2005 NBA Offseason Topic

[Blitz]

The Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks or Portland Trailblazers will win the 2005 Draft Lottery. Personally, I don't think the Blazers could gain much from this draft. They already have Abdur-Rahim and Randolph at PF, Miles at SF, Van Exel, Stoudamire and Telfair at the guard positions. It'll be interesting to see who wins it.

[Blitz]

Milwaukee wins.

Lord knows they need everything, especially if Michael Redd leaves.

[Guest Wrestling_Man]

I'm surprised that Milwaukee won the lottery, although the team with the worst record doesn't normally win the lottery so Atlanta not winning it isn't that surprising. Although, the chick that represented the Lakers was saying stuff about how Phil Jackson gave her a good luck rock, but wanted another kind of rock if you know what you mean.

[D-Extreme]

LA gets the tenth pick...reminds me the time they got eddie jones. Ha, and they say they can get the no. 1 pick. IN YOUR FACE SAM SMI..wait it wasnt old guy smith. My bad.

Congrats to the bucks. Damn, I know Redd wont leave the bucks cause I'm sure he will get an extension. Getting someone good here in this draft class will just give the bucks more fire power. I'm glad for them since they could have made it into the post-season if it werent for those injuries. But if Redd DOES leave, then I guess the no. 1 pick was proven to be useful.

Brian Hill is back in Orlando, guess thats good news. But I recall in the 96-97 season, the team and hill had a falling out. Well, the team should be healthy to prevent that from happening again.

[Blitz]

I think Marvin will now go first, and Bogut will drop to two.

That means the Utah combination will be ruined. .

[Big Red Fury]

Are you talking about Van Horn, because we traded him.

[Sabu]

Nice, Portland gets the third pick. Now I just hope they draft someone good.

[Hugar Twriker Eats Spam]

Poor New Orleans... they needed a top two pick yet no top two pick...

[Blitz]

I meant the Utah combination of Andrew Bogut and Alex Smith. It was going to be the first time in history that the same college produced the top two draft picks in major sports.

[Blitz]

I don't know why I felt like doing this, but here it goes.

THE BLITZ AWARDS

All NBA Team

Center - Shaquille O'Neal

He's Shaq, and he's been doing what he does for years. I think sometimes he doesn't get the props he deserves, so he made my All NBA Team.

Power Forward - Tim Duncan

The true mold of a Power Forward. We hate watching him play, but is that beacuse of jealousy?

Small Forward - LeBron James

Started out as a Point Guard, moved to Shooting Guard in his rookie season, and now takes over the role as a Small Forward. This kid can do it all and he's only 20.

Shooting Guard - Kobe Bryant

Twenty-seven points per game? Six rebounds and six assists a game? Are you kidding me? At least he led the Lakers to a few wins this season.

Point Guard - Steve Nash

When you average nearly twelve assists a game and help lead your team to sixty wins, you usually win a couple of awards.

Sixth Man Award: Jerry Stackhouse [Dallas Mavericks]

Sure, you could argue a case for Ben Gordon who averaged more points for the Bulls, but Stackhouse was a vital role for the Mavericks coming off the bench. He basically repeated the performance of Antawn Jamison last year, and Jamison won the award. Why not Stackhouse?

Rookie of the Year: Ben Gordon [Chicago Bulls]

Both Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor had great years, but where was their team in the playoffs? Ben Gordon and the rest of the Baby Bulls led their team to a four seed, something no one would have ever predicted.

Most Improved Player: Primoz Brezec [Charlotte Bobcats]

Coming from the Indiana Pacers where he hardly ever played, Brezec played Emeka Okafor's second man in the paint down in Charlotte. Brezec increased his scoring output by nearly twelve points and averaged more rebounds than he got all of last year combined.

Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Wallace [Detroit Pistons]

Wallace averaged nearly two and a half blocks per game. Need I say more? Twelve boards per game, including four offensive boards a game? Yeth.

Most Valuable Player: Steve Nash [Phoenix Suns]

Just as the name implies, Steve Nash was the most important player to his team. He might not have had the best numbers statisically [aside from assists] but when he was out of the lineup, the Suns struggled to get points.

[D-Extreme]

I agree with the blitz awards..but I feel Iverson deserved Kobe's spot...uhm...no, not cause Iverson is in the same team as Korver's.

