Le Basketbawl

Back when Your Old Pal New York Vinnie was in my “Wild And Crazy Days” I ran with a group that was known as “The Boys.” We were truly like Family watching each others backs at all times, even at times that we wished we weren’t being watched. New York Vinnie will give you a perfect example. Every once in a while one of “The Boys” would get involved with some female who for a variety of reasons was just no good. Now you would never tell one of “The Boys” to break up with her, but eventually they would see the light and end the relationship.

That is when it was Cool to tell your Brother what you really thought of her and that he was far better off without her. Now every once in a while a couple of weeks later you would see your pal with that bad news chick. So part of your responsibilities of being a member of ”The Boys“ was to walk over to your pal ask him if the two of you could  talk alone for a couple of minutes. Then you would walk him into the nearest alley, give him a sissy slap across the face and find out what was Frickin going on! Those reunions never seemed to last too long.

If Charlotte Bobcats Team Owner Michael Jordan was running with New York Vinnie and “The Boys” he would have gotten sissy slapped for sure for what he did on Monday. The “Charlotte Observer” reported that Jordan signed “EL PUD SUPREMO” the biggest bust as the first NBA Draft in at least 15 years center Kwame Brown to a one year deal with Charlotte for a reported $1.3 million.

We have seen a lot of very “Freaky-Deaky” acts go on in the NBA over the past few seasons. However in New York Vinnie’s opinion this may be the most Frickin Ridiculous signing of my lifetime. Jordan was an executive with the Washington Wizards in 2001 and was the man who chose Brown with number one pick of that draft. Ten Years later after Brown being an absolute non-factor during his NBA career, Jordan wants him back.

Brown’s agent Mark Bartlestein said that his client is looking forward to re-uniting with Jordan. Bartlestein told reporters  “We think this is a critical year for Kwame to get his career turned around and headed in the right direction. The challenge of going to Charlotte and playing for Michael again and getting to play for Larry Brown, a great teacher, will be good for him. They spent a lot of time recruiting him.”

New York Vinnie can not truly see why either side would want to make this deal. The Bobcats already had three centers before acquirring Brown. Most likely Brown could have gotten more playing with another team as well. Unless Larry Brown has something up his sleeve New York Vinnie does not believe this move will work.

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There is an old saying that sometimes truth is stranger than  fiction. New York Vinnie has only one problem that that idea; in today’s day and age most times truth is stranger than fiction. When New York Vinnie saw the following report from the “Detroit Free Press” I had to check my calendar to make sure it was not April Fools Day! Because that is how Frickin ludicrous this idea that the Detroit Pistons have of possibly going with their starting rotation for the upcoming season; at least in the eyes of New York Vinnie.

According to the paper rookie Pistons head coach John Kuester is intrigued with a starting front line of Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace and Kwame Brown. Yes you read that correctly and no you were not having a flashback from some substance you used who knows when Ben Wallace and Kwame Brown would be your starting power forward and center. That is what Detroit is thinking of going with a has been crippled up old man and “El Busto Supremo.”

Ben Wallace was on the verge of retiring when the Pistons offered him a contract. When we last saw Wallace he looked like he was ready to do one of those “I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up” commercials playing in the Eastern Conference Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers. You know that old man in the walker who tells Barkley he’s going to take him to the hole? He most likely could against the Ben Wallace we saw against the Orlando Magic.

What more can New York Vinnie say about Kwame Brown that I have not already written? Without a doubt the biggest bust at the number one pick in the NBA Draft this decade; the Pistons for some Frickin reason signed Brown last summer to a Free Agent deal. It is true that you can’t teach size, but if you don’t have any skill or any desire you could be 9 Frickin feet tall and it still would not matter.

So what is the reasoning of Kuester having this inspiration of using these three players as his starting front line? Kuester believes that Wallace and Brown “set a tone defensively for you.”

The rookie head coach believes that Wallace and Brown are two players that know “what it’s going to take for us to be successful defensively.”

Kuester thinks that having Wallace and Brown as a tandem in the starting lineup will be a source of strength for his club. He told reporters “Then you say you got a lot of defense. I think you’ve got to have a mind-set going into the season that we’ve got to defend to be successful. Ben has had some outstanding practices where he’s really felt very comfortable on the offense. He already knew it ahead of time, and Kwame has really stepped up and played extremely well.”

