HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

HOOPSWORLD’s Senior NBA Analyst Tommy Beer takes you through his weekly musings on the National Basketball Association in his latest installment of The NBA Six Pack…
 
1. Isiah Thomas Drama Overblown…
Waking up on Sunday morning, I was prepared for just about anything.  With the incessant Carmelo Anthony rumors reaching a fever pitch on Friday and Saturday, I honestly don’t think I would have been shocked if I logged onto my computer and found out that Melo had been traded to New Jersey for Derrick Favors, Jay-Z, Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian, and 14 future first-round picks.  As we are all well aware, the MeloDrama had spiraled out of control, each us likely expecting the unexpected.
 
However, I have to admit I was not prepared to see one individual’s name dominating the early morning headlines/tweets…  No, I was not expecting to see ‘Isiah Thomas’ trending on twitter the morning of the 2011 NBA All-Star game, and in the middle of a heated Carmelo Anthony news cycle.  Yet, there it was. 
 
Late Saturday night, Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski posted a piece quoting "one front office executive" who claimed that Isiah was calling the shots in New York.  Shortly thereafter, others media members piggybacked and the story exploded.  The columns and articles were all over the web: Isiah Thomas is secretly running the Knicks!?!  Dolan and Isiah are negotiating directly with the Nuggets, undercutting Donnie Walsh?!  By noontime, outrage and panic had swept over New York City.
 
It was almost comical.  I don’t mean to imply Knicks fans would be wrong to be distraught if Isiah had actually weaseled his way back to the top of the MSG hierarchy.  If that ever did happen, it would be a catastrophe, no two ways about it.  If Zeke ever did start calling the shots again, the Knicks would soon slide right back into the depths of despair they found themselves in during Thomas’ failed reign in NYC.  It would be hard to imagine any scenario in which Isiah didn’t run the Knicks back into the ground shortly after seizing control, even after all the amazing work the diligent Donnie Walsh has done to return the Knicks to respectability. 
 
However, there is still no convincing evidence Isiah has shoved Donnie out the door.  The proof is in the pudding: The Knicks are over .500 and under the luxury tax threshold.  The Knicks have a winning record, and a promising future that includes cap flexibility.  That simple fact, in and of itself, proves Isiah has NOT been involved in the major decisions made at MSG over the last few seasons.
 
Nearly as soon as the ‘controversy’ erupted, it quickly lost steam.  The Knicks issued a joint statement from owner James Dolan, Donnie Walsh, and Mike D’Antoni which stated: "…the three of us are in complete agreement with everything that we are currently working on. Together, we will do what is best for the long-term success of the franchise. In addition, we want to make it clear that no one from outside our organization has been involved in this process in any way. We will have no further comment at this time."     
 
Look, I certainly am not naïve enough to claim that Isiah is not "involved" with the Knicks.  For whatever reason, Dolan loves Isiah – always has, always will.  That won’t change.  But that’s not the point.  Donnie Walsh has done things his way since the moment he was hired.  That is why the Knicks were able to escape salary cap hell and pursue superstars last summer.  There is an important distinction to be made here: Dolan (not Donnie) values Isiah’s input. 
 
Isiah’s involvement is limited to simply giving Dolan bad advice, which Donnie Walsh then ignores.  Again, the proof lies in the list of transactions Donnie has made since he landed in New York.  They have been the antithesis of the type of trades and free-agent signings Thomas would have made.  Donnie has improved the team in the short-term while also keeping an eye on the big picture.  The Knicks progression from laughingstock to respectable playoff team is verification of Isiah’s non-involvement.

Some now claim that the Knicks inclusion of several promising assets and picks in the Carmelo trade is proof that Isiah and Dolan overruled Walsh.  Is this the ‘smoking gun’ that proves Isiah is now in charge?  I am not buying it.  The trade was a solid move for the Knicks, as I detailed here earlier this morning.

