I was in Spain during the historical July 1st free agent frenzy. Even though I caught World Cup fever for the first time in my life, I still could not help it but have my mind on how the NBA will unfold. Where will LeBron go? Where will D-Wade go? How much will Toronto regret not trading Bosh at the trade deadline?
Needless to say, there was zero coverage whatsoever in Europe on what's going on in the NBA. Seriously, I mean zero. Not even a mentioning of LeBron taking his talents to South Beach on the sports ticker. Did anyone around me care? No. Was I surprised? No. Should you be surprised? Well... no. Because in the end, what was supposed to be a historical event of superstars changing addresses, shifting powers, dethroning Kobe and the Lakers, and LeBron saving the Knicks, was nothing more than a facade.
In the NBA, all great things comes in 3s and now you can add another one in Miami with LeBron, Wade and Bosh teaming up for the next 6 years. The parties have already begun in South Beach as the NBA's greatest kept secret has finally been revealed to the masses. Yes, people are bitter (except for the residences of Miami) but the only thing we truly should be upset with is that we were forced to wait until July 8 to verify what we already knew. The ongoing circus of the Miami Thrice meeting teams, "debating" options and televised specials was truly an embarrassment to the NBA and its fans.
And then there was "The Decision." LeBron's one-hour special of ego-stroking was one of the most detrimental moves an athlete has ever done to damage their own personal brand. He was one cellphone and two-blonde bimbos away from pulling a Tiger. Now, does LeBron have a right to leave Cleveland? Yes. Does he have the right to join his two pals in Miami to make long playoff runs every year? Absolutely. Does he have the right to not show the courtesy of informing the Cavs of his decision in advance and making the Cleveland fan base look foolish in the process? No. Would Michael, Magic or Larry have ever done this? No.
We have had a month to digest all that has happened. Like it or not, it is what it is. Three best friends have joined forces, taken less money and sacrifice personal accolades for the chance to play basketball together. LBJ, D-Wade and Bosh are together and everyone is expecting a collision course between the Heat and the Lakers. Las Vegas already has the Heat as the favorites to win the Larry O'Brien trophy but are they better than the Lakers as of right now?
There are several key areas that may be weakspots for the Heat in which the Lakers can expose:
Frontcourt: Yes, the have Bosh. But I can guarantee you that most NBA executives would probably prefer Pau Gasol and his pedigree as of this season. The Heat are extremely weak at the centre position with a committee consisting of Žydrunas Ilgauskas, Joel Anthony, Juwan Howard and Jamaal Magloire. Although there is a sense of veteran savviness, I highly doubt that it strike fear in the eyes of others. The Laker frontcourt trio of Gasol, Bynum and Odom along with newly acquired Theo Ratliff can easily control what Miami has to offer both offensively and defensively.
Depth: Outside of the Miami Thrice and perhaps Mike Miller, I really question the quality of their role players and their impact on a game. The likes of James Jones, Eddie House and Carlos Arroyo may have a difficult time making any contribution on the court with 3 superstars and 1 basketball. On the other side of the ball, the Lakers have established, effective role players. They have added Steve Blake to be a playmaker off the bench who can control the tempo of the game with the Laker's second unit. They have added a tough defensively-minded Matt Barnes who can also hit from long range. And they have brought back high-flying Shannon Brown and Mr. Khloe Kardashian.
Chemistry: There will be a 82 game season to see if the Heat can discover the perfect chemistry to involve all necessary players and they may figure it out. But right now, the Lakerss are seasoned champions who know how to get it done. They have one undisputed leader in Kobe Bryant. The Celtics have admitted to taking nearly 60 games in 2008 before they figured out the perfect chemistry. But keep in mind their Big 3 were 30+ year old veterans who have done-it-all on a personal level, suffered, and would sacrifice anything to win. Can the new Big 3 of superstars entering their prime in their mid-20s do the same?
Matchups: There is the notion that no team can play man-to-man with the Heat. And I agree, unless you're the Lakers. The frontcourt battle is heavily in the Lakers favor as Gasol had established himself as a low-post force with his performace against Kevin Garnett last spring. Kobe v. Wade is an interesting matchup, they may just cancel each other out in the end. LeBron will have to go up against Ron Artest and Matt Barnes in which he should gain the upper hand, but how much? The Lakers' bench is much deeper and more experienced which may be their competitive advantage. Needless to say, the Lakers do not need to structure their lineups to match the Heat. It may be the other way around.
As of right now, I would that the Lakers in a 7-game series against the Heat. But we still have a full season to watch to determine how the Heat really are and whether Ron Artest will shotgun a 6-pack before game time while getting "Tru Warrior 2.0" shaved onto his head.
Thoughts on other transactions:
- After striking out on luring a franchise savior, New York Knick owner James Dolan invested $100 million on a PF who has had reconstructive knee surgery and permanent eye problems while bringing back the man responsible for wasting the past decade as a consultant? I can't wait for the 2018 Spike Lee documentary "James Dolan Shits His Pants - How the Knicks Empire Was Destroyed in 2010".
- It's amazing how, when all things are said and done, Joe Johnson got the richest contract out of all the free agents.
- Absolutely love the Carlos Boozer move to Chicago. The Bulls finally get a low-post scoring presence they have been looking for the past 5 years. Along with Rose, Noah, a healthy Deng (sounds kinda funny), and a great bench - these Bulls are no push-overs in the East.
- How much does Steve Nash regret signing that two year contract extension last season? You replace Stoudemire as your running-mate with Hakim Warrick. Yikes!
- How much longer before Bryan Colangelo gets fired? Over/Under 1.5 seasons?
- T-Wolves GM David Kahn replaces an automatic double-double in Al Jefferson with Darko Milicic and an enigmatic Michael Beasley. How did Kahn get his job? I believe his interview process involved a picture of a donkey, a cardboard cutout of its tail and a blindfold.