That is John Kuester’s view point however New York Vinnie sees things much differently. New York Vinnie sees a player in Ben Wallace who used to be one of the strongest rebounders in the history of the NBA. That player however stopped playing when he put on a Chicago Bulls uniform and though he has an occasional night that shows what he used to be able to do they are the exception not the rule.

New York Vinnie sees a player who has been a disappointment in every aspect of his game since he entered the NBA in Kwame Brown. Kwame went into the Pros straight out of high school and soon became the personal whipping boy of his teammate with the Washington Wizards Michael Jordan. Whether he has never been able to overcome that or the skills were never there to begin with is up in the air; we shall never know. But what we do know is the guy is a Frickin bust.

So why did the Pistons sign Charlie Villanueva and what happens to Jason Maxiell who in New York Vinnie’s opinion may be the best player they have at power forward? Is this team that disorganized; or are they trying to tank the season. Because this idea makes as much sense to New York Vinnie as putting Frickin screen doors on a submarine.

Pistons fan you had a great run for most of the decade. However the way things are looking right now New York Vinnie would have to say that the party is officially over.

Remember a couple of years back when you would be watching a game on the TV being broadcast from The Palace At Auburn Hills and you would hear the home crowd start to chant “Dee-Troit Basketball” ? New York Vinnie has the feeling you are not going to be hearing that cheer too often this coming season because the Detroit Pistons are not going to give their fans a whole lot to Frickin cheer about.

 ”MLive.com” has reported it has come down to this for the once proud and mighty team from Motown. Their choice for starting center will be between a  Frickin has-been, a Frickin never-was, and the by far the biggest Frickin bust to be taken with the number one pick in the NBA Draft this decade. The Pistons candidates are Ben Wallace, Chris Wilcox and the PUD himself Kwame Brown.

According to the report only two players  are barring injury guaranteed to be starters for Detroit in the upcoming season; Rodney Stuckey at the point and Tayshaun Prince at the small forward. The report states that Richard Hamilton is not a lock at the shooting guard position and former Milwaukee Bucks  forward Charlie Villanueva will have to win the starting  power forward slot. That of course will be complimented by the guy who looks to be the smallest Frickin liability in the pivot. And all that will be orchestrated by a rookie head coach in John Kuester who will most likely be regretting he left his old job as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers sometime in January.

The team that was one of the elite teams of the decade before last season is no longer. Chauncey Billups was traded last year for Allen Iverson making the Denver Nuggets a great team and causing Detroit to fall apart at the seams. Rasheed Wallace looks like he is going to be a team player for the Boston Celtics and Antonio McDyess will give the San Antonio Spurs some depth in their front-court.

New York Vinnie has already asked why Joe Dumars spent money for Free Agents where he already had depth. Even at this age New York Vinnie believes that Hamilton is a better fit as a starter than former Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon. And Gordon has shown he is ineffective off the bench. Villanueva as far as New York Vinnie is concerned is not much of an upgrade from the guy they already have in Jason Maxiell. When we last saw Ben Wallace he looked like was ready for a Frickin walker as the Cavaliers lost to the Orlando Magic.

The Pistons will be lucky if they do squeak into the Post Season this Spring as they did last season. The fans at The Palace will be doing a lot of sitting on their hands this season as the Pistons will be just a shadow of the team that they once were.

Okay if you expect that just because New York Vinnie has his own website now that he is gonna pull his punches you are dead wrong. When you come to Le Basketbawl you are gonna read the truth not just what the Frickin suits in the NBA want you to hear. Everything is not nicey-nicey and all peaches and cream in the world of sports today you know that and I know that. So New York Vinnie is not about to pretend that it is. That just is not right!

Even though New York Vinnie’s team the Knicks are in the toilet and have been for years it does not change my love for the NBA. The NBA truly is “The Greatest Game On Earth!” And right now we are living in what is truly a Golden Age for the NBA. Think of the five guys who led the MVP race this past season; LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. That is just the tip of the iceberg as right now the NBA is loaded with talented players who are for the most part good guys.

However there are exceptions the guys that New York Vinnie refers to as PUDS. There are two ways that you can be designated a PUD in New York Vinnie’s book. The first way is to have talent but a lousy attitude, the second way is that you are just a stiff. So New York Vinnie would like to know who do you think the biggest PUD is playing today in the NBA?

