Bleacher Report - Articles by Jeffrey Kee

Are the Dallas Mavericks, With Jason Kidd, the Real Deal?

Jeffrey Kee — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:26:51 -0500

There is a lot of buzz surrounding the Dallas Mavericks after they finally traded for Jason Kidd. They will now have to answer questions like "can the Mavericks win the West?" and "how will the Jason Kidd trade make them a better team?"

The Mavericks will have to prove that they are contenders and that they are the real deal, but the question is, are they?

There is not doubt about it, trading for Jason Kidd makes the Dallas Mavericks a better basketball team.

But how much better are they? Are they good enough to win the West? Are they now the best team in the league?

My answer to that is no.

In the trade, the Mavericks gave up two key players in Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop. Now, as far as racking up the assists and rebounds, Kidd dominates Harris in that category. But Harris is a much better offensive player then Kidd; over the last couple of years, Kidd has shown that he cannot make a jumper to save his life. Defending the point guard would not be too hard for the opposing guard and thereby they can assert themselves more on offense.

They also gave up Diop, a primarily defensive center. You might ask, how is giving up Diop for Kidd a bad thing for the Mavericks? The answer is size.

Diop is a seven foot, 280 lbs and uses his big body to guard the post and intimidate players from driving to the hole. With Diop gone, the Mavericks will now have to play small ball, with Erick Dampier as their only real center. And suppose he goes down with an injury, when what?

Compared to the other trades in the West, teams like the Lakers and the Suns traded for size. If the Mavericks were to meet either of these teams in the playoffs, they would lose. If they played the Lakers, Dallas would have to go up against a starting lineup consisting of four players 6'10” or more. If they played the Suns, they would have to deal with a starting lineup of two players who are about seven feet.

The Mavericks are a better team. They will make it passed the first round of the playoffs and they will win at least 50-55 games, possibly even 60.

But pound for pound, they will not be able to match up with some of the bigger teams in the west, and even the East.

The Jason Kidd trade does not make the Mavs the real deal.

Washington Wizards: Midseason Report Card

Jeffrey Kee — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:09:26 -0500

Caron Butler

Butler's performance this year has been nothing less than spectacular, averaging about 21 points with seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. His play and determination on the court have energized the team.

Having lost seven straight games without him (due to a hip injury), it is now confirmed: the Wizards need Butler to win.

Grade: A+

Antawn Jamison

Jamison, like Butler, is having an impressive year. Averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds, he has not only played with consistency but has also stepped up in the absences of Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. Jamison gets all of his teammates involved and is really becoming a leader for his team.

Grade: A+

Gilbert Arenas

Well, he’s missed all but eight games this season, in which he’s averaged 22 points with six assists and five rebounds. Since Arenas has functioned mainly as a spectator these past three months, there’s really little to evaluate here.

Grade: I (incomplete)

Brendan Haywood/ Roger Mason

Both of these players are having great seasons. Haywood is averaging career highs in both points and rebounds, while Mason is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Their aggressive offense, developed over the last couple of weeks, has demonstrated excellent reliability.

Grade: B

Antonio Daniels

Floor leader Daniels has averaged career highs in assists, while chipping in nine points a game. He attacks the basket and regularly sets up teammates for open looks.

Daniels has shown that he can play in the clutch, hitting a key shot in a victory against Boston, and has been a great vocal leader all season.

Grade: B

DeShawn Stevenson

After a dismal start to the season, Stevenson has really stepped up his game, with emphasis on rebounding and defense. He does tend to be a little uneven on offense, but he is still a meaningful contributor.

Grade: C+/B

Andray Blatche/Nick Young

Both of these players are still young and have shown a lack of experience through inconsistency. Blatche is having a good season—averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and blocks—but he has gotten into foul trouble and sometimes loses confidence after a bad play.

Young has developed an excellent offensive game, but at times he appears out of control and does not look to create opportunities for others.

These players have a lot of talent, and with a little wisdom they should be stars in the future.

Grade: C-

Darius Songaila/Dominic McGuire/Oleksiy Pecherov

Songaila has played well, but has not provided the same offensive spark that he brought to the team last year. This is probably due to the increase in playing time for Jamison and Butler.

McGuire has proven himself worthy on defense, actively rebounding and protecting his squad. But on offense, this player fails to contribute.

Pecherov, at seven feet, has become a great three-point shooter. Still, he needs to make himself more of a low post threat.

