01/28/07 NBA Rankings based on Strength of Schedule

01/28/07 NBA Rankings based on Strength of Schedule

Isiah Bets On “Pocket Jacks”, Again

I have longed considered Thomas’ player acquisition style as someone playing a high-stakes card game. Perhaps I might have to consider whether Isiah sees himself more as a poet or Scrabble player. Since he’s been in charge of the Knicks, he has acquired:

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Mets Chop Chipper-less Braves

Jones’ absence essentially ended any real chance the Braves had in the series, to catch the division-leading Mets or possibly a Wild Card spot. The sweep allows the Mets to put a history of Braves' dominance behind, even if only for the year.

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Knicks Not Rich Enough To Afford Butler

This proved to be a double-edged sword, in that the contracted amount is low enough to demonstrate the predicament Thomas is in, as far as “salary cap and luxury tax hell”. If the contract was for, what many deem to be the fair market value for a decent or unproven NBA, somewhere in the range of $5million for 3 years then the Knicks not matching would be more palatable.

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The WNBA Lifestyle?

The league’s problem is not that it lacks an identity or relevance, to the point where the predominant post-commentary on the All-Star game was an impromptu dunk contest, where most of the players failed to get it in. If lack of interest for such an exhibition game was the death knell to a league, then the NFL would be in great peril, as probably would MLB.

The answer lies equally in what is exhibited during the competition, as much as what female athletes do in their private lives. Last year, Sheryl Swoopes announced that she was in a lesbian relationship. That type of story could have served - and probably was hoped to become – a beacon into the WNBA life. Instead after a few weeks of minor discussion it faded because the viewing public made a distinction between lifestyle and personal space.

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Will Knicks Quit on the Quick?

Can summer league success carry over into the regular season? This brings us back the question of talent and where exactly the Knicks are. Did they quit on their coach last season? By all accounts and specifically because of the results of the Larry Brown era – I mean season, of 23 wins and 59 losses.

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Who’s Zooming Who?

by Guichard Cadet

The New York Knicks are 0-3 after Sunday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. It is also quite evident they are confused and running scared like the gang that shot Cyrus. For those unfamiliar with the cult classic flick (The Warriors) from 1979, understand that the Knicks are heading to the west coast for a six-game road trip. By the time they come home, it might get uglier than it currently has.

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RJ: The Next Scottie Pippen?

By Guichard Cadet


I have often wondered why no player is referred to as “the next Scottie Pippen”. The man has 6 championship rings with the same team and served as the complement to one of the NBA’s greatest of all-time. Perception is the problem; and it states that if Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were a sandwich, they would be a BLT. In that type of setup, Michael is the meat and Scottie can be no more than a complement – a mere vegetable.

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Stern Warning

Societal Implications of the NBA Dress Code

By Guichard Cadet

This past week NBA Commissioner David Stern put on his “throwback” thinking cap and legislated a dress code for the league. Opinions ranged the gamut, with personal preference dictating which side of the issue one took.

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Big Man Hunting

by Guichard Cadet


Fast forward to the 2004 off-season and nearly everyone is lambasting Isiah for overpaying to acquire Jamal Crawford. On its own merit, the signing is not as bad as some have made it out; but coupled with getting Eddy Curry, the Crawford signing is simply pure genius.

The Eddy Curry signing can be broken down to this simple equation. If a close friend moves to a city and tells you life is lovely there, and you've been itching to move away from home – What do you do? You find a way to move there. I am not saying Bulls GM Paxson did not overplay his hand in dealing with Curry’s heart injury and contract negotiation. It’s just that he may have joined the card game a bit too late to know who was in cahoots with whom.

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Nothin' But Nets: In-Vince-Ability

It is sad to say but Vince Carter is truly the piece that will get move to acquire such a big man.Carter fills the one major void that any floundering team looks at when willing to trade a superstar level big. He has drawing power and the offensive skill-set to bring most teams to playoff contention – provided the teams has a solid plan.

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Nothin' But Nets: The Battle for New York (part 2)

Back in April I wrote an article on how sports teams jockey for position in the New York / New Jersey area. Yesterday, the New Jersey Nets took the next step in their quest to enhance their presence in this battlefield.

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Nothin' But Nets: Nets Get Physical!!!

At the 4 & 5 the Nets have offensive talent (Krstic), bangers (Collins and Jackson) and outside threats (Robinson, Padgett and Murray).