Here are some choices: First we have the Thug Kenyon Martin. Martin has been called a thug more times than John Gotti has. The man has talent but he always looks like he is ready to get that advantage whether it is in the rules or not. This in New York Vinnie’s eyes qualify Kenyon Martin as a PUD.

Here is another guy high on New York Vinnie’s list of PUDS Stephen Jackson. New York Vinnie could never quite understand why Captain Jack got suspended for less time than Ron Artest did after the Brawl in the Palace. At least Artest was provoked what was Jackson’s reason? New York Vinnie will tell you why because he is a PUD!

As we reach the No-Talent part of our presentation nobody could represent it better than the “PUD-Master” himself Kwame Brown. If his Royal Highness Commissioner David Frickin Stern ever needs to validate why there is an age restriction now in the NBA this PUD is the proof.

So is New York Vinnie being too harsh on these guys? Or do you agree that all three qualify as PUDS? Do you have any nominees for our PUD Hall of Shame? Then share them with New York Vinnie and the World Wide Web on Le Basketbawl! 

Mark Bartelstein has carved himself out a nice niche in the NBA. The NBA Player Agent does not have many big name clients that play in the Association. However Bartelstein does have a lot of clients that play in the Association. When the time of the year comes around that NBA free agents start negotiating deals, the agents name becomes more and more prominent on your morning sports page.

Friday the “Detroit Free Press” reported that one of his clients Detroit Pistons center Kwame Brown will be weighing his choices before he makes a decision on next season. Brown has until July 1, to decide whether he wants to stay with the Pistons next season and get paid $4.1 million or to test the waters of free agency.

Bartelstein said that he and his client would sit down soon and discuss which course of action to take. He told reporters “We’ll do it sometime in the next month and a half. When the season’s over I think it’s good to get away for a while and clear your head before making a decision. The economy affects everything and you have to be cognizant of what goes on in the world. We’ll evaluate everything, but the most important thing is for Kwame to grow as a player. We’ll weigh it all and come to a decision.”

My initial thoughts on reading the agents statements were that Bartelstein had to be posturing, that he absolutely was bluffing. Kwame Brown who just completed his eighth season in the NBA has been nothing short of an absolute bust in his career in the Association.  The man that I dubbed this season as the “Cypher” was of course taken with the first overall selection by the Washington Wizards in the 2001 NBA Draft. He has never come close to fulfilling the promise that the Wizards saw in him.

Brown’s career numbers through his eight seasons in the Association are to say the least underwhelming. He has averaged 7.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game; stats that would seem far more appropriate coming from a second round draft choice. So when I saw that Bartelstein and Brown were mulling over their options my first thought was that they were both delusional.

Kwame Brown should kiss the ground and thank fate that he was born with the ability to grow to almost seven feet tall! And that he was born in a period that citizens of the USA are so Sports crazy that just because he is very tall the Detroit Pistons were stupid enough to sign him for the 2009-2010 season to a contract worth $4.1 million! 

But then all of a sudden another thought sprang into my head; what if there is a team that is even more stupid than the Detroit Pistons? And the scary thing is that team may just exist! In a day and age in the NBA when there is a dearth of quality big men in the Association there is the possibility that there is a team that would sign Brown for more money! All because it comes down to one of the oldest sayings in the NBA “You Can’t Teach Height.” When DeSagana Diop can make the money that he is currently making, it is not out of the question that the  “Cypher” could end up with a better deal than he already has!

So good luck to Mark Batelstein and Kwame Brown this Summer as they try to better their fortunes. And good luck as well to fans of the team that is desperate enough to give him a better deal.

When it comes to his career on the hardwood Michael Jordan was an NBA God. Arguably along side Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles they comprise the “Holy Trinity” of the Association. However when it has come to his post playing days in the NBA M.J. has never come close to matching his success during his playing days.

Jordan spoke with the “Associated Press” this week about his less than stellar record at judging NBA talent. The former Chicago Bulls legend is now a part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, and he takes full responsibility for the drafting of former Gonzaga standout Adam Morrison. Charlotte traded Morrison along with guard Shannon Brown to the Los Angeles Lakers for forward Vladimir Radmanovic. The Bobcats took Morrison with the number three pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. He missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in his left knee in a exhibition contest. Needless to say Morrison did not live up to Jordan or the team’s expectations.

