as Nene. The Warriors could also use it on Charlie Bell who rarely plays, but still makes $4.1 million. However, it might also make sense for the Warriors to hold onto their amnesty clause and use it in a season or two.

Charlie Bell

Clearly, the Warriors are going to have a lot to do in very little time. Once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached, it’s likely that teams will have about a month for free agency. This doesn’t give the Warriors a lot of time, but that one month or so of free agency is a key period that could really set the tone for the rest of the season. Warriors management needs to be as active as possible and try to acquire quality free agents that will address specific needs for this team. Mark Jackson will have his hands full as well. He needs to preach defense as aggressively as possible. The whole coaching staff has to establish a system that starts with defense and allows the Warriors to get out in transition and run the fast break. It all starts with defense though. Jackson should hold the players accountable, and adjust playing time based on who is playing the best, most effective defense. Jackson can’t just say he’s going to do this; he needs to execute it properly. The whole Warriors organization has to instill a new culture, and it all starts with Coach Jackson. If he can become the NBA-version of Jim Harbaugh and instill a whole new style of winning based on unstoppable defense, the Warriors will be a successful team this season and for many seasons to come. There is a lot to be done, but the Warriors organization needs to prove that they are a winning franchise with a culture that accepts nothing but greatness.

Giants Trade Sanchez, Acquire Cabrera

The San Francisco Giants traded Jonathan Sanchez and Ryan Verdugo (a left-handed pitcher in the Giants’ minor league system) to the Kansas City Royals today for outfielder Melky Cabrera. This past season, Jonathan Sanchez showed a decline and wasn’t the same dominating pitcher that he was during the 2010 season. He was 4-7 this season with a 4.26 ERA, and he missed the entire last month of the season with a left ankle sprain. Sanchez had somewhat of a rocky road while with the Giants. He went from being a strong prospect at the starting pitcher position, then struggled with command and became a relief pitcher. Then he threw a no-hitter and regained his starter status, he continued his dominance all the way through the World Series title, and this past season he never seemed to reach that same level of dominance. Ryan Verdugo was 8-6 with a 4.35 ERA for Double-A Richmond this past season.

Jonathan Sanchez

Melky Cabrera, in his first season with the Royals, hit a career-best .305, 18 home runs, and 87 RBI’s last season. Cabrera came into MLB with the Yankees and played there from 2005-2009. He won a World Series title with the Yankees in 2009. In 2010, he played for the Atlanta Braves before being traded this past season to the Royals. Cabrera could play center field for the Giants, but it ultimately depends on if the Giants retain Cody Ross or Andres Torres. However, Cabrera is a versatile athlete who can play any outfield position, so this acquisition gives the Giants many options.

Melky Cabrera

This is a significant trade for the Giants. No one knows if Cabrera will become a huge difference maker this upcoming season. However, this trade is significant because it shows that Sabean is not afraid to trade pitching for hitting. He has shown reluctance to do so in the past couple seasons even when our hitting severely needed an upgrade. Sabean first showed this new trend when the Giants acquired Beltran last season for our strongest pitching prospect, Zack Wheeler. This trade is more significant though because it involves an actual starting pitcher, not just a prospect. Sabean said that they have not decided if they are going to target another starting pitcher, or if they will just stick with Barry Zito. If the Giants want to win another World Series title soon, the hitting had to be upgraded, obviously, and this is the first move towards a stronger, more well-rounded offense. The Giants still need to answer the shortstop question and need to bring in a few more hitters, but this is a great start to the offseason. The Giants re-signed both Lopez and Affeldt and have now brought in a quality hitter.

Carlos Beltran

This trade might also signal that the Giants are unlikely to bring Carlos Beltran back. This statement might be a little too speculative, but the Giants simply might not have the money or the space in the outfield to bring him back. To read my opinion on if Beltran is worth bringing back read here. So far, the Giants have been tactical and smart in their spending and trades, so hopefully this trend continues throughout the rest of the offseason.

