The Finals, Draft and free agency converge…”Great successss!”
by Sandy Dover / @SandmanSeven
If it was good enough for 50 Cent and Nate Dogg, I’m pretty sure it’s exceptionally sufficient for SLAMonline. Regardless of music, 21 Questions with San Dova is taking the task of asking those nebulous questions that seem to revolve around the force of gravity we know to be the NBA. Check for the preguntas at the top of every month or so.
1. What in the name of Mike was Dan Gilbert thinking when he wrote that disparaging letter about LeBron James to Cleveland Cavalie
rs fans? Did he forget that he made millions of dollars off of LBJ, and that he himself made millions of dollars literally selling out people with Quicken Loans?
2. Even though Chris Bosh is clearly a winner in free agency, what happened to all that talk about being a “centerpiece” and not being a sidekick and also-ran now that he’s with the Miami Heat?
3. Why does Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver continue to let his star players go? Does he realize that having kept his past draft picks and Joe Johnson would have probably gained him a championship?
4. Even though his deal with the New York Knickerbockers is great, does Amar’e Stoudemire really want to win on that kind of team? What happened to Miami?
5. How did Joe Johnson get $124 million from anyone in the NBA, let alone the Atlanta Hawks?! Why would anyone max out Rudy Gay like the Memphis Grizzlies did? And the owners have the nerve to complain about the collective bargaining agreement now?!
6. The Dallas Mavericks do know that Brendan Haywood will start his new contract at age 31, right? So then why (again, I know) is he getting nearly $10 million a year until he’s 36 years old?
7. Even though he’s improved in each of his four years, what exactly makes Orlando Magic shooting guard JJ Redick worth nearly $7 million a season to the Chicago Bulls? Other than his occasional shooting outbursts?
8. Everyone talks about how NBA players are horribly selfish and only care about cash, but seeing Boston Celtics swingman Paul Pierce, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, Heat guard Dwyane Wade, James and Bosh all take less money to improve their respective teams, do you think any of the NBA’s viewing audience will acknowledge this?
9. After learning that Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has developed arthritis in his mangled right forefinger, is anyone else sort of cringing about the idea that a mere finger could potentially cripple his ability to dominate with the ball?
10. Even though the Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder and Heat have all improved to the degree that Conference Finals appearances are all possible for those aforementioned teams, would you be disappointed to see another Lakers-Celtics Finals duo?
11. Is Lakers swingman Ron Artest finally redeemed?
12. And is Lakers forward/center Pau Gasol in the Hall of Fame discussion now?
13. Wouldn’t it have been intriguing for Pierce to opt out and join his hometown Lakers this summer? Unfair? Traitorous?
14. Have we seen the best that Celtics forward Kevin Garnett can now be in the past 2010 Playoffs (the seemingly maimed, aging Chris Webber and Kenyon Martin come to mind), since his gruesome knee surgery in 2009?…or will he do recover after a year similarly like other microfracture surgery patients (Jason Kidd, Zach Randolph, Stoudemire)?
15. With the high caliber of play in this year’s Playoffs and the great match-ups with teams and players, is the NBA finally back in the hearts of America yet?
16. If you’re a talented tweener in college, doesn’t seem like the best way to be a first-round selection is to really stay in school for all four years? (Trevor Booker, Damion James, Quincy Pondexter, Greivis Vasquez, Lazar Hayward)
17. The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired a handful of small forwards in the NBA Draft after duplicating positions the previous year with Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn; they also duplicated the post positions with the Darko Milicic and Nikola Pekovic multi-million dollar signings, when Kevin Love and Al Jefferson are still there–somebody explain to me how David Kahn is the sole g
eneral manager of that organization again? Is he really trying to alienate his best players?
18. I’m having trouble wondering why the Detroit Pistons re-drafted Rodney Stuckey (Terrico White)–is anyone else having that same problem?
19. Why does it seem that every few years, New York City always has a phenom who ends up succumbing to the hype and failing bitterly in manner of the expectations that heaped up on them? (I’m thinking of Sebastian Telfair, but I’m hoping that Lance Stephenson isn’t in that group–although getting drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft wasn’t necessarily one of his goals in getting to the League, either.)
20. Isn’t it funny how the Lakers were able to replace Trevor Ariza with virtually the exact same player in West Virginia’s Devin Ebanks?
21. Per the idea of Fat Shawn Kemp, wouldn’t it be great, indeed, if the Cavaliers moved to Seattle, Washington? (I know, it’s pseudo-blasphemy to certain NBA fans.)
(Dovi out.)
Sandy Dover is a novelist/writer, artist and fitness enthusiast, as well as an unyielding Prince fan (for real). You can find Sandy frequently here at SLAMonline, as well as at Facebook, Associated Content and Twitter.
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