NBA Mailbag of the Week Addresses Clips, Lakers, Heat, and More

With all the interesting stories and angles of the week in the NBA, I thought it would be a fun idea to do a weekly mailbag, ala Bill Simmons, and share my input on all the hot stories of the past few days in the NBA. Enjoy-

Does the Clippers trade for Chris Paul make them the best team in LA?

As intriguing as the Clippers look to be with the crowning addition of Chris Paul, all the while fortifying their starting lineup with Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups, the main thing that separates the Clips and Lakers at the moment is a winning culture. No one will argue that the Lakers have regressed ever since the off season began, and, given the system changes that came about in the labor agreement and the David Stern veto, the only thing the team should take flack for is trading Lamar Odom for nothing. The Lakers knew coming into the season that the franchise was in a weird state of limbo between wanting to make another title run and finding a new captain to direct their ship into the future. Their next move, and there should be one coming, will be very telling to fans and Kobe Bryant as to what direction the team is going. Until then, no one can slight the Lakers in favor of the Clippers. Sidenote- not only should the Clippers be the most entertaining team this season, but they could be considered the biggest dark horse as well.

Is it a foregone conclusion that the Miami Heat will win the title this season?

Beyond the LeBron-Wade combo, the three best things the Heat have going for them coming into this season is a bulkier Chris Bosh, a bench that will boast two quality professionals and players in Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier, and, most importantly, a year of continuity. Therefore, this Heat team should be better than the one that made it two games away from winning a championship. Having said that, their biggest competition in the East (Chicago) also got better by filling a void at the off-guard position. Not to mention that the team was limited in their ability to address their voids at the Point Guard and Center position. People have already suggested that LeBron take the reins at the point, but if you'll recall, his stranglehold of the ball lead the team's offense to be off sync on several occassions (mainly due to over-dribbling). So, to answer the question- No, the Heat aren't a foregone conclusion to win the championship. But they should be the favorites. Sidenote-no player has as much to prove this season as LeBron, and he certainly is not in an enviable position. Case in point, if the Heat win, it will be because of their big three. If they lose, it will be because of LeBron. In other words, the pressure is on.

Is the Celtics-Lakers rivalry yesterday's news?

While every fan, myself included, is absolutely titillated at the prospects of what's to come this year, it's hard not to feel a bit re-missed that both the Lakers and Celtics seem to be fading into the background. On the Celtics end, the trade for David West that never went through and the loss of Jeff Green are setbacks that may just derail the team's title hopes. Also, you have to wonder whether Rondo's state of mind will be in the right place after all the trade rumors he was involved in. I still argue that the team made a bone headed move by trading Perkins last year, and I'm not sure that the team will be able to recover from it soon enough that they can contend with the current stars they have in place. Meanwhile, to go back to the Lakers, you have to wonder how Mike Brown will be able to handle a team that is currently in a funk and is used to winning. In other words, he is the most convenient fall guy if the team underachieves, which will be just another distraction surrounding a team that already has enough to fill an Us Weekly magazine. Ironically, the Lakers and Celtics both find themselves in the exact same dilemma of wondering whether to rebuild or make another ill-fated shot at the title. So, if your a Laker or Celtic fan, the silver lining in all this is rooting for your team to overcome its current quagmire quicker than the other. Gotta love rivalries.

Which teams will make a leap coming into the season and which are due for a major letdown?

From a media standpoint, the NBA lockout and the new labor agreement has made it almost impossible to predict with any confidence what at all will happen this season. Already, we saw the best point guard in the league traded, the best big man in the league vacillating between staying in Orlando and hounding them to trade him, and the first veto in David Stern's now beleaguered career. If that doesn't make your head spin, then try to digest this crazy fact- the Clippers are now a contender!

To make things simple, I will generalize my hypothesis to this: the teams of the top six fantasy league guys are going to make a leap- i.e. LeBron, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony. (Yes, I know Dwight Howard isn't on that list, and its because his pending departure  from the Magic and the trade rumors which continue are going to be too big of a distraction for them to overcome). With the exception of that outlier, I don't see how the Spurs, Lakers, Celtics, and Mavericks don't take a step back. I realize that the only curious name on that list are the defending champs. Let me, therefore, defend that statement with two simple words: Tyson Chandler.

Should the Miami Heat take a flyer on Gilbert Arenas?

In a word, no.   If Arenas was more of a pure point guard and had some ability to defend, then of course, you pick him up. But, at the end of the day, if your best argument for picking up a head case is that its at a low cost, you are better off just walking away. Sad as it is to say, these days agent zero causes more problems than he solves. And his career looks destined to end at least five years prematurely than it should have.

Who will win MVP this year?

Before I make my pick, can I just say what a biased award this is? It generally discriminates against players who play with another all-star, player popularity always seems to skew things, and, because some teams are built around a player better than others, some guys just have an unfair advantage. Having said all that, I'm expecting a huge year out of Kevin Durant. I can't believe I'm saying this, but out of any superstar in the NBA, wouldn't he be your leading candidate for most under-rated? Because he is the first one that pops up in my head. In fact, I get the feeling that the only thing that has really held him back is an inability to set the tone for his team. My guess is that after coming so close to the Finals last year, Durant comes into this season more focused than ever and makes his presence felt. My only dark horse in this race is Chris Paul, and, because the Clippers look to take a major leap from last year, someone from the team is a virtual shoo-in to be a contender for MVP.

Will Dwight Howard be traded before he becomes a free agent?

No. Here's my thinking if I'm Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith. "This guy is the best big man in the league, and would be on any team's top three picks of 'one player who could completely transform the fortunes of a franchise'. However, because he has demanded to be traded and since he is going to become a free agent, teams are trying to low ball us and hope we flinch. But we have two things going in our favor. One, Dwight isn't that bright and can be convinced to stick with the team and silence his trade demands in a good faith effort that will be returned to him when it comes time to be traded because, two, NBA players hate leaving money on the table. At the end of the day, either the Lakers or the Nets will get desperate and fear losing out on Dwight to the other team and bend just like the Clippers did in the Chris Paul negotiations." 

By the way, no matter how upset Lakers management is at David Stern and the league for their interference in the Chris Paul sweepstakes, there is no way they are going to let themselves come up short again with another superstar. Which is why, if they can't get a good deal for Pau Gasol, who they are shopping right now, they are eventually going to bet the farm and trade him, Bynum and the trade exception for Howard and Hedo Turkeglu.

Until next week.

Happy TeBowing!