Brezec, the most memorable thing I remember about him is when he flashed infront of the crowd after Miami. Sad, but true.

[Karizma]

AI had a better year this year than his MVP year, and I'm a Kobe fan by miles....Kobe should be inbetween 2nd and third, I'd put Allen, AI, Wade all ahead of him, with Mac, and Arenas around the same level for this season.

I agree with most of it, but Davis for 6th Man, Okafor for ROY (What, your reason is completely unfair, did anyone even think the Bobcats would even win as many games as they did?) and probably Tayshaun-BWall as co-D players of the year or Tayshaun ahead, but thats personal preferance.

[Typical Phenom]

AI had a better year this year than his MVP year, and I'm a Kobe fan by miles....Kobe should be inbetween 2nd and third, I'd put Allen, AI, Wade all ahead of him, with Mac, and Arenas around the same level for this season.

I agree with most of it, but Davis for 6th Man, Okafor for ROY (What, your reason is completely unfair, did anyone even think the Bobcats would even win as many games as they did?) and probably Tayshaun-BWall as co-D players of the year or Tayshaun ahead, but thats personal preferance.

←

[Green Demon]

Espn.com

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert got one Brown -- new head coach Mike Brown -- added to the payroll in recent days. Will he have another to add in the coming weeks?

Larry Brown has told two league sources that he plans to take the Cavaliers' offer to become their next team president. According to the sources, who spoke to ESPN.com on Monday evening, Brown said he would accept the position after the Pistons' season is over.

Larry Brown has refused to discuss the Cavs' offer publicly with reporters.

Brown is still under contract to Detroit, which trails the Miami Heat 2-1 in the Eastern Conference finals, and sources say he will continue to maintain publicly that he won't decide his future with the Pistons until 72 hours after their season is over. Given that timetable, pressing medical issues, his history of unpredictable decisions, and the fact he can't formally sign a contract with the Cavs until he resigns from his job with the Pistons, Brown's future in the NBA won't be certain until he attends a news conference for the Cavaliers to formally announce his hiring.

ESPN.com talked to a Cavs source who refused to confirm or deny whether Brown had given them an answer.

Reached earlier Monday by The Associated Press as he watched a movie with his daughter, Brown refused comment other than to say: "If I'm healthy, my goal is to be the coach of the Detroit Pistons. That's the only thing that's really real."

In recent days, Brown has said repeatedly that he intends to check into a hospital after the season is over because of a serious medical condition. The condition has developed as a result of midseason hip surgery he underwent, and Brown wants a medical evaluation. However, sources maintain that while Brown's medical condition might keep him from coaching again, they do not believe it is serious enough to keep him from working as a team president.

Still, the sources claim that Cavaliers ownership pushed Brown to give them an answer this weekend before they lost out on other top candidates for the job. After hearing Larry Brown's answer, events leading to Mike Brown's hire were set in motion.

Pacers senior vice president David Morway, who had been the frontrunner to get the Cavaliers' GM position before Cleveland began flirting with Brown, had given ownership until Monday evening to make a decision before he had to withdraw from consideration. On Monday, Morway found out that the Cavs were going in another direction.

"I'm in a great situation in Indiana working for Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird, and have no desire to leave unless an unbelievable opportunity came along," Morway told ESPN.com. "When I first interviewed, I was told that the general manager position would have full authority over basketball-related decisions and report directly to ownership.

"However, over the course of the last week, they indicated that they were exploring hiring a high-profile team president that would have full control of all basketball decisions. After talking with ownership, it appears that's the direction they are going and as a result, I am no longer a candidate for the GM position.

"I appreciate the interest they showed in me and wish them the best of luck in the future."

Morway refused to confirm or deny that Brown was being targeted for hire by the Cavs.

Signs, however, are everywhere that Brown is coming aboard. Newly hired head coach Mike Brown is the protégé of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, a close friend and confidant of Larry Brown.

Mike Brown also has reportedly contacted Randy Ayers, a former Larry Brown assistant and former coach of the Sixers, about an assistant coach's position.

The Cavs also recently interviewed Wizards director of player personnel Milt Newton for the vacant GM position. Newton played for Brown at Kansas and is another close friend who might be targeted to take over the day-to-day operations of the Cavs.

