» April 10, 2009 6:43 PM | By Brandon Hoffman
- Lakers beat writer Mike Bresnahan on whether the Lakers allow players to travel with entourages: “We’ve all imagined players surrounded by a bodyguard, jeweler, chef, furrier, masseuse and tailor. Truthfully? It just doesn’t happen much anymore, especially since Allen Iverson’s star is fading. It probably has as much to do with the sagging economy as the way players travel, which, as Mike Foster points out, is via team charter. The Lakers, like every other NBA team, don’t allow posse members on the charter, which makes it harder for such types to stay pace with the objects of their affection. (There would be some awesome scenes, by the way, if player posses were allowed on the team plane. I can envision Lamar Odom’s crew wandering into the coaches’ area of the plane and accidentally spilling champagne on Phil Jackson’s pants. Or Luke Walton’s Manhattan Beach buddies crushing empty beer cans on their heads. Or Sasha Vujacic and Pau Gasol hanging out in the designated techno music part of the plane, bobbing their heads together in rhythm. I’d pay to see some of this. Really.)”
- John Schuhmann of NBA.com: “He ranks third in the league with 176 3-pointers, shooting them at an efficient 43.5 percent clip. He can get to the cup and he can stop on a dime for one of the best mid-range jumpers in the game today. Williams is another weapon at coach Mike Brown’s disposal that can get his own shot (or create shots for others). ‘The offense is based around guards that can create,’ West says. ‘As many guards as we have, we just fill the lanes. It’s fun having another guy that can run the plays and create shots for other people.’ James’ production hasn’t diminished with the addition of Williams. The ball is still ends up in LeBron’s hands most of the time and he’s averaging the same 7.2 assists that he dished out last season. His scoring has dipped 1.7 ppg, which is solely due to a decrease in playing time. But Williams, along with some tweaks to how the Cavs play, has turned Cleveland from a below-average offensive team to one of the most efficient offenses in the league. Last season, Cleveland ranked 20th offensively, scoring 107.6 points per 100 possessions. This season, they rank fourth, scoring 113.6 points per 100 possessions.”
- David Stern on changing the playoff format: “It might be about who plays who once the playoffs start. It’s interesting though because nobody asks baseball that question. Why is that? People respect their league structure even though they play inter-league games. Right now, we’re going to ride it out, except for maybe inter-conference playoffs which I’m just not sure.” I’ve written about this on numerous occasions. Needless to say, I think the NBA should eliminate divisions and conferences, have every team play one another three times, and seed the playoffs 1-16. The season would be extended by 5 games, but those 5 games could be offset by decreasing the number of preseason games. The Knicks, for example, played 7 preseason games over a two-week period last October. Conference rivalries would be affected. But the NBA is no longer driven by conference rivalries. The league is driven by star power. No one wants to see the Lakers and Celtics play because they were rivals 40 years ago, fans pay to see the Lakers and Celtics because they have Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett. The NBA’s power pendulum swung to the West when MJ retired and has remained there ever since. Five 50-win teams will make the Western Conference playoffs. The ninth seeded Suns would be the fifth seed in the East. And even if you think the Cavaliers, Celtics and Magic are dominant enough to swing the pendulum back to the East, it’s plain to see that the East’s top 3 seeds will have a virtual bye in the first round, while every first round series in the West has the potential to go 6 games or more. Ask the Celtics and Magic if they’d rather play the Jazz or Hornets instead of the Pistons or Bulls in the first round. Giving every NBA team an equal opportunity to make the playoffs and secure a high seed is in the league’s best interests.
Category: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Points in the Paint, Utah Jazz
Tags: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, David Stern, Kevin Garnett, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers, Luke Walton, Mo Williams, NBA Teams, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Pau Gasol, Points in the Paint, Sasha Vujacic, Utah Jazz
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