New York was able to hold onto Landry Fields and was also able to pry former lottery pick Corey Brewer from the T-Wolves.  In addition, the Knicks did not send out a multitude of unprotected first-round picks, which had always been an Isiah trademark.  Moreover, New York was able to trade for Carmelo without taking back a cap-killing contract.  I thought for sure the Nuggets would have forced New York to take back either Al Harrington or Chris Anderson as a form of ‘trade tax’ for the right to add Carmelo.  Avoiding adding Harrington was shrewd move, and has Donnie’s fingerprints all over it. 
   
This whole controversy could be quieted if Dolan has the common sense to sign Walsh to an extension before April 30th.  That will be a true tell-tale sign.  If Donnie isn’t offered a contract extension, then it may be time for Knicks fans to hit the panic button. 
 
 
2. Will Social Media Impact the NBA Lockout?
Sunday January 23rd, 2010… That may be the day we look back on as the ‘tipping point.’  The day from which there was no turning back…  After spending years at the margins of sports culture, social media finally became part of the story – if not the main story on that particular day. 
 
The Chicago Bears were taking on the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship that Sunday afternoon.  During the first half, Bears QB Jay Cutler injured his left knee, which kept him sidelined for the remainder of the contest.  Cutler was seen sitting on the bench throughout the second half, as the Bears tried in vain to comeback on Green Bay, and were forced to use their second and eventually third-string QB’s. 
 
At the time, the extent of the injury was unknown.  However, that did not stop Cutler’s peers, fellow NFL players past and present, from lambasting him via Twitter.  Countless players questioned his toughness.  Maurice Jones-Drew called him a quitter.  Raheem Brook called him a "little sissy."  Deion Sanders questioned his heart. 
 
As it turns out, Cutler wasn’t faking an injury.  He had suffered a sprained MCL, an injury which typically sidelines most players 3-6 weeks.  Nonetheless, it was already too late to go back and redact or delete those insults.  The tweets had already spread like wildfire across the web.  Sports talk radio and ‘mainstream’ media had a field day with the controversy, as it generated endless debate.  No matter where you stood on the subject, one thing was undeniable: Social media had become the story, almost more so than the outcome of the game itself in the days that followed. 
 
So, what in the world does all this have to do with a potential work stoppage in the National Basketball Association?  The link here is professional athletes speaking their mind in an unfiltered forum from the comfort of their own home.  If I am a higher-up in the player’s union, this worries me a great deal.  All players in the NBA, or any professional sport for that matter, are trained and essentially programmed from a very early age to spit out trite clichés and give boring answers to any questions directed at them.  When a player is approached in a locker room by a swarm of reporters with microphones extended, his defenses automatically go up.  However, when riding with a buddy to mall, or sitting on the tarmac at an airport, or lounging in the VIP section of a club – all with a cell phone in hand, those self-defensive barriers are no longer an issue.  Thus, there is a much greater chance that he’ll tweet something, um, unconventional let’s say. 
 
{AUTHOR_BOX}Now, if there is work stoppage, or even the legitimate threat of one, both sides (both the players and the owners) will urged by their leadership to present a united front.  If said stoppage drags out for an extended period, will a contingent of hundreds of players be able to stay ‘on message?’  We can assume 30 or so owners will likely keep quiet.  And keeping quiet, so as not to sway public opinion in the other direction, is the name of the game in these situations. 
 
But with the majority of NBA players on Twitter, and some tweeting dozens of times per day, the likelihood is greatly increased that a stray tweet pertaining to money (or lack thereof), or about how the poor players are being mistreated by the greedy owners, becomes pertinent news.
 
Fortunately for the NBA, the NFL is likely going to have to deal with their labor issues first.  An NFL lockout seems probable at this point, so it will be interesting to see how the NFL player union hierarchy handles this ‘social media’ issue.  Stay tuned…   
 
3. Second Half NBA Games to Watch
A handful of games to circle on your calendar over the coming weeks and months:

New York Knicks at Miami HEAT – February 27:
The Oscars will have some unexpected competition for viewers on Sunday night.  All of a sudden, this old rivalry may be renewed with a new cast of characters.  Carmelo matched up with LeBron… Billups bellying up with Wade… Amar’e and Bosh squaring off… Plenty to get excited about.   

Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder – February 27:
The Lakers are reeling and OKC will be rocking, as they are treated to an encore of one of the more entertaining and exciting first-round matchups in recent NBA history.  Last season the Thunder were the lovable underdog upstarts; however, expectations have been ramped up for this young Thunder squad.   These two teams could end up meeting up in a best-of-seven this Spring as well, this time in the semi-finals.  Which Lakers squad shows up in the second half of this NBA season?  Kobe showed on Sunday night in the All-Star game that he still has plenty left in the tank.
 
Miami HEAT at Cleveland Cavs (Part II) – March 29:
The first time LeBron returned to Cleveland, the apocalypse was predicted.  Extra security was provided by both state police and the league.  Sale of alcohol was prohibited.  There was a genuine fear of what might happen if LeBron clapped his chalk.  The media crunch at the arena was similar to an NBA Finals Game 7. .. This time around, the novelty will have worn off, but Clevelanders will be no less upset, particularly considering the Cavs have lost more home games in two months than they did over the last two years with LeBron wearing wine and gold.  Could be an ugly situation, especially if the Cavs get blown out of the building again.   
 
Boston Celtics at San Antonio Spurs – March 31:
The C’s and the Spurs have clearly been the two best teams in their respective conferences all season long.  And these two veteran squads boast some of the league’s most battle-tested and clutch performers.  Accordingly, we could very well be looking at a preview of the 2011 NBA Finals. 
 
4. Dunks of the Week:
A great slow-mo video clip of what was, for my money, the most impressive and original dunk in the 2011 contest:
 
* This DeMar DeRozan dunk wasn’t far behind…
 
* And Ibaka dunking from the foul line was incredible as well.
 
* How about every dunk in every dunk contest ever? Ask and you shall receive, courtesy of Hoopism.com
 
* Or, if you’d prefer, the top 70 missed dunks from 26 years of NBA slam dunk contest history

* I know we should focus on the NBA, but this dunk by this Louisville kid may very well be the dunk of the year in the NCAA

* But, the worst made dunk in the contest’s history?  Allan Houston holds the crown.  Not even a close second.  Skip to the :43 second mark of this video
 
5. Tweets of the Week 

@MagicJohnson Congrats to @carmeloanthony and the NY Knicks. Get ready Big Apple…a championship is coming in a couple of years!
 
@darrenrovell The only video u have to see today: Landry Fields tries to sell his own jersey @ Modell’s http://is.gd/0Q9jQy
 
@russbengtson Craig Sager = The Purple Mamba (in reference to Sager’s jacket at All-Star)
 
@sbnation: Never seen an NBA player air-ball a dunk? Andray Blatche to the rescue! http://youtu.be/E3Wh0yAhyqc 
 
 
6. Elias Sports Bureau Stats of the Week (All-Star Edition)
* Kobe Bryant was named MVP of the NBA All-Star game played at the STAPLES Center on Sunday night. Bryant became the seventh player in the last 44 years to be named MVP of an All-Star game that was played in his own home arena. The others to do that over that span were Jerry West (1972 at the Great Western Forum), Michael Jordan (1988 at Chicago Stadium), Karl Malone and John Stockton (co-MVPs in 1993 at the Delta Center) and Shaquille O’Neal, who did it twice (2004 at the STAPLES Center and 2009 at US Airways Center).
 
* From Elias: LeBron James registered 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to become the second player to record a triple-double in an NBA All-Star game (Michael Jordan 1997). James has now scored 20-or-more points in each of his last six All-Star games, the longest such streak for any player in NBA history. LeBron shared the record with Oscar Robertson, who scored 20+ points in five consecutive All-Star games from 1961 to 1965, going into this year’s contest.
 
* Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant appeared on the same side in an All-Star game for the 12th time on Sunday night. That is the most times appearing in an All-Star game as teammates for any two players in NBA history. Duncan and Bryant were tied with Dolph Schayes and Bob Cousy for the top spot with 11 All-Star appearances as teammates prior to Sunday’s contest.