The Fundamentals

The Painted Area:  “Nine countries have qualified for the 12-team field for the Olympic basketball tournament in Beijing, and the final three spots will be determined at this week’s 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens.  The playoff rounds should be competitive since not much separates the top 7 teams (Greece, Germ, Slov, Croat, Can, Braz, & PR) in terms of talent. Any 3-team combo could come out of that 7, though we feel strongly that Greece is almost a certainty for Beijing.”

Steve Kyler of HOOPSWORLD:  “Every so often an event occurs that changes the business model in professional basketball.  Glenn Robinson was the father of the NBA Rookie Scale, after demanding and receiving a $100 million deal from Milwaukee before setting foot on the court, that event was the “final straw” for NBA owners, who fought long and hard to get the current fixed rate system in place now.  Brandon Jennings may be the catalyst for the next huge shift in thinking, as he has opted not to go to Arizona, after reports of shaky SAT scores threatened to rule him ineligible, instead choosing to go to Europe and get paid big dollars.”

Kevin Arnovitz of ClipperBlog:  “Trading for Zach Randolph and the three years and $48M remaining on his contract seems absurd. If the Clippers could unload Tim Thomas in the exchange, then the deal goes from absurd to merely problematic.  When you’re of the opinion that “winning” and “chemistry” are overrated attributes in producing victories, it’s always difficult dismissing a player on the basis of those deficiencies.  But having watched Randolph’s formidable offensive game in the post, I feel confident in suggesting that Zach Randolph, while a sick talent, would be detrimental to the organization’s near and long-term future.”

Mike K. of KnickerBlogger:  “You have to hope that Donnie Walsh knows what he’s doing here. Because getting rid of Randolph fits in perfectly with his plan of getting under the cap by 2010, and many Knick fans would love to see what David Lee could do as the full time starter. Maybe Walsh is playing chicken where he’s hoping the Clippers will throw in a draft pick. Maybe Walsh is playing poker and he has had similar offers from around the league and is surveying the field. Or maybe Walsh figures Randolph’s value will be higher near the trading deadline with a D’Antoni offense increase in offensive per-game stats. Maybe Walsh said “yes” but his cell phone cut out like in those commercials where the person on the other end thinks they offended the person they called.”

Marc Stein of ESPN.com:  “But NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Sunday that the Lakers — fond as they are of Artest and confident as they are that they can get the best out of him through Phil Jackson’s coaching and Artest’s respect for Bryant — are reluctant to part with Odom in an Artest swap. That stance, if the Lakers hold firm, would almost certainly prompt Sacramento to look elsewhere for a trade partner.”

Ian Thomsen of CNNSI.com:  “My own feeling is that whatever the Oklahoma team decides to call itself — and whatever that name becomes, it won’t be the Sonics — it should consider itself a brand new outfit. When you open the media guide to the “History” section, there should be no mention of what the Sonics did for the last 41 years. Type up a short narrative detailing how the hurricane-displaced Hornets played for a couple of years in Oklahoma City and how they created the appetite for the team moving there now, and leave it at that.”

Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times:  “The process often starts with the same four words.  I got this kid . . . .  The phrase might come from a club basketball coach, a shoe company executive, a friend or a relative — anyone who believes he can parlay his connection to a star player into a handsome payout.  How does it happen?  In an interview, a prominent agent described how so-called “runners” serve as intermediaries between top prospects and agents hoping to cash in when the player turns pro. The agent, who has represented several NBA players, spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern that his comments might be construed as an admission he had engaged in wrongdoing.”

Jeremy of Pickaxe And Roll:  “As I feared the Nuggets have once again decided to cut some costs along the fringes of the team in order to shave a little bit off their luxury tax bill.  Last year the choice was to let Steve Blake walk in order to save a couple of million bucks on Chucky Atkins.  That was a disaster.  This year the savings are going to come at the expense of the only player who could shoot threes, move without the ball, play defense and who actually chose to dive on the floor for loose balls.  I have no idea who will end up taking Eduardo Najera’s place on the roster, but I guarantee you that it whoever it is will be a poor replication of what he did for the Nuggets.”

Luis Fernández of DraftExpress:  “First and foremost, we have to understand that Europe is a huge mass of different basketball competitions, with some of them hardly resembling each other. This is not like playing in the NBA, where there are 30 defined teams and a comparable level between them. Overseas, there are some incredibly competitive leagues and some easier ones, balanced and unbalanced, defensive oriented and scoring happy, with an intense tactical approach and more free styled, better leagues and worse leagues, with a huge gap between them.  It’s also a matter of different teams, with different coaches, mentalities, nationalities and styles.”  (Hat tip: Ball In Europe)