Let’s go back to the start of this post… Chris Paul will not be a New Orleans Hornet next season. Every single potential owner knows this, and therefore Paul is not a compelling reason to buy the team. Getting something worthwhile is a compelling reason to buy the team.

In a three team deal the Hornets would have sent Paul to the Lakers, Pau Gasol to the Rockets and Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and a first-round pick to the Hornets. To me this isn’t a bad deal for the Hornets, who were a playoff team last season. The Hornets get three starters including a veteran leader, as well as a first round draft pick. I don’t see any better offers on the table, do you?

The true reason for the rejection of this trade is the fact that many NBA owners disapprove of it – stating that a major point of the lockout was to improve the competitive balance (which is a joke since it was really about money – otherwise a franchise tag would have been fought for). Owners are tired of the stars bolting small markets for large markets, and demanding trades. LeBron James left his hometown to play in Miami. Carmelo Anthony strong-armed the Nuggets to trade him to the Knicks. The major difference between the two scenarios: The Cavaliers got nothing in return, and the Nuggets got a nice package. Result: Cavs dropped to be the worst team in the NBA, while the Nuggets actually played better without Anthony.

Now this situation is different from the LeBron situation. The Cavs had a realistic shot of landing James and therefore it would be unheard of for them to trade James. The Hornets losing Paul for nothing would be similar to Orlando losing Shaq for nothing.

Getting something is always going to be better than getting nothing, and now it looks like the Hornets might get nothing. It has been reported that the Lakers have dropped out of the running for Paul.

The facts are simple – the NBA is never going to be competitively balanced unless: A) The league is contracted or B) Today’s college players all think like Kevin Durant.

Paul should be a Laker right now, although I did lose a ton of respect for a great player for the way he handled the situation.

[Photo Credit: thesportsbank.net via channel6newsonline.com]

• The division of revenues
• The structure of the salary cap system

I’m not sure what is more amazing: how much time was wasted with no progress and how it is even possible to talk for that long and get nowhere on the main issues or the fact that they can’t decide on how to split basketball related income.

The player’s want more money since they put their bodies at risk to play the game that makes the owners money. The owners want more money because most of them are operating their teams at a loss.

Several things stand out to me. Players say that the owners make money outside of the basketball related activities – well I guess the players have never heard of endorsement deals? Also, there is no way, no matter how good you are, any basketball player can deserve to make $12 million for playing 82 basketball games.

In retrospect, the owners are at the fault for this mess. The owners sign the ridiculous contracts that cause the teams to be operating at a loss. Now, they can’t decide not to offer the contracts because they basically created a norm.

What it all boils down to is the NBA will almost certainly not play at all this season – killing the very big momentum boost they gained last season. Hopefully, the NBA will be able to recover and improve similar to how the NHL has done after missing a season a few years ago.

[Photo Credit: Bettor.com]

I understand when they say they’re losing money and so forth. I get that. We said we’d give a certain amount of that money back. But some owners have to take the onus on themselves because they put themselves in a situation where they’re overpaying for certain guys.

Exactly, some owners do have to take the onus on themselves for overpaying certain guys. Antawn Jamison is a prime example. He is a good player, but not worth nearly the $15,076,715 he is going to make next season.

The NBA is getting out of hand with salaries. It is no wonder that 22 teams lost money last season and the total losses has exceeded $300 million the past three seasons. During last year’s free agency, the most popular phrase was “max deal.” Every team had cut the fat and reduced cap, to be able to throw it all away on 1-2 players with max deals.

NBA athletes are great athletes, but they don’t need to be making $15 million per year. The true stars could make $5 million in the NBA and then go for the greed with endorsement deals. If a player can’t survive on $5 million, they need to go back to school and take some money management 101 classes.

The proposed hard cap is a great idea, but for so many teams it is not feasible because of recent max deals. For instance, the Lakers, Heat and Knicks will be spending $40 million plus on only TWO players each season for the next three years.

What do you think about NBA Salaries, or athlete salaries in general?

[Photo Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux via ClubLakers.com]

Hate him or love him, LeBron James was a catalyst of the NBA revival. He was a headline machine over the past two plus seasons and it made the NBA relevant again. This season NBA ratings were at the highest level ever, surpassing the previous highs during the Jordan era.

This season saw an exciting Dunk Contest (finally), the rise of a young superstar (Derrick Rose), the first ever player to become a majority owner of a franchise (Jordan for the Charlotte Bobcats), one of the most exciting playoffs in a long time and a terrific Finals. Then the Cavs win the lottery in a huge way that made even a weak draft class exciting.

On the top of its game, the NBA was relevant and exciting. Then the CBA expires and the players are locked out. Luckily for the NBA, next season was the big free agent class and not this summer. The NBA needs to work quickly to avoid an impact to the season, otherwise it risks losing what it has worked so hard to regain – dedicated followers.

Does the NBA lockout seem like a buzz kill to you?

