Post by John on Feb 20, 2007 0:35:07 GMT -4
From the Philadelphia Inquirer...
They have come from out of the woodwork to be here - although they made sure they painted the wood and put fake nails on it before emerging from beneath it.
The NBA gambled that it could get through a weekend here without one of its players getting popped for a transgression or popped with a Glock, and as of tip-off last night, when the All-Star Game commenced, things went relatively well. The city made enough of an impression not to scare potential franchises away. There were dozens of parties involving almost all of the league's marquee stars, a glitz and glamour fest.
It's a weekend to show off the latest fashions.
The latest ear-popping sounds.
The lack of 76ers.
With Allen Iverson gone, Philadelphia's annual representation in the midseason exhibition is officially put on ice until further notice. Nothing against Andre Iguodala, but it's hard to see him cracking the Eastern Conference roster any time soon, and if he doesn't want to dunk anymore, the face of the Sixers in the foreseeable future at this weekend will likely be their mascot.
There, on the East team, sat the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, at 25 and 26, respectively, just entering the meat of their careers. And the East coach, Eddie Jordan, is their coach. Arenas has his shtick and his quirks, but he's as lethal an offensive player as there is in the game today, not to mention that increasing rarity in this league - genuinely entertaining, not entertaining just because some Madison Avenue suit says he is.
Butler is a legit tough guy who gives the Wizards what little spine they have.
Their East teammates included Raptors forward Chris Bosh, who may well be the best power forward in the game right now - unless you want to argue for Orlando's Dwight Howard, who was also on the East team and has shoulders out to Los Angeles.
Bosh's Raptors teammates, rookies Andrea Bargnani and Jorge Garbajosa, played in the rookie-sophomore game Friday. Now, Garbajosa isn't a kid; he's 29, having played 11 professional seasons in Europe. But he's like the old guy in the rec league with a knee brace on that lulls you to sleep with low expectations, then keeps you off the court all afternoon.
Bargnani is the latest Euro import to draw comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki - which are unfair, but that's how it goes - who can shoot and dribble and pass. He'll only be around a decade or so.
The Pistons are represented by their veteran backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton, who seem to have been around since 1989. Some around the league fantasize that Billups, a free agent at season's end, will leave Detroit. Keep dreaming.
Cleveland is LeBron James; LeBron James is Cleveland.
Yes, Shaq shouldn't have been voted onto the team this season, having only played in a handful of games, but he's still here, lighting up the weekend like the neon signs all around town. Dwyane Wade, who should be here, is here, and won the skills competition Saturday night. His Heat teammate Jason Kapono won the three-point shooting contest and has carved out a role for himself as the deadeye shooter that Kyle Korver (a Sixers reference!) provides in Philly.
Except Korver isn't playing off of Shaq or Wade.
Then there are teams that didn't get all-star representation, like the Bulls, who sport Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha in their top eight. Only Nocioni is older than 26. And there is New York, with emerging center Eddy Curry and power forward David Lee.
And Charlotte, with Emeka Okafor and Ray Felton and Adam Morrison and Sean May and Gerald Wallace, is a team that assistant coaches around the league would love to coach when and if current coach Bernie Bickerstaff kicks himself upstairs.
To be sure, whomever the Sixers take in the draft will be playing on Friday night next season in the rookie-sophomore game, and losing by 60, 'cause that's what happens to the rookies. And maybe their absence from the festivities will be short-lived, because it only takes a Greg Oden or a Kevin Durant to change the landscape.
Until then, you were limited to looking at Iverson Saturday, more relaxed and happy than he'd seemed in years at interview sessions. He seems to have made his peace with leaving Philly, looking from afar in sadness as much as in anger.
"We weren't going anywhere," he said.
Yet he still wouldn't say exactly what he wanted Billy King to change when he went into King's office in early December and said changes needed to be made.
What could have been driving him so batty?
The guess here? Losing.
Any guess as to when that changes?
They have come from out of the woodwork to be here - although they made sure they painted the wood and put fake nails on it before emerging from beneath it.
The NBA gambled that it could get through a weekend here without one of its players getting popped for a transgression or popped with a Glock, and as of tip-off last night, when the All-Star Game commenced, things went relatively well. The city made enough of an impression not to scare potential franchises away. There were dozens of parties involving almost all of the league's marquee stars, a glitz and glamour fest.
It's a weekend to show off the latest fashions.
The latest ear-popping sounds.
The lack of 76ers.
With Allen Iverson gone, Philadelphia's annual representation in the midseason exhibition is officially put on ice until further notice. Nothing against Andre Iguodala, but it's hard to see him cracking the Eastern Conference roster any time soon, and if he doesn't want to dunk anymore, the face of the Sixers in the foreseeable future at this weekend will likely be their mascot.
There, on the East team, sat the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, at 25 and 26, respectively, just entering the meat of their careers. And the East coach, Eddie Jordan, is their coach. Arenas has his shtick and his quirks, but he's as lethal an offensive player as there is in the game today, not to mention that increasing rarity in this league - genuinely entertaining, not entertaining just because some Madison Avenue suit says he is.
Butler is a legit tough guy who gives the Wizards what little spine they have.
Their East teammates included Raptors forward Chris Bosh, who may well be the best power forward in the game right now - unless you want to argue for Orlando's Dwight Howard, who was also on the East team and has shoulders out to Los Angeles.
Bosh's Raptors teammates, rookies Andrea Bargnani and Jorge Garbajosa, played in the rookie-sophomore game Friday. Now, Garbajosa isn't a kid; he's 29, having played 11 professional seasons in Europe. But he's like the old guy in the rec league with a knee brace on that lulls you to sleep with low expectations, then keeps you off the court all afternoon.
Bargnani is the latest Euro import to draw comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki - which are unfair, but that's how it goes - who can shoot and dribble and pass. He'll only be around a decade or so.
The Pistons are represented by their veteran backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton, who seem to have been around since 1989. Some around the league fantasize that Billups, a free agent at season's end, will leave Detroit. Keep dreaming.
Cleveland is LeBron James; LeBron James is Cleveland.
Yes, Shaq shouldn't have been voted onto the team this season, having only played in a handful of games, but he's still here, lighting up the weekend like the neon signs all around town. Dwyane Wade, who should be here, is here, and won the skills competition Saturday night. His Heat teammate Jason Kapono won the three-point shooting contest and has carved out a role for himself as the deadeye shooter that Kyle Korver (a Sixers reference!) provides in Philly.
Except Korver isn't playing off of Shaq or Wade.
Then there are teams that didn't get all-star representation, like the Bulls, who sport Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha in their top eight. Only Nocioni is older than 26. And there is New York, with emerging center Eddy Curry and power forward David Lee.
And Charlotte, with Emeka Okafor and Ray Felton and Adam Morrison and Sean May and Gerald Wallace, is a team that assistant coaches around the league would love to coach when and if current coach Bernie Bickerstaff kicks himself upstairs.
To be sure, whomever the Sixers take in the draft will be playing on Friday night next season in the rookie-sophomore game, and losing by 60, 'cause that's what happens to the rookies. And maybe their absence from the festivities will be short-lived, because it only takes a Greg Oden or a Kevin Durant to change the landscape.
Until then, you were limited to looking at Iverson Saturday, more relaxed and happy than he'd seemed in years at interview sessions. He seems to have made his peace with leaving Philly, looking from afar in sadness as much as in anger.
"We weren't going anywhere," he said.
Yet he still wouldn't say exactly what he wanted Billy King to change when he went into King's office in early December and said changes needed to be made.
What could have been driving him so batty?
The guess here? Losing.
Any guess as to when that changes?