We Believe vs. Dubs Charity Game

Of all the exhibition games played during this lockout, the We Believe vs. Dubs game was one of the most highly anticipated. It featured some of the key players on the 2007 Warriors playoff team and some other former Warriors playing against most of the current Warriors team. Matt Barnes sponsored the event and proceeds went to his foundation Athletes vs. Cancer. This game was played very much like an All-Star game, simply because it featured countless dunks, alley-oops, and head-to-head battles. Also like an All-Star game, this particular game was very high-scoring with the current Warriors winning 158-153. Dorell Wright led all scorers with 41 points. Stephen Curry finished the night with a triple double including 34 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds. Other high scorers included Jeremy Lin who had 24 points, David Lee had 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 9 assists, Gilbert Arenas had 26 points, Corey Maggette had 34 points, and Anthony Morrow had 29 points.

Watch highlights here:

NBA Lockout: Now What?

This past Friday, David Stern officially canceled the rest of the scheduled November games. This ensures that there will not be a full 82-game season. Both the owners and players had suggested optimism towards reaching a deal on Friday. This ended up not happening, and this was clearly upsetting for the players. Jared Dudley of the Phoenix Suns (who has been very active in the lockout discussions) tweeted, “At the end of the day players will not accept 50/50 BRI for every percentage point it worth hundred of millions..We came down from 57 to 52. We have made concessions of every major issues..BRI, mid level exception, etc…We have given owners every opportunity to get this deal done. If we always listen to owners and give them everything they wanted after every CBA we would all be making the min.”

Nazr Mohammed of the Oklahoma City Thunder had some strong opinions to share. He tweeted on Friday, “Gotta love David Stern when he says his owners were willing to concede and give us players 50% when we’re the ones with all the concessions. I knew this would happen. He’s a master at PR and negotiating. That’s why he’s the commissioner. Making us negotiate against ourselves while feeling that we’ve won things we already had and they knew they weren’t going to get anyway. At the end of the day they haven’t made any concessions but we look like the greedy bad guys while they look like the struggling owners trying to make ends meet SMH [shaking my head]. #StandUnited lets not let that false sense of hope fool us in to saying thank u for whatever they offer. There’s a deal to be made just not 2day. Personally I think this was their plan from the start. U don’t become billionaire without knowing how to get what u want.”

Nazr Mohammed was quite insightful, and I completely agree with his opinion. The owners have offered absolutely no concessions because they’d rather remain stubborn in their opinions and quick to their judgments. Mohammed is also correct about how Stern is “a master at PR and negotiation.” David Stern is not only that but also a mastermind in getting what he wants through manipulation, while still sounding somewhat cordial. Stern assumes that he’s the smartest of them all and that he can manipulate the players into thinking they are agreeing to a great deal, when truly they are not. Stern had suggested that both sides were coming to terms and that it was fairly likely that a deal would have been reached on Friday. Now that no new deal has been created, Stern has created even more dysfunction and animosity that will be hard to repair. Stern has claimed that now there might be even harsher consequences since they weren’t able to reach a deal. This might cause the players to become resentful, which is justified, and not want to settle on a worse deal. Hence, this lockout might go on even longer than expected. The sense of hope among fans on this past Thursday was officially crushed on Friday not only because of no deal being reached, but also because a worse situation might be ahead.

Players are more than frustrated now that the lockout continues to drone on. It seems as if this past Friday was some form of a breaking point. The players have suggested all along that they plan to “Stand United” and continue to support each other through this grueling process. This seems to still be the case for players that are actively involved in union meetings and discussions with the owners. However, multiple sources from ESPN have suggested that other players are tired of negotiating and that they just want to play. Sources have suggested that players don’t want to just win an argument. Pride is no longer a factor. Some players just want to play, because this is their life and this is their job. There’s no way for Derek Fisher or Billy Hunter to find out what every player wants and if everyone is truly “united” towards earning a fair deal. This would be an impossible task anyway, but it seems as though a separation is building amongst the players.

The fact is that the players will not ever receive a better deal than what the owners are offering right now. Even if Stern is bluffing and doesn’t end up lowering their offer, the players are not going to receive higher than a 50-50 BRI at this point. The owners have no incentive to compromise since they are running the show now. I personally believe that this deal is unfair, but this is the best possible scenario right now for the players. The players just have to swallow their pride and look at the big picture. Yes, the players are the only ones that have been compromising, and that is exactly why they have to be the ones to end this lockout, not the owners. They will always be remembered as the side that settled this mess, and they will be commended. They have to be the proverbial “bigger person” in this situation. The owners, and mostly David Stern, have shown their true colors during this debacle and the fans will remember how they handled this situation. Although not ideal, if the players truly care about the game of basketball and the fans, their only option is to accept the 50-50 BRI.