Edited May 31, 2005 by Green Demon

[D-Extreme]

wow, when I heard the word 'mike brown' I thought it was some long lost brother of Larry...but since they are just friends, guess they aint related. Blast it!

Speaking of Brown, I think he should just opt for the front desk instead of the bench next season. I dunno, maybe he would be more relaxed on a comfy chair than coaching.

The Cavs are a mystery to me right now. I am not sure if they will trade anyone of their players for a first round pick that they lost or just do a trade just to get a rookie that will be drafted this june.

[Blitz]

Stat line time!

Jerry Stackhouse: 28.9 MPG, 14.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.3 APG

Ricky Davis: 32.9 MPG, 16.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG

Ben Gordon: 24.4 MPG, 15.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.0 APG

Stackhouse had nearly the same stat line as Ricky Davis in four minutes less on the court. No telling what Gordon's stat line would have looked like if he got thirty minutes or more on the court, though. He seemed to just show up in the final quarter of most games though. Stackhouse also had to share the ball with the numerous other guys on the Mavericks roster that wanted the ball [Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Michael Finley, Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels] and he still was able to record those numbers. Oh well, I'm sure Stackhouse will be gone after this offseason anyways.

[VerbalPuke]

Larry Brown to be Cavs' president

Mike Brown agrees to coaching deal; Newton or Ferry could be GM

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Branson Wright

Plain Dealer Reporter

Larry Brown, whose basketball career has never lingered in one place very long, is about to change his address to Cleveland.

Brown, whose Pistons trail Miami, 2-1, entering tonight's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, has accepted the Cavaliers' offer to become President of Basketball Operations when Detroit's season ends.

An Eastern Conference executive who requested anonymity said the Pistons' head coach agreed on Monday to the Cavaliers' offer. Tonight, his NBA defending champions try to even their playoff series with the Heat at two games apiece.

Brown, the nomad of basketball, has coached seven NBA teams and two college teams.

Brown has three years left on his deal, but Pistons General Manager Joe Dumars more than likely will allow Brown to leave without compensation because he is not joining the Cavs as coach. Brown, 64, has had bladder-related complications due to hip surgery during the season, and will undergo additional surgery when the season ends.

Meanwhile, the Cavs will introduce Indiana associate head coach Mike Brown, 35, as the team's new head coach on Wednesday or Thursday at Gund Arena. Mike Brown, according to several sources, has agreed to a deal for about $10 million over four years.

The same Eastern Conference executive said that either Milt Newton, director of player personnel with the Washington Wizards, or former Cavaliers forward Danny Ferry, director of basketball operations for San Antonio, will become the Cavs' general manager. Sources also said that Scott Perry, director of player personnel for the Pistons, may join the Cavs as assistant GM.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

bwright@plaind.com, 216-999-6136

Credit to the Plain Dealer (a Cleveland paper I presume?)

This apparently confirms that Larry Brown has indeed taken the Cavs offer. I'm still going to take this with a grain of salt, until more sources can confirm this to be true.

I don't have a good feeling about the Pistons chances of repeating. With a surging Wade, and now all of this Larry Brown drama, it just seems that there will be too many distractions.

[Green Demon]

Yeah that is a Cleveland paper, it is the one I get anyways. I am not really sure what to think of Brown becoming the team president. I mean he was a great coach, but what personal talent has he shown in the past. The Olympic stuff that happened between Lebron and Larry also makes me wonder if they have moved on.

[Typical Phenom]

Larry Brown's not the greatest personnel guy around, but what he does do is draw in free agents, something Cleveland is definately in need of. He's also pretty good at scouting the college ranks to ensure the right picks.

Blitz, you're relying purely on stats. Stats, sure, they're all close but Stackhouse did nothing to motivate his team, played shady defense, and wasn't a spark. Davis and Gordon both sparked their team and Davis, moreso than Gordon, helped on the defensive side.

[Blitz]

Sorry, but Stackhouse was usually the spark that got the Mavericks back into many games this season. Stackhouse may not be a defensive staple, but he can do the job when needed. He usually didn't even get the best offensive player on the opposing team, as that job usually went to Josh Howard [future defensive player of the year possibility].