FanNation - The Republic of Sport

180 million years ago during the Early Jurassic period, the supercontinent of Pangea broke up like B2K into the vast surrounding ocean as two supercontinents (Gondwana to the south and Laurasia to the north, Gracias, Wikipedia), before separating again, drifting forming the continents we have today.  This continental drift represented a massive alteration of theworld's geography on a global scale.

180 million years later, the NBA featured a little plate tectonics and continental drift among its own contenders, which has altered the league’s landscape for seasons to come.  While the trade deadline, and the preceding days routinely register a few miniature quakes on the fan watch, 2008 presented a full-scale continental drift in Texas, Cleveland and especially along the San Andreas Fault in Los Angeles.  

If you think it was difficult, constantly updating the world atlas 180 million years ago without MapQuest, how hard could it have been following the NBA’s frequently shifting geography without 24 hour sports networks and the Internet at your disposal.  Even ESPN and Sports Illustrated essentially traded media personalities as Sportscenter lexicon Dan Patrick defected to SI, while SI columnist Rick Reilly leapt into the arms of the World Wide Leader.

Now as the player movement has settled down and the NBA’s geography has been established, the view from overhead will finally begin to come into focus and the West has increased it's advantage as the dominant Hemisphere.  In the Western Conference, every possible match-up is incredibly enticing and could strand a 50 win team, at least 18 games over .500 on their couches while numerous teams grossly under .500 in the East will advance to the postseason.  The same (32-21)Warriors team which eliminated the 67 win, defending Western Conference champions from the playoffs last season and who just Wednesday defeated the Boston Celtics sans their injured captain Stephen Jackson are at #9 in the West’s standings .   

The most disappointing deal not to go throw had to have been the Denver Nuggets potential acquisition of Ron Artest, whose been involved in more trade winds than NAVY sailors.  While scouts overwhelmingly panned the potential of an Artest trade landing him in Denver alongside a tatted up, combustible quintet of Marcus Camby, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Allen Iverson and K-Mart, I’m convinced that they could have been the nearest replica to Isiah’s Bad Boys since the 89’ Pistons themselves.

However, the brouhaha officially reached fever pitch around @ 9:00 Eastern time in Phoenix, Arizona.  From the moment ESPN cut to Phoenix’s US Airways Arena you could sense the intensity and significance of this contest. When was the last time ESPN actually broadcast both teams starting lineup introductions for a February regular season game? (By the way, if you saw their new intro video, it lends to my elaborate theory that Shaq is the Cloverfield monster.)  

 Not only was this a slight elevation in the Kobe vs. Shaq storyline but it was also the nation’s first glimpse of Pau Gasol in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, or for some as a player period.  Being trapped in Grizzlies purgatory did not do much to help him attain recognition among casual fans and for a team that rarely received primetime games on the major networks, ESPN, TNT, or ABC.

However, if Shaquille O’Neal maintains his persona as the self-proclaimed Superman, should we brand Kobe Bryant, the National Basketball Association’s Lex Luthor?  Shaq comes to the aid of franchises in need, commonly refers to his detractors as earthlings, is generally loved by all and possesses inhuman strength.

Conversely, for a period of time, Bryant was universally despised by many, encountered legal woes and if you follow the Smallville series, they also originate as friends but slowly drifted apart as Kobe “Alexander” Bryant hatched his plan against Shaquille O’Neal to gain increased influence over Buss’ Lakers, the Metropolis of NBA franchises.  In this meeting, Kobe and the Lakers held the kryptonite.

In addition I can’t be be the only one to acknowledge as well as tip my hat to how drastically Mitch Kupchak’s reputation has made an about-face comparable to Nicholas Cage in Faceoff and undergone a total image reconstruction since October.  Sorry to pile on the film analogies but his masterful job of erasing our misconceptions of him as an incompetant GM was more impressive than the Governator in Total Recall. 

Watching the Lakers’ and glancing at the final box score with Kobe Bryant 41 points, Pau Gasol’s 29 points, Lamar Odom’s 22 and the 130-124 victory, I felt like Julianna Moore’s character in “The Forgotten”.  Life seemed great as a Laker fan but someone or something was missing that should have made it better.  And that’s when I realized that a Laker team that was at three quarters its maximum strength without Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza just established itself as the West’s top team.

