The aftermath of the Cleveland Cavaliers' premature departure from the 2009 NBA Playoffs is starting to come into view, with Anderson Varejao talking about opting out and Ben Wallace pondering retirement. In the mean time, fans and journalists alike are wondering about free agent and trade options that could not only ensure LeBron's James' continued love for his home town, but also help him get to the Promised Land next year . . .you know, the land everyone seemed to promise the Cavs would be now: The NBA Finals.
The New Hampshire News-Herald offers up a buffet of interesting options, two of which actually make a degree of sense.
First up is Shaquille O'Neal. The is, of course, part of the ongoing speculation that the Suns will deal Shaq (or Amar'e or Nash) in order to cut costs. The idea is that the Cavs would reopen negotiations that were going on around the trade deadline, sending Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavolivic to Phoenix, where Wallace could retire and save the Suns a ton of money. It also means they're looking for a center, as no one believes Robin Lopez is ready to start, but it would give them the freedom to pursue a less expensive option. Having Shaq would certainly give the Cavs a valuable weapon against the Orlando Magic next season.
The second suggestion is, perhaps, even more likely. Tyson Chandler was actually traded at the trade deadline, but some questions about his health saw the Oklahoma City Thunder rescind the trade at the last minute. Chandler has since had surgery and should be healthy for training camp. Ben Wallace's deal is close enough to Chandler's to make this very possible for both sides, though the Hornets, like the Suns, would also be faced with the challenge of finding a starting center. It's clear that Hilton Armstrong isn't ready for the job.
Another name that's being kicked around in this search is Chris Bosh, which is almost certain to be a red herring. Bosh is extremely happy with the success the Toronto Raptors enjoyed at the end of the season, and feels that Shawn Marion might be the piece they've been missing to evolve into a solid playoff team. Marion and his agent have had lengthy discussions with Raptors brass, and the feeling is mutual that they'll get something worked out. Don't expect them to even consider dealing Bosh this summer unless the Marion talks completely fall apart.
Finally, the News-Herald suggests that Carlos Boozer might be a prime target for the Cavs. That suggestion, of course, is completely absurd, as Boozer's exit from Cleveland was anything but amiable. The chances that the Cavs welcome him back with open arms are about as good as the chances of Bill Laimbeer and Michael Jordan sharing a meal around Christmas. (NIL)
It's all speculation at this point, of course. Teams are neck-deep in the draft process right now and won't really start thinking about trades and free agency until the picks are made. Still, it's interesting to look at trades that almost happened at the deadline and speculate as to how likely they are to be revived once the trade embargo lifts in July.
Up Close With Gani Lawal
The 2009 NBA Draft is destined to be remembered as a point guard draft, even though the top pick will be a big man in Blake Griffin. After Griffin, there are projected to be as many as six point guards taken in the rest of the Top 10. One reason for that is the fact that it takes big men a little longer to grow and develop . . .with special emphasis on the word grow. It doesn't mean there aren't quality big men to be had, it just means they're going to get picked by teams who are thinking more long-term than short-term. One player who will benefit from such a mentality is Georgia Tech power forward Gani Lawal.
"You know, when I was a kid I dreamed about being in the NFL," Lawal tells HOOPSWORLD. "That's my first love. I didn't start playing basketball until I was eleven or twelve, so I was a late bloomer. As I got older and continued to get better, I started to love it more. By the time I got to high school I knew I could only really focus on one sport and I knew I was good at basketball, so I stuck with it. When college coaches started coming around I really started working hard and got better and that's how it all happened. But my first love is still football."
Ultimately, peer pressure, as much as anything else, got Lawal interested in the round ball. His friends encouraged him to join a local team, and the coach of that team too an immediate liking to Lawal.
"My youth coach, a guy by the name of Tyrone Bell, was the first person who really made me believe I could be good at basketball. My friends told me I should try out for his squad. I'm still close to him today and we talk all of the time. He was kind of like my first basketball coach. He always pushed me and he was tough, and he was just a good guy."
Ultimately, he helped prepare Lawal for the challenge of playing for coach Paul Hewitt and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Though he spent only two seasons in the college ranks before declaring for this year's draft, Lawal says he grew a lot in that short period of time.
"I grew a lot in college. Coach Hewitt puts a lot of influence on individual development. He was very precise on developing small things in your game, so I learned to be an effective player in the post. He taught me to read defenses, have a plan in the post so I know what I'm going to do when I get the ball. I've grown leaps and bounds from the time I came out of high school until now."