[Photo Credit: NationofBlue.com]

He never fails to entertain, whether its thanking his psychiatrist or riding a race car down the streets of LA. He is a less charismatic, just as quotable version of Shaq.

Thanks for the entertainment, Artest.

[Photo Credit: shavarross.com]

Dirk fought hard in the 4th Quarter, and the Mavs outscored the Heat 21-9 in the final 10:12 for an 86-83 victory. He looked fatigued for the majority of the game, but there was no question that he would play. Looking like he could barely catch his breath, Dirk was able to tie the Finals at 2 games each.

The grueling Heat defense held Dirk and Co. in check for most of the night, but the Mavs did not give in. Lebron mentioned in a Game 3 post game interview that the reason he wasn’t putting up higher offensive numbers is because he is taking a back seat to Wade in crunch time. Lebron stated that he felt his defense speaks for itself, and that is one thing I have to agree with. Lebron has done a phenomenal job on defense throughout the series, but I keep questioning him during the 4th quarter. If he is really the King, or wants the reputation the media has been handing him for the past 7 years, he needs to step up late in the game.

Nowitzki’s performance was far from Jordan-esque, but he did it the Jordan way, by silencing his opponent with his late game heroics. Dirk shot just 6-19, but hit 9-10 of his free throws, playing a large factor in the Mavs staying with the Heat throughout the game. Dirk finished the game with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 turnovers, while playing 39 minutes.

On the other end of the floor, the Big 3 didn’t seem like the same 3 we saw in the Miami victories. Though Bosh and Wade combined for 56 points on 22-39 shooting, we did not see much of them when it mattered most. Chris Bosh didn’t score for the last 6:54 of the game, missing 2 field goals, 2 crucial free throws, and stepping out of bounds right before the Mavs started its run. Lebron had another sub-par offense performance, shooting 3-11, and only making 4 trips to the line. The most action seen from Lebron in Game 4 was his relentless attempt to draw a foul every time he got the ball. Lebron had more flops in the game than the entire Scary Movie saga.

What was most surprising about coming into Game 4 was not Lebron James being criticized for his lack of offense in the 4th. It wasn’t Chris Bosh being looked at as a Finals MVP candidate because of 1 shot. It was the trash talk coming from the Mavs. Usually a team full of players who keep to themselves and shies away from celebrations, Jason Terry made a guarantee that there would be a Game 6 in Miami (This is the same player that got a tattoo of the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy on his right bicep). Terry held true to his word, and capped the game off with 2 clutch free throws with 6.7 seconds left.

The scary reality that Miami faces is that Dallas has not played its best game yet. Yes, the past 3 games have proved that the Mavs can strike at any time, but we have yet to see them play a consistent 4 quarters. If the Mavs do end up winning this series, Game 4 will be remembered as Dirk’s fever.

Thanks again John Roman for contributing this article.

Photo Credits:
NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using these photographs, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
Jason Terry Photo – Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
LeBron James Photo – (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Maybe it was fatigue. Maybe it was a change in momentum. Hell, maybe it was Lebron repetitively punching Wade in the chest with 5 minutes left. Whichever the Miami excuse, NBA fans cannot deny that this is one of the greatest NBA Finals playoff comebacks in recent memory. Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd, and Dirk combined to shoot 7-8 during the last 5 minutes and 45 seconds of the game. Miami shot 1-10 during this same stretch, including going 1-5 beyond the arc during the last 1:31 of the game.

Why did Miami insist on shooting so many 3s within the final minutes of the game? Was it because its players wanted to put the final dagger in the bruised up bodies of the aging Mavs? Maybe. But I have more reason to believe it was because the only thing the Heat players cared about was how to celebrate after the game.

Lebron, the proclaimed King, only managed to score 2 points during the final quarter Thursday night. (It’s not too late for Scottie Pippen to take back what he said about Lebron having a chance to be a greater player than MJ, as he was most likely caught up in the moment. I don’t think Jordan would have had this kind of playoff performance, especially in front of a home crowd).

The Heat led by as many as 15 during the 4th quarter, but the Mavs roared back. Dirk, Kidd, Marion, and Peja all realize that this may indeed be their last chance to win a ring. If you have watched this team during the playoffs, it’s hard to root against them. The 2011 Dallas Mavericks are one of the most resilient teams we have seen in the playoffs during the past 15 years. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Dirk is the main reason for this.

The Mavericks have proved the doubters wrong throughout the playoffs. One can argue that this team has been the underdog during each of the series it has played. It took Dallas 6 games to finish off the Blazers and many critics were discrediting the team’s series win (especially when it blew a 23 point lead in Game 6). But, Dallas shocked the world when it swept the defending 2 time champion Los Angeles Lakers. In that series, Dirk proved to have plenty of gas left in the tank, and Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic made 3 point shooting look easy (15-16 in Game 4), as the Lakers went home fishing.