O’Neal let his presence known early by forcing Gasol to foul, the very first time he received the ball in the post.  Kobe Bryant capped off an immaculate first quarter by going 5 for 5 from the field and capping it off with a rim rocking, two handed jam over the outstretched arms of Boris Diaw.  In the second quarter, O'Neal  scored his first basket as a Sun in resounding fashion by flushing home a monstrous two handed dunk over scrub D.J. Mbenga.

Project Amare began with resounding authority in the opening as Stoudemire used Shaq’s physical presence to his advantage and seemingly sat on the rim collecting every errant shot for a total of 13 first half rebounds.

Another aspect we couldn’t anticipate was whether Shaq could leave his footprint on the game when teams ran on the Suns offensively.  However, as the final fast break bucket by Paul Gasol put the Lakers up by 6 with a minute to go indicated, adjustments will have to made early. (As talented as this team is offensively, it’s hard to imagine they once had Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson in their rotation as well.)

In the game of the year thus far, the contest had plenty of appeal for Shaq lovers.  From his hilariously exaggerated, long strided back on defense sprint after a Kobe Bryant goaltending halted play, to practicing his tumbling skills after a collision with the Spaniard, Pau Gasol, O’Neal appeared as rejuvenated as ever.  However, the quote of the night came in the press conference which offered a poignant perspective on The Diesel’s dwindling days from the man himself.

 “Steve Nash has instructed me to get my Randy Moss on and get down the court.”… “I only have 730 days left, two years and change, and when I sit down and look at my book, I want to have five or six championships under my belt. If I have four, I'll be a bitter old man.”

While the merits of this trade will remain debatable until the Suns hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy overhead at a downtown parade, it’s not on the depressing level of Hakeem “The Dream’s” nightmare in Toronto, Patrick Ewing’s stint with the Magic and Supersonics.  Seriously, who even remembers Tony Dorsett retiring as a Bronco, Robert Parish as Hornet and Bull or O.J. Simpson trotting out for two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

However, Shaq vs. Kobe wasn't the only emotional reunion of Wednesday night as Jason Kidd, played his first game in a Mavs uniform since being traded from Dallas to Phoenix during the 96-97 season and Mike Bibby’s debut as an Atlanta Hawks came 4 days after he was traded from their opponent, the Sacramento Kings at Arco Arena. 

As the last remnant of the 2001-2002 Sacramento Kings, his trip down South signifies the end of an era in my mind for a team I recognize as the best team without an NBA championship.  Labeled the “Greatest Show on Court, they were the model for the current fast paced Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and widely considered the best passing team in the history of the Association.  Now that his days as a King are over, I expected him to claim some sort of treasure akin to the one, Grandpa and Mr. Burns fought for after discovering they were the last surviving members of their World War I squadron, “The Flying Hellfish”.  That’s how much that team meant to me.   

Hold on to those memories of Chris Webber, Hedo Turkoglu, Bobby Jackson, Peja Stojakavic, Keon Clark, Vlade Divac, the infamous “pre-season brawl” with the Lakers at the height of the league’s most contentious rivalry and Doug Christie before reality television.  Remember, the “pick and roll”, and remember Mike Bibby.

Meanwhile, just days after the Daytona 500 Chris Paul must have contemplated signing with Joe Gibbs Racing after running NASCAR-sized laps around Jason Kidd Wednesday night.   In a 104-93 victory over the Mavericks, Paul recorded the near triple double with 31 points, 11 assists, a career-high nine steals and in the process completed the trifecta of losses for the league’s elite debut crew.  Though, Jason Kidd failed to supply instant gratification to Maverick fans, his value will come from the osmosis effect his presence and vision will have for a team that entered Wednesday ranked 25th in the NBA in assists. 

While the trade deadline came and went, the Houston Rockets emerged as the victors of D-Day in deals that could have future implications in the Western Conference landscape.  Subtle deal #1 sent Mike James and Bonzi Wells to New Orleans, with Bobby Jackson, Adam Haluska and a second-round draft pick coming to Houston.   