The results are clear, as Lawal went from averaging 7.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks as a freshman Yellow Jacket to averaging 15.1 points, 9.5 boards and 1.5 blocks in year two. Coaching was a big part of that, as was work ethic and determination.
"I'm really going to work," says Lawal. "It's not just cliché. Give me an opportunity and I'm going to work hard, play hard, and do what you ask me to do. I'm going to be coachable and I'm going to play to win. Whatever you need me to do in your scheme, I'm going to do it."
Of course, making the jump to the NBA is more difficult than going from your freshman to sophomore year of college. The learning curve for young big men is a steep one, and Lawal hopes he gets the chance to play with a star who can help him learn quickly.
"I would love to play with any great point guard. Chris Paul . . .any great point guard. Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, even LeBron James or Kobe Bryant - I could learn a lot just by being around those guys every day. I'd love to see what they do on and off the court, their preparation, I think it would help me tremendously to be around guys like that."
So far, so good for Lawal, who has found inspiration to play harder as the people watching him begin to include some of the games true legends.
"It's pretty cool," admits Lawal, who has worked out in front of the likes of Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, Don Nelson, and George Karl over the past week. "I've watched these guys in the playoffs on ESPN Classic, and realize they're legendary players and coaches and it's really kind of surreal. They're all right there, all in one place at the same time, and they're all watching me. A lot of guys probably wouldn't admit it, but I will. You have a little extra pop in your step when you're in front of those guys because you want to impress. That's what we're here for. You want to impress, do well, and showcase what you've got."
With that kind of attitude, there's little question that Gani Lawal will be able to have an impact on an NBA team in need of front court help. If not right away, then certainly in the near future . . .even if football was his first love.
Reggie Miller On LeBron's Getaway Move
Reggie Miller isn't often mentioned in the same breath with the top Hall-Of-Famers of all time, but anyone who followed his NBA career knows he was one of the top clutch performers is the history of the NBA. He didn't ring up championships like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Larry Bird, but if he had the ball with the game on the line he delivered more often than not. One thing he never did was walk away without acknowledging his opponent, even after a loss, so Dan Patrick asked him what he thought of LeBron James' disappearing act after the Orlando Magic eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
"I didn't lose any respect," said Miller. "I'm sure a lot of people are weighing in, are saying they lost a little bit of respect. Was it bad sportsmanship? Yes. In the heat of the moment, having been there, he's disappointed, he's carried this franchise, and in that series he carried his team and they came up short. I can see his disappointment. Is he wrong? Yes, but in the heat of the moment, I can see where he's coming from.
"After the game, even if he blew off the media, he should have immediately walked down to the Magic locker room and went in there, and walked up to Dwight and congratulated him. I would have been cool with that, but not say anything, go straight to the bus, straight to the airport and then not speak until, I guess it was yesterday. That's the only issue I have with it. Him walking off and not really shaking anybody's hands, I mean, it's tough."
It was especially surprising that LeBron didn't even offer Dwight Howard a word of congratulations, if not encouragement, considering the two won a Gold Medal together in Olympic competition last summer. LeBron sent Dwight a text after the fact, but Miller says that was too late.
"I say he's wrong for doing that. To send a text later…that's kind of like breaking up with your girlfriend over text, I mean, what is a text? That could have been from Maximus, his son. Right? You really don't know that originated from LeBron. So, it's very impersonal. He's wrong for doing that. I'm sure in hindsight he probably wishes he would have marched down to the Magic locker room and actually went in there and congratulated Dwight."
If LeBron had done at least that much, he could have been forgiven for skipping out on the mandatory post-game media session. As it is, LeBron left everyone questioning his heart and his sportsmanship, a sad blemish on what was otherwise a brilliant postseason run for LeBron and the Cavaliers.
Listen to Reggie Miller on The Dan Patrick Show
NBA Rumors Chat Tomorrow!
HOOPSWORLD Executive Editor Steve Kyler will be holding his weekly Rumors chat on Wednesday at 1:00 PM Eastern, so get ready to pick his brain about where Chris Bosh, Shawn Marion, and even Dwyane Wade might end up this summer and beyond. Steve's chats fill up fast, so drop your questions in now to make sure he gets to them.
