NBA On The Same Road As The NFL, Just A Different Direction

As the NFL finally takes the final junction off the lockout freeway, it appears that the traffic the NBA is enduring is not letting up anytime soon.

Since the start of July 1st 2011, the NBA has shut down its operation and players cannot have any contact with ownership or coaches. The talks to revive hopes of creating a new collective bargaining agreement have since dissipated into silence as both sides have no interest in resolving their issues in the near future.

On the other side of the spectrum, an agreement was finally reached after over 130 days went by since the NFL locked out its players. Realizing that the 2011 season could be lost if they didn’t work out their differences, both the player’s union and owners decided to bury the hatchet on squabbles and bring the public what they want: playing actual football this season.

Although the NFL was able to work out their differences during the longest lockout in the league’s history, a vision of compromise by both sides to end the lockout for professional basketball in America is much hazier at the moment.

The reasoning behind this issue is more understandable when looking from the perspective of the NBA players; they have multiple outlets to which they can produce an income and play basketball.

When it comes to visibility and popularity in sports on a global level, the guys that run on hardwood courts in shorts are bigger phenomenons than their helmet wearing, pigskin-playing athletic cohorts.

Football, arguably, is the most popular sport in America, but it is practically an unknown in discussions outside of U.S. soil. Americans undoubtedly know who Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Larry Fitzgerald, and Adrian Peterson are; but putting a name to a face would be like playing a game of “Guess Who” for anyone outside of the country.

The NBA, on the other hand, have standouts that are rock stars in other continents around the world. That is evident with the recent tournament held out in the Philippines, with the notable attractions being Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul. The event was a huge success, with the players bringing out huge crowds in a country they rarely, if ever, play in.

While the NFL has gone overseas (London) and south of the border (Mexico) to play various games during their regular season, the idea of seeing Manning and Peterson heading anywhere outside of the U.S. to play a tournament or a setup game is pointless because the appeal of their sport doesn’t cross over like the NBA’s does. Not only do mass quantities of players head from their native countries to play pro basketball in America, but Americans go to those same countries and play before foreign fans as well.

With this option in their back pocket, NBA players have alternatives that will allow them escape plans if the lockout continues to extend into the coming months. If the fans of the league want to watch their favorite players they are so fond of, they will most likely have to acquire international cable outlets to get a gander.

Deron Williams is already heading out to Turkey to play since the league appears nowhere near coming to a conclusion on their problems. Bryant appears to be pondering the notion of joining the Nets’ point guard and may ultimately sign on in the near future. Carmelo Anthony and Paul are also considering playing in China as their options during the lockout.

Others might even swap sports as a means of dealing with the break they get during this trying time.

Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love will be losing his basketball shoes and running barefoot atop millions of grains of sand. The former UCLA star will be heading to Manhattan for a pro volleyball tournament event in August, which may possibly lead to future events in the sport.

Now that the NFL lockout is over, another star from pro basketball is thinking about trying to see if he can get back into an activity he hasn’t gone through since college. Nate Robinson may be one of the smallest players in the league, but with a five-foot, nine-inch stature and a previous history as a two-sport stud (he played both football and basketball during his time at the University of Washington), the NFL could be his new calling if the shut down of the NBA lingers.

Given what is transpiring for the players in the NBA, they appear to be in a stronger position of shrugging off the ill-effects of not playing in their professional leagues more so than their football cohorts. The NFL and their players may have taken a lengthy period to reach an agreement, but the players understood that no other decent alternatives were available to combat the issue of trying to earn an income in another competitive football league.

All of these issues lead up to one conclusion for where the NBA lockout will be heading in the near future: stuck in neutral with no road leading to an exit.

Who Got The Better End Of The Key NBA Deals?

Thanks to the trade deadline, the NBA has a new theme with a line borrowed from “The Jefferson’s”:

“Movin’ on up, to the eastside…”

Carmelo Anthony is now a New York Knick, playing in the city that he grew up in and has been dying to play for since the Lakers ended the 2009-10 season. Not to be shown up with that move, the New Jersey Nets pulled off a stunning swap and nabbed Utah Jazz franchise star, Deron Williams.

These changes illustrates both teams need to improve quickly and become a squad that must be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.

Yet, did both teams come out their deals smelling like roses or could these transactions make them wilt in a year or two?

Here’s the complete breakdown of the Anthony trade (this was a three team trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves):

Knicks Get:

F Carmelo Anthony
G Chauncey Billups
F Corey Brewer
F/G Renaldo Balkman
F/C Shelden Williams
G Anthony Carter

Nuggets Get:

F Danilo Gallinari
G Raymond Felton
C Timofey Mozgov
F//G Wilson Chandler
Knicks 2014 1st Rounder
Two Second Round Picks
$3 Million Cash

Timberwolves Get:

C Eddy Curry
F/C Anthony Randolph
$3 Million Cash

For now, the Timberwolves will be excluded from this discussion (along with the fact that they receive little to nothing in the trade except money, an underdeveloped, big man in Randolph and the expiring contract of Curry).