The big winner in this deal ends up being Rick Adelman and the Rockets’ new up tempo offensive system which did not suit Bonzi well(pardon the pun), while reuniting him with his former Sacramento King spark plug, Bobby Jackson.  “Action” Jackson enjoyed his best seasons under Adelman from 2000-2005 winning Sixth Man of the Year in 2002-03, while averaging career highs in minutes and points when the Kings came one shot away from advancing to the NBA Finals. 

In subtle deal #2, the Rockets acquired slam dunk artisan, and native Houstonian, Gerald Green from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for guard Kirk Snyder and a second-round draft pick.

Though, I picked the Rockets to win bring home the hardware in June, their season has resenmbIed the disastrous 2006 Miami Dolphins than the 94-95 Rockets led by Drexler and Olajuwon.  In conclusion, the trade deadline rid Adelman of a litany of antiquated players from the offensively stagnant Van Gundy regime, while increasing the overall scoring prowess and athleticism of the Rockets bench.

However, the brouhaha officially reached fever pitch around @ 9:00 Eastern time in Phoenix, Arizona.  From the moment ESPN cut to Phoenix’s US Airways Arena you could sense the intensity and significance of this contest. When was the last time ESPN actually broadcast both teams starting lineup introductions for a February regular season game? (By the way, if you saw their new intro video, it lends to my elaborate theory that Shaq is the Cloverfield monster.)  

 Not only was this a slight elevation in the Kobe vs. Shaq storyline but it was also the nation’s first glimpse of Pau Gasol in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, or for some as a player period.  Being trapped in Grizzlies purgatory did not do much to help him attain recognition among casual fans and for a team that rarely received primetime games on the major networks, ESPN, TNT, or ABC.

However, if Shaquille O’Neal maintains his persona as the self-proclaimed Superman, should we brand Kobe Bryant, the National Basketball Association’s Lex Luthor?  Shaq comes to the aid of franchises in need, commonly refers to his detractors as earthlings, is generally loved by all and possesses inhuman strength.

 Conversely, for a period of time, Bryant was universally despised by many, encountered legal woes and if you follow the Smallville series, they also originate as friends but slowly drifted apart as Kobe “Alexander” Bryant hatched his plan against Shaquille O’Neal to gain increased influence over Buss’ Lakers, the Metropolis of NBA franchises.  I also can’t the only one who’s noticed how Mitch Kupchak’s reputation has made like Nicholas Cage in FaceOff and had a complete reconstruction since October. 

Watching the Lakers’ and glancing at the final box score with Kobe Bryant 41 points, Pau Gasol’s 29 points, Lamar Odom’s 22 and the 130-124 victory, I felt like Julianna Moore’s character in “The Forgotten”.  Life seemed great as a Laker fan but someone or something was missing that should have made it better.  And that’s when I realized that a Laker team that was at three quarters its maximum strength without Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza just established itself as the West’s top team.

O’Neal let his presence known early by forcing Gasol to foul, the very first time he caught the ball in the post.  Kobe Bryant capped off an immaculate first quarter by going 5 for 5 from the field and capping it off with a rim rocking posterizing, two handed jam in transition.

Project Amare began with resounding authority in the opening as Stoudemire used Shaq’s physical presence to his advantage and seemingly sat on the rim collecting every errant shot for a total of 13 first half rebounds.

Another aspect we couldn’t anticipate was whether Shaq could leave his footprint on the game when teams ran on the Suns offensively.  However, as the final fast break bucket by Paul Gasol which put the Lakers up by 6 with a minute to go indicated, adjustments will have to made early. (As talented as this team is offensively, it’s hard to imagine they once had Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson in their rotation as well.)

In the game of the year thus far, the contest had plenty of appeal for Shaq lovers.  From his overexaggerated, long strided sprint after a Kobe Bryant goaltending halted play, to practicing his tumbling skills after a collision with the Spaniard, Pau Gasol, O’Neal appeared as rejuvenated as ever.  However, the quote of the night came in the press conference which offered a poignant perspective on The Diesel’s dwindling days from the man himself.

 “Steve Nash has instructed me to get my Randy Moss on and get down the court.”… “I only have 730 days left, two years and change, and when I sit down and look at my book, I want to have five or six championships under my belt. If I have four, I'll be a bitter old man.”