Still not convinced? Why make all these moves when the team could have simply signed SAR? SAR at the mid-level or slightly above for 5 years would be impossible to trade, whereas any of the recent acquisitions can be packaged for what will eventually be Thorn’s biggest move.

read entire article at http://nets.mostvaluablenetwork.com/

Alternate Side of the Streak Hitting

by Guichard Cadet

In mimicking this city regulation, the Mets only hit for a few games or series at a time. In the month of August, they had 140 runs scored while giving up 104, but only earned a record of 16 wins against 12 losses. They ended up winning only 4 out 9 series.

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Willie, Mets Chase: Wild Card or Wild Goose

by Guichard Cadet

It really is time for an adjustment or else the progress the rest of the team has made will result in a Wild Goose chase instead of a Wild Card spot.

Everyone wants Aaron Heilman as a starter next year. The best thing to do would be to use him as the closer instead. If we can't get rid of Looper, then he could be the setup man.

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Lastings Effect

Although fame is often fleeting, for some it has a lasting effect as to how they live the rest of their lives when the glare of the spotlight disappears. Lastings Milledge is the product of a faded glow, one which has not only disappeared for his father, but also his older brothers – all of whom had MLB aspirations.

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Mets Reach Breaking Point

by Guichard Cadet

This year they should not be fooled by their record. The Mets must go into a selling frenzy, and take back prospects in exchange to dumping the salaries of 3 specific players: Braden Looper, Kaz Ishii and Kaz Matsuii.

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Isiah’s Q: Trading Ariza the High-Riser?

by Guichard Cadet

Individually all three draft picks were solid, as was the acquisition of Quentin (Q) Richardson. Yet, except for Frye who is expected to log in minutes at the center position, the new pick-ups were a replication of filled positions. Unless Thomas pulls the trigger on a trade involving Trevor Ariza, the Knicks have a log jam at four positions.

Ariza’s rookie season has raised the expectations of Knicks fans. He is a swing player whose upside could be equal to that of The Truth, better known as Paul Pierce. Or, he can become another high-riser without a consistent jumper or handle to dominate at either the Shooting Guard or Small Forward position.

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2005 NBA Playoffs: Face The Music

by Rob King

Renowned poet and musician Gil Scott Heron said that Black people never die in scary movies because they can hear the music that forecasts imminent danger. As soon as they hear the ominous melodies they respond accordingly.

As we all know a series does not begin until the home team loses. After watching four games where only the home team bothered to show up, fans and viewers were finally treated to competitive contests in games five and six. Game 5 featured Horry’s heroics, while Game 6 turned into Rasheed’s redemption.

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Being Mike Tyson

by Guichard Cadet

But this past Saturday night, Tyson went from Iron Mike to becoming the major irony confronting people of color worldwide. He gave up fighting a white opponent, though he was ahead in points. Stating that he was too old for this, he validated the major socio-political stance of today’s youth. Fighting racism is a meaningless battle, especially when it is against an invisible opponent, or one who has no clue of your history.

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Larry Brown and American Basketball On Trial, Again

by Guichard Cadet

Oddly enough right after the first loss in Greece, Larry Brown had begun separating his coaching and reputation as the reason for the team’s losses. LB is a great coach who has won in various situations, and on so many levels. He is to American basketball, what management consultants, in their heyday, were to American business. These specialists are change agents, charged with correcting a particular process that has either gone awry or failed to produce the desired result. LB and other consultant-types have generic systems they apply to all problems.

The problem with American basketball is one that can never be fixed. It is part of the sport’s evolutionary process. Larry Brown either did not realize or respect the types of weapons he had at his disposal – the combination of Speed and Power. Two players – Amare Stoudemire and Emeka Okafor - epitomized this change, and they received the least amount of playing time.

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Canadian Sun Set, or Miami On Ice?

by Rob King

Dr. James Naismith would be proud to see the remarkable run of his fellow country man and regular season MVP Steve Nash. Over the past four games Canadian son, Steve Nash surpassed Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan, becoming the first player in NBA history with four consecutive playoff games of at least 25 points and 10 assists. The nasty Nash show recorded this feat in the final two contests of the Dallas series and the first two games of the Conference finals against San Antonio.

Nash’s run will conclude quickly unless Phoenix can rise from the ashes and get back into their Western Conference series with the Spurs that resumes tonight. After dropping the first two games on their home floor, the Suns are confronted with the challenge of having to win tonight to prevent the Spurs from putting a stranglehold on the series.

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