Grade: C-/D+

NBA All-Star Game Recap

Jeffrey Kee — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:29:15 -0500

After the West humiliated the East 153-132 at last year's All-Star Game is Las Vegas, in which Kobe Bryant was named MVP, the Eastern All-Stars vowed that this year's game would be anything but a blowout.

The East defeated the West 134-128, powered by Ray Allen's 28 points and LeBron James' 27 points, including a crowd-pleasing facial on Dirk Nowitzki late in the fourth quarter.

The West rallied back from a 13-point deficit to tie the game with about five minutes remaining, only to have Ray Allen knock down three straight three-pointers.

Chris Paul, who fueled the comeback, had 16 points, 14 assists, and a handful of flashy passes in his first All-Star Game appearance. Brandon Roy, who was attending his first All-Star Game as well, had 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire both had 18 points, while Carlos Boozer and Dirk Nowitzki chipped in 14 and 13.

The West missed the presence of Kobe Bryant, who only played three minutes because of a torn ligament in his right pinky. "There's one player we really, really missed, and that was Kobe," West coach Byron Scott of New Orleans said. "Obviously, Kobe would have loved to play."

For the East, LeBron James had 27 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds, earning MVP honors. Ray Allen had 28 points on 10-14 shooting, while Dwight Howard had 16. Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade both had 14. LeBron James concluded the All-Star festivities by thanking the city of New Orleans and its fans, while talking about the positivity that the All-Star Game had on the people.

"Well, I hope not just me, but every All-Star from the East and West was able to put smiles on kids' and on families' faces," James said. "I think we all know what happened, the devastation down here and to bring the NBA All-Star Game here, I think it really uplifted the families down here. We had a great time."

The Decade's Top Five NBA Draft Busts

Jeffrey Kee — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 07:30:06 -0500

Every year at the NBA Draft, teams hope to receive the highest possible pick, so they can draft the best possible player to help contribute to their team.

Ideally, the highest draft pick will end up being a star, collecting championship trophies and racking up the All-Star Game appearances.

Well, there have been many high draft picks that have not lived up to their draft day expectations and have been deemed "busts.” Here are the top five draft "busts" in the NBA in the last 10 years.

5. Nikoloz Tskitishvili

The fifth overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, Tskitishvili is not on this list because he was a player with potential who never developed, he’s here because he did not have any talent.

He spent four years in the NBA, never averaging more than four points a game.

4. Kwame Brown

He was the first overall pick by the Washington Wizards in the 2001 NBA Draft. Some say his lack of development was because of the pressure put on him as the first No. 1 pick from high school.

Kwame has shown that he does have some talent, going for 30 points and 19 rebounds in a game against the Sacramento Kings, but his inconsistency, bad hands, and poor offensive skills have overshadowed him during his NBA career.

3. Jonathan Bender

The fifth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1999 NBA Draft suffered through chronic knee problems throughout his career, leading to his retirement at the young age of 25. He lasted seven years in the league, amassing only 237 games, with a mediocre average of 5.6 points per game.

Some say that when healthy, Bender was a very exciting player who had all-star caliber skills.

2. Michael Olowokandi

He was the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1998 NBA Draft, after a great career at the University of Pacific.

Olowokandi is known throughout the league as a lazy, underachieving player, who had a terrible field goal percentage, despite being a center. Has career averages were 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Olowokandi is currently not with a team after warming the bench for the Boston Celtics last year.

1. Darko Milicic

Darko was the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. He was a little-known forward out of Europe who sat on the bench his first two and a half years with the Pistons.

Remember, he is still young, but with five years under his belt, and career averages of five points and four rebounds per game, he has not developed into the type of player the men that were picked immediately after him (Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony) have.

Honorable Mentions: Robert Traylor, Rafael Araujo, DaJuan Wagner, Jay Williams, Eddie Griffin

Does LeBron James Define "MVP"?

Jeffrey Kee — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:55:06 -0500

On NBA.com's Race to the MVP page, LeBron James is listed as the No. 1 choice to win the award, followed by Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant.

Looking at this, I couldn't help but think, what defines an MVP?

Is an MVP the player who helps lead his team to the most victories? Is it the player who has the best statistical season?

Or is the MVP the player who is the most well-liked and respected by the fans and the media?

Well, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a record of 29-23 and are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Now, if they were in the West, they would be in 10th place, right behind the Houston Rockets—two spots out of the playoffs.