While the merits of this trade will remain debatable until the Suns hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy overhead at a downtown parade, it’s not on the depressing level of Hakeem “The Dream’s” nightmare in Toronto, Patrick Ewing’s stint with the Magic and Supersonics.  Seriously, who even remembers Tony Dorsett retiring as a Bronco, Robert Parish as Hornet and Bull or O.J. Simpson trotting out for two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

However, Shaq vs. Kobe wasn't the only emotional reunion of Wednesday night as Jason Kidd, played his first game in a Mavs uniform since being traded from Dallas to Phoenix during the 96-97 season and Mike Bibby’s debut as an Atlanta Hawks came 4 days after he was traded from their opponent, the Sacramento Kings at Arco Arena. 

As the last remnant of the 2001-2002 Sacramento Kings, his trip down South signifies the end of an era in my mind for a team I recognize as the best team without an NBA championship.  Labeled the “Greatest Show on Court, they were the model for the current fast paced Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and widely considered the best passing team in the history of the Association.  Now that his days as a King are over, I expected him to claim some sort of treasure akin to the treasure, Grandpa and Mr. Burns fought for after discovering they were the last surviving members of their World War I squadron, “The Flying Hellfish”.  That’s how much that team meant to me.   

Hold on to those memories of Chris Webber, Hedo Turkoglu, Bobby Jackson, Peja Stojakavic, Keon Clark, Vlade Divac, the infamous “pre-season brawl” with the Lakers at the height of the league’s most contentious rivalry and Doug Christie before reality television.  Remember, the “pick and roll”, and remember Mike Bibby.

Meanwhile, just days after the Daytona 500 Chris Paul must have contemplated signing with Joe Gibbs Racing after running NASCAR-sized laps around Jason Kidd, Wednesday night.   In a 104-93 victory over the Mavericks, Paul recorded the near triple double with 31 points, 11 assists, a career-high nine steals and in the process completed the trifecta of losses for the league’s elite debut crew.  Though, Jason Kidd failed to supply instant gratification to Maverick fans, his value will come from the osmosis effect his presence and vision will have for a team that entered Wednesday ranked 25th in the NBA in assists. 

While the trade deadline came and went, the Houston Rockets emerged as the victors of D-Day in deals that could have future implications in the Western Conference landscape.  Subtle deal #1 sent Mike James and Bonzi Wells to New Orleans, with Bobby Jackson, Adam Haluska and a second-round draft pick coming to Houston.   

The big winner in this deal ends up being Rick Adelman and the Rockets’ new up tempo offensive system which did not suit Bonzi well(pardon the pun), while reuniting him with his former Sacramento King spark plug, Bobby Jackson.  “Action” Jackson enjoyed his best seasons under Adelman from 2000-2005 winning Sixth Man of the Year in 2002-03, while averaging career highs in minutes and points when the Kings came one shot away from advancing to the NBA Finals. 

In subtle deal #2, the Rockets acquired slam dunk artisan, and native Houstonian, Gerald Green from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for guard Kirk Snyder and a second-round draft pick.

Though, I picked the Rockets to win bring home the hardware in June, their season had resenmbIed the disastrous 2006 Miami Dolphins than the 94-95 Rockets led by Drexler and Olajuwon earlier in the season.  In conclusion, the trade deadline rid Adelman of a litany of antiquated players from the offensively stagnant Van Gundy regime, while increasing the overall scoring prowess and athleticism of the Rockets bench.

While the Cavs appear to have made the most headway in the East's narrow birth canal, Ben Wallace’s acquisition by Cleveland appears to be a blockbuster deal in name and salary only.  Perhaps, it was the unstable climate in Chicago, but he hasn’t convincingly portrayed a 3-time Defensive Player of the Year since leaving MoTown.  This all but squashes any hope that Lebron James had of implementing a small ball, fast break offense he’d been lobbying for, and although sharpshooting guards Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak will aid their ailing offense, this team will be forced to live and die from behind the arc.

However with the myriad of blockbuster trades that have reshaped the NBA, there is the potential for one more game changer if the Clippers decide to buy out the contract of veteran point guard Sam Cassell, who has expressed interest in the Celtics.  With the ongoing democratic election, dominating Barack Obama’s political movement has spread to the League, and if the last year has been any indication of foreshadowing, the Spurs dynasty should cherish their titles because “Change” is indeed on the docket.

February 21, 2008