The Knicks gave up most of their youth to get proven commodities. Anthony is a top ten player in the league who believes nothing can stop him from putting the ball in the hoop. He accomplishes this in multiple ways on the offensive end, a unique ability that no one on the New York team has. The attention he garners from the opposition will give Amar’e Stoudemire more space in the middle to flush dunks.

Billups is a battle-tested point guard who thrives off late game situations. While Felton will have more upside and continue to improve with more years in the league (he’s 26), he will never reach the merits that Billups has gotten throughout his career. With Anthony and Stoudemire monopolizing all the attention, the 34-year-old point guard won’t have to work hard to get open shots in Madison Square Garden.

Where the Knicks will hurt more is with their role players and their bench. Brewer will be a spark off the bench, but after him the options are thin. Balkman, Williams, and Carter are all averaging less than 17 minutes per game this season and will be asked to do more in New York.

The Nuggets will lose a cornerstone piece and his sidekick in Anthony and Billups, but now have a nice foundation to reconstruct their future. Felton (26), Mozgov (24), Chandler (23), and Gallinari (22) will be key components within that outlook. They will team up with many of their current young prospects (Aaron Afflalo and J.R. Smith are both 25 and Ty Lawson is 23) and their established stars (Nene Hilario, Kenyon Martin), making this one of the deepest teams in the West.

Despite that, nine role players will not win you a championship. Not to mention that having a player of Anthony’s caliber comes around once every ten to fifteen years, that’s if you are lucky (google the Nuggets history and check their star players). New York has been praying for redemption of historic greatness, and now have that in Stoudemire and Anthony.

Advantage: New York

Here’s the deal between the Nets and the Jazz:

New Jersey Gets:

G Deron Williams
F Brandan Wright
C Dan Gadzuric

Utah Gets:

G Devin Harris
PF Derrick Favors
Nets 2011 1st Rounder
Warriors 2012 1st Rounder

Golden State Gets:

F Troy Murphy

(Similar to the Anthony trade, this discussion will not include the Golden State Warriors.)

Williams joins a situation that is different from Anthony; he is now on a team that is nine games out of the playoff hunt. He does have a potent weapon in C Brook Lopez, who is only 22 and could develop into a counterpart that resembles the old Utah years with Carlos Boozer for a post option.

The Nets get a superstar who is third in the category of best all-around point guards (behind Chris Paul and Derrick Rose). They also finally acquire that centerpiece to build a team around in Williams. Since their last appearance in the 2003 NBA Finals with their Jason Kidd-led team, the Nets have been in need of a first tier player to return to greatness.

If Wright can ever stay healthy, get consistent playing time and regain the supreme talent that made him a top prospect at North Carolina, he could be the steal of this trade for the Nets. The Warriors were skeptical about keeping a player on board with so much promise in F Ekpe Udoh, but their loss is the Nets gain. Gadzuric is picked up because of his expiring contract.

Utah understood that when Jerry Sloan left, their franchise would have to detour in a new direction. Getting rid of Williams was in their future scheme, but premature in its timing.

Harris is a speedy point guard who can zip around the court, as if he’s built with light speed. Utah will most likely pattern their offense into an uptempo, up-and-down style team that fits the way their new point guard plays. While he doesn’t have the size or the range that Williams is armed with, he does have a great feel for the game and can distribute the ball just as well as the top point guards in the league.

Like Wright, Favors could end up being the jackpot of this move for the Jazz. At the age of nineteen, this forward has the body type and raw talent that could make him an impact big man within the next five years. Surrounding him with the likes of Al Jefferson, Paul Milsap, and Andrei Kirilenko will help him fine tune his game steadily instead of stunting his growth by playing him big minutes as an under-developed post player.

The other possible big payoff down the road may be the two first round picks. New Jersey’s will most likely remain a lottery pick in the 2011 Draft. They will also have their pick, which could possibly also get lottery draw, giving them a chance to land two top ten picks this year. They may have that same situation in 2012, with the Warriors pick in hand with their own next season.

New Jersey will love having Williams be the face of the team, but with the length of his tenure in doubt(he could become a free agent after next season), it’s hard to imagine a player of that caliber sticking around if he doesn’t have the right parts around him. The promise of Favors and the two picks in the next two years is too appetizing to not like if you are the Jazz, but getting Harris in the deal is the cherry that tops the cake.

Advantage: Utah Jazz

Despite the contradiction of who won and lost in these moves, the Nets and the Knicks are as happy as Kenny Smith when Blake Griffin won the NBA Slam Dunk contest. Both teams get a significant star that are icons in the NBA.

Owners James Dolan and Mikhail Prokhorov have got to be dancing like George Jefferson with their new acquisitions and singing a new tune in their mind…

“We’re movin’ on up…”

Deron Williams Back-Flips Off A Cliff

Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams has some pretty flashy moves on the court but off the court, he do some pretty amazing stuff as well.

Check out this amateur video shot at Sand Hollow resort in Southern Utah which appears to show Deron doing a back-flip into the water:



(Courtesy of That NBA Lottery Pick)