The Thunder, who, behind the Lakers, many analysts were proclaiming the 2nd best team in the West for most of the season. Dirk and Company proved that the first 2 rounds of the playoffs were no fluke, and took the series in 5 games. Dirk made one ridiculous shot after the other in Game 5, and as he held that Conference Title Trophy above his head in front of the hyped Dallas crowd, we all were thinking the same thing. How good is this guy? Sure enough, the next week was full of debate, with each basketball analyst giving an opinion on Dirk. Some were calling him the most clutch player in the NBA, others were comparing him to Larry Bird. Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle went as far as to proclaim him a top 10 player of all time.

The biggest question that I had was where Dirk was during this time. After hoisting the Western Conference trophy with little enthusiasm, the Mav players quickly exited off the floor. Reporters were looking all over for them in hopes of getting an interview. When later questioned about the lack of celebration, Dirk responded, “All that celebration stuff. This is not what I play for, bro.”

Special thanks to John Roman for his first contributed article to MikesPickz

Photo Credit (both images via ESPN.com):
NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using these photographs, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Cavs now have the #1 and #4 overall picks in the 2011 NBA Draft, but unfortunately for them – this draft class is relatively weak. There are no LeBron James type players that will instantly turn around a franchise. The assumed #1 pick in the draft is Duke’s Kyrie Irving, but I think he is overhyped and will not live up to monster expectations.

Yes, he is talented. He is quick and knows how to get to the basket, but he is 19 years old and is basically coming out of high school. He only played 11 games for Duke this season, missing a majority of the season with a foot injury. There is tremendous risk associated with selecting him with the first overall pick.

The Cavs are in a predicament since they need a point guard, but if I were the Cavs, I’d pass on Irving and take Arizona’s Derrick Williams at number one and then follow up with Kentucky’s Brandon Knight or Connecticut’s Kemba Walker at number four.

The Cavs need a lot of work and having two top five picks is a great way to begin the rebuild process, but it won’t be an over night turn around.

Rounding out the top five picks were the Timberwolves with #2, the Jazz with #3 and the Raptors with #5.

[Photo Credit: Basketball.org]

Before the drastic change, the Knicks were 28-26. After the trade, albeit a small sample, the Knicks are 3-2. Although it is a small sample, a lot about the team can be extracted. Before the trade, the Knicks had signature home blow-out wins against playoff teams, most notably the Spurs on January 4th. They had dominant road wins against playoff teams, notably the Hornets on December 3rd. But they also had, bad road losses to horrible teams, notably the Cavs on December 18th. After the trade, the Knicks have had the same type of games – beating the Hornets in the Garden, beating the Heat in Miami, and losing to the Cavs in Cleveland.

One thing is consistent about the Knicks, they are inconsistent. Anthony and Billups drastically change the superficial look of the team, but at the core they are still the same. The trades didn’t address the Knicks main needs and for that reason, I don’t expect the Knicks to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals this season.

I will say this – the Knicks are exciting to watch because you never know what to expect.

Agree? Disagree? Comment Below

[Photo Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images via CBSNewYork.com]

Utah Jazz receive:
Derrick Favors (from New Jersey)
Devin Harris (from New Jersey)
2011 first-round pick (from New Jersey)
the Warriors 2012 first-round pick (from New Jersey)
$3 million cash (from New Jersey)

One could argue that this trade is better for the Nets than landing Carmelo Anthony and that it was a better deal than the one the Knicks just made to acquire Carmelo. I will argue both cases.

This deal is better for the Nets than landing Carmelo
The Nets had to give up less to get just as talented a player in a more important position. Anthony is a scorer (averaging 25.2 points per game), but Williams scores too (averaging 21.3 points per game). The differentiator is that Williams is a facilitator. He is third in the NBA in assists per game with 9.7. Williams is the ideal player to build a team around, because he makes the players around him better.

This deal was better than the deal the Knicks made
Both the Nets and the Knicks had to give up draft picks, cash and a highly regarded rookie, but the Nets did not have to give up more than half their starting line-up and they still have some valuable picks. The Nets essentially gave-up less to get an equal talent, and arguably a more valuable piece.

Not only do the Nets get a top NBA talent, they get the piece that can attract another star to New Jersey, soon to be Brooklyn. Rumors are the Nets will be going hard after Dwight Howard. If the Nets are able to get Howard with Williams in the near future, the Nets may be able to contend in the Eastern Conference once again. The Nets also made a smaller deal with the Golden State Warriors. They sent Troy Murphy to the Warriors for Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright. This smaller deal will ensure the Nets have cap room to go after another star.

While this deal is tremendous for the Nets, it is not perfect. The deal did not include Williams signing an extension and therefore he is still available to become a free agent at the end of the 2012 season. I do expect the Nets to do whatever they can to make sure he signs an extension.

The Nets aren’t all of a sudden contenders, but they are improved and just like the Knicks, its a step in the right direction.

[Photo Credit: theblowtorch.blogspot.com]