Alex Smith’s Season: Boom or Bust?

The 49ers’ current 5-1 record has been more than surprising. Although the 49ers are competing within a weak division, their 3-0 road record is more than impressive and has proven that they are not just winning their division because the other teams in the NFC West are so horrible. The 49ers’ defense has really carried the team and is the largest reason for the 5-1 record. The 49ers’ defense ranks 2nd in the NFL in points allowed per game at 16.2, they rank 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game at 74.7, 2nd in the NFL in touchdowns allowed at 9, and 2nd in the NFL in total points allowed so far this season at 97. Clearly, the defense is solid and can keep our offense in any game no matter what the score is. The one factor that could hold back the 49ers in the future is their offense.

49ers Defense

Obviously, the fate of a team’s offense lies in the hands of their quarterback. Alex Smith ranks 26th in the NFL for passing yards, he is in a 6-way tie for 15th in the league for touchdowns thrown, and is tied for 24th in the league for completions. Although these stats appear pretty dismal, Alex Smith is surprisingly ranked 9th in the NFL for passer rating with a 95.2 and 9th in the NFL for completion percentage with 63.3%. Alex Smith is a bit of an enigma. He’s good enough to remain the starter, but he’s not good enough to ever be compared to the league’s elite quarterbacks. He will remain the starter throughout the season because Colin Kaepernick is not ready to become the everyday starter, and he probably won’t be for a season or two. The 49ers simply do not have any other options, and there are no potential free agents that the 49ers could target.

Alex Smith

If the 49ers make the playoffs this season, Alex Smith will not be the main reason for that. Unless he has a stellar second half of the season, the defense will be the force that drives the 49ers to the playoffs. This season, Alex Smith was placed in the absolute best possible situation to succeed. Jim Harbaugh not only was a quarterback in the NFL for 15 seasons, but he also has proven to be a “players coach,” which means that he gets along with players easily while still commanding respect and authority. Harbaugh has coached some great quarterbacks, and he knows how to get the best out of all his players. Because of all these qualities, Alex Smith should be playing the best football of his life. Yes, Alex Smith has had seven different offensive coordinators in his NFL career. However, if he was good enough to be chosen with the #1 overall pick in 2005, he should be able to adapt. Seven different offensive coordinators requires a lot of adaptation, but he should have been able to rise to the occasion and at least begin to establish himself after his first few years in the league. After seven seasons, we are currently seeing the closest to the best form of Alex Smith we are ever going to see. With an outstanding coach practically tailored specifically for him, with solid teammates around him such as Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, and Frank Gore, and with a defense fully supporting him, Alex Smith should have extremely strong stats.

Jim Harbaugh and Alex Smith

Alex Smith’s stats might be strong enough to lead the 49ers to the playoffs, but is he the right quarterback to lead this team to the Super Bowl? Not even close. Jed York (49ers owner), Trent Baalke (general manager), and Jim Harbaugh have all stated that they don’t want to run a team that is satisfied with just making the playoffs. They all want to create and enforce a winning atmosphere. However, Alex Smith is not the quarterback that will lead the 49ers to multiple Super Bowls. If Alex Smith leads the 49ers to the playoffs, it would be a great and, yes, admirable accomplishment, however, this would not sanction him to become the “quarterback of the future.” The 49ers organization needs to be very careful this upcoming offseason. If the team makes the playoffs this season, then the organization still needs to consider if Alex Smith is the right quarterback for this team. In his seventh season, Alex Smith should be hitting his peak, and his stats aren’t exactly “peak-worthy.” Under the best possible circumstances, we are seeing the best Alex Smith that we will see, and he is simply not a strong enough quarterback to lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke

I would truly enjoy if Alex Smith was able to prove me wrong this season. If you know me personally, you know that I hate to be wrong, especially when involving sports. In this case though, I would love to see him succeed and lead this team to the Super Bowl. This event is extremely unlikely, but it would be gratifying to see Alex Smith come full circle and regain the trust of the 49ers faithful by proving that he’s a winner. The second half of this season will be a key stretch for the 49ers. It will determine if they can make the playoffs and officially start the journey towards a consistent winning team, and it will begin and end with Alex Smith. Let’s see where he takes them.