Even though the Cavs are not a top 10 NBA team, LeBron James is already being dubbed the 2008 NBA MVP.

I'm confused...very confused. In the past reporters, writers, fans, coaches, and players all said that the player who receives the MVP award should be the best player on the best team. Please tell me why LeBron is the MVP?

I checked on many sites and they all say the same thing. They say that without LeBron, the Cavs would be six games below .500, but are 13 games above it when he does play.

What does that mean? It means that LeBron is the MVP of the Cavs, not the NBA. They also write that his stats are off the charts, averaging about 30 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

Think about this: Two years ago Kobe averaged more than 35 points per game, had 62 points in three quarters against the Mavericks, 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, and pretty much carried the Lakers into the postseason.

Were those stats not off the charts?

Had Kobe missed six games like LeBron James this season, the Lakers would have lost all six of those games too. In fact, had Kobe not been on the Lakers during that season, the Lakers would not have even won a game with the roster they had.

I've come down to one final conclusion: The MVP award is based upon how popular a player is, how many commercials he is in, and how many tickets he sells.

I'm not saying Nash, Duncan, Dirk, and Shaq did not deserve to be MVPs, but really, if someone is gonna say that the MVP award belongs to the best player on the best team, then why would LeBron deserve it?

NBA Blockbuster Trades: Building Contenders or Pretenders?

Jeffrey Kee — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:25:27 -0500

I was in fifth grade when I had found out that the Lakers had just signed Karl Malone and Gary Payton.

My first thought was championship; my second was championship, and so on.

I just could not help thinking about it. I mean stop and think for a minute, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Payton, and Malone; four Hall of Fame players?

Well, even with all of that talent, the Lakers had a dismal regular season for a team of such talent, and were beaten by the Detroit Pistons 4-1 in the NBA Finals.

So, this made me think. With the Lakers trading for Pau Gasol, the Suns for Shaq, and the Mavericks for Jason Kidd, does this mean that one of these teams will be the 2008 Western Conference Champions?

No, as I saw in the past with the old "Fantastic Four" Lakers team, talent does not mean everything. Team chemistry, defensive pressure, and heart will lead a team to a championship.

Don’t get me wrong—each of these teams will benefit dramatically from these trades. The Lakers received an extremely talented and smart player in Gasol, who fits very will in the Lakers triangle offense. The Suns have gotten rid of Marion, whose whining distracted his whole team, and received a solid, but old, out of shape, and injury prone O'Neal. The Mavericks have gotten rid of a bunch of their scrubs and received a player who in my mind is the modern day "Mr. Triple-Double" in Kidd.

When I first heard of the Lakers trading for Gasol, my first thought was championship...but then I remembered a Lakers team of four or five years ago—a team that had the most talented roster in the NBA, and a team that was not crowned NBA Champions.

Los Angeles Lakers Roll With Pau Gasol

Jeffrey Kee — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:44:59 -0500

It has been about two weeks since the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Pau Gasol in a mind-boggling trade that sent Javaris Crittenton, Kwame Brown, Marc Gasol, and future first round picks to the Memphis Grizzles.

In that span, the Lakers have gone 5-1, proving that with Gasol in the lineup, they are one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Sure, the teams the Lakers have faced during these six games have records under .500 (the Heat, Bobcats, and the Nets), but all of these games have come on the road where the Lakers have struggled in the past.

Gasol has rejuvenated this Los Angeles Lakers team, one that was hit with injuries to Trevor Ariza, Chris Mihm, and most importantly, Andrew Bynum. He's providing the offense—nearly 21 points per game—rebounding, and showing his excellent passing skills for a big man.

Some said that even though the Lakers received an All-Star player in Gasol, he does not play defense like Kwame Brown, therefore they did not become a better team after the trade. Critics also said it would be difficult for Gasol to learn the triangle offense and that his presence in the paint would take away scoring opportunities for Kobe.

Well, Gasol's defense has not gotten any better, but the Lakers have proved that they do not need Gasol to be a lock down defender for him to be effective. He has also flourished in the triangle offense, finding cutters in the lane while mastering his offensive game, shooting nearly 62 percent from the field.

The Gasol trade has been nothing less then spectacular for the Lakers organization. Lakers fans no longer have to deal with the disappointing play of Kwame Brown or worry if center DJ Mbenga would foul out in five minutes. They now have an extremely reliable low post player who can not only lead them back to winning games, but to winning championships.