Jordan told reporters that Morrison did not fit in with what first year Charlotte coach Larry Brown was trying to accomplish with the team. Jordan said “Coming off an injury last year, he seemed to have lost his confidence a little bit. He didn’t have the understanding of how Larry expected him to play both offensively and defensively. And I felt like something needed to happen for Adam as well as the organization.”

M.J. went on to say that he believes that he has gained some wisdom after the disappointing results of Morrison’s career in Charlotte.  He said “I think we’ve grown from it. I’ve grown from it and hopefully down the road when you make a choice, you try to make a better choice. People are going to point out the mistakes. Very rarely do they point out the successes. I understand that. It’s part of the game.”

Michael, come on now! People were never reticent about pointing out your successes as a player. The true problem is as someone who is trying to put together a winning franchise, there really have been no successes for anybody to point out. I understand you are not used to failure (except in baseball!) Welcome to the way the rest of we mortals live!

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Now, I have far too much respect for Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars to suggest that either he or head coach Michael Curry are mentally impaired, but one does wonder when they are going to realize that they will not win with their current starting five. As of this writing, the Pistons have lost five straight games, and in this long time NBA observer’s opinion, it all comes down to the Pistons starting five as a whole, being less than the sum of their collective parts.

The Pistons decided to re-boot in November when they traded Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson. Detroit decided that their elite point guard (Billups) was expendable, because they had a talented successor in Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey showed great promise last season in his rookie campaign even though he missed a great deal of the first half recovering from surgery. Stuckey was hurt in an exhibition game on the eve of the regular season, after being a standout in the preseason. Whether Stuckey can become as good as Billups remains to be seen, but the premise is sound.

The true question in the deal was why did Detroit trade for A.I. in the first place? Was he as myself and others speculated a rent-a-player for a year, so that they could use his salary slot to rebuild? Or did Iverson truly fit into the long term plans of the Detroit Pistons? The question remains unanswered in January, but the bottom line is that the Pistons were a better team before the deal than since they consummated it. And the five game losing streak they are currently experiencing is just a symptom of a far deeper problem. The current makeup of the Detroit Pistons does not work, and unless changes are made their record, and more importantly their fans will continue to suffer.

When the Pistons first made the deal, they tried a starting five of Rasheed Wallace, Kwame Brown, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Iverson. That did not stay in place for long, as Tayshaun basically became a “point forward” and Brown showed that he is a a cipher. There have been cases of teams trying to tap that unfulfilled potential from big men as long as the Association has existed. Every once in a while it will pay off (Tyson Chandler seems to be the real deal with the New Orleans Hornets. Chris Kaman showed great improvement last season with the Clippers, but injury has kept him on the sidelines since late November.) Kwame Brown has not been one of those cases with Detroit.

The next incarnation of the starting lineup, is the one that the Pistons greeted the New Orleans Hornets with on Saturday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Hornets handed Detroit their fifth straight loss winning the game 91-85. The Pistons were severely under-sized as their starting five was Rodney Stuckey, Iverson, Hamilton, Prince, and Wallace.

Rasheed Wallace is not a pure center, and Tayshaun Prince is certainly not a power forward. How Curry and Dumars thought that pair could match up well against Tyson Chandler and David West, to me is mind boggling. Detroit actually played quite well in the game, hanging around until the end, but they were not strong enough to overcome the team from New Orleans.

Detroit has another very talented young player on their roster in power forward Jason Maxiell, who should be part of their starting five. The troika, of Iverson, Hamilton, and Prince, needs to be broken up, and Maxiell needs to replace one of them. The question is which one?

If Iverson is as I expect just a rent-a-player, then he should be the Pistons sixth man for the rest of this season. If Iverson is going to be re-signed, then the Pistons have to figure out, do they trade Tayshaun Prince or Richard Hamilton. Because Detroit will not win with those three players as part of their core.

The Detroit Pistons barring a total collapse by Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando, will not be in the Eastern Conference Finals this season. Those three teams are just superior at this point of the season, it’s that simple. So Curry and Dumars should use the rest of this season to figure out the long term direction of the Detroit Pistons. Jason Maxiell is part of the future for Detroit, their current starting lineup is not.