It’s been awhile. But do know that the last few weeks or so that I’ve been absent from this blog have not been from naught. Indeed, much has been accomplished.
Tentatively, I am no longer a free agent. Last week, I accepted an offer from the McAllen Monitor to be a general assignment sports reporter/designer. I say “tentatively” because it’s not yet official; my drug test and background evaluation still have to be complete. but I do have a start date of Aug. 28 set. Interestingly enough, I’ve always held The Monitor in high regard. I have known McAllen very well over the last decade and counting, as my aunt and uncle – and now my brother – all work and reside there, so I grew up reading The Monitor’s sports section whenever we visited them. It was an impressive section then, complete in its purpose. It seems no stone is left unturned.
Aside from that, I’ve been finishing up some reading as well. Thursday, I finally wrapped up Jack McCallum’s “Dream Team,” which is worth all the accolades and hoopla that’s been sent its way since its July release. I found the book insightful. It doesn’t read too long – maybe around 330 pages or so – but it is packed with information and new material about, in my opinion, the greatest team ever assembled. Most importantly, the book offers much needed perspective. All you have to do is turn on ESPN and hear the stupid debate about whether the Dream Team could beat the 2012 USA team. It’s ridiculous, and just further proof of how short our memories are. This year’s USA team couldn’t even hold a candle to the 1996 USA team, let alone the ’92 version. And that ’96 team had plenty of issues of its own, as McCallum points out toward the end of his book.
Along the lines of reading, as I leave this post, let me offer some worthy material for your own enjoyment. I promise you won’t be disappointed;
– Grantland.com’s Jonah Keri, who has become my favorite baseball writer, has a neat piece on Felix Hernandez’s perfect game from Wednesday here.
– SI.com’s Andy Staples takes a look at the copycat process going on across college football, as Alabama’s Nick Saban apparently holds the gold standard for the game today. Read it here.
– SI.com’s Thomas Lake has a compelling open letter asking Michael Jordan why he hasn’t come to the aid of his former high school coach, whom Jordan has incorrectly called him out time and time again for “cutting” him. Read it here.
– Via ESPN.com, a Texas Pee Wee youth football league bars a 300-pound player. It’s here.
Jeremy Lin is taking his talents to Houston. (Photo by Associated Press).
In all honesty, I know why it was done, but then again I don’t. Yes, the Rockets needed a point guard. Yes, the Rockets needed a signature star. And, yes, the Rockets were desperate to do anything – everything – in order to climb quickly up the latter back to relevancy. I certainly understand that much.
But I still am uncertain about whether it was right. I still have doubts about whether it makes sense to toss $25.1 million to a point guard who has played just 65 games in the NBA and has been waived twice, including by, you guessed it, the Rockets. I have my doubts about exactly how smart it was to bypass sure things like Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic in order to hand the keys to Lin, who has started just 25 games, though almost all masterful and on Broadway. I have my doubts about if the Rockets truly felt Lin was the answer to their problems – if he is truly part of the solution – or if it was a decision of haste, of chaotic minds and blurred thinking. I have my doubts about how Lin’s game – not so much the turnovers (those should subside with more experience), but the iso-heavy, ball-controlling facets – will fit into an offense that has the potential to be so dynamically diverse, that it may have not been wise to acquire Lin for the sake of possibly taking the ball out of the hands of playmakers like Chandler Parsons, Royce White and Jeremy Lamb and force defenses into complete madness. And, indeed, I have my doubts about a professional who refused to play in the postseason and help his team when even he admitted he was about “85 percent” healthy after months of rehab following a knee injury. Reeks of selfishness, though I grudgingly understand as he was putting his best interests (specifically a sexy financial deal for the next few years opposed to aiding a No. 7 seed against a too-much-to-handle Miami Heat team) at heart, which is what many of us would do as well.
Even with those doubts, however, it comes down to this: Houston simply had no choice. This was the bed it made. These were the cards the Rockets dealt themselves. After whiffing on previous franchise stars like Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and (maybe, maybe not) Dwight Howard, this was an offseason headed toward glorious failure if something wasn’t done, and done quickly. Because for all of the hype and praise thrown the way of boy wonder GM Daryl Morey, the bottom line is the bottom line. And that bottom line reads as follows: Five years, two playoff appearances, one playoff series win, three consecutive lottery seasons with not even a top-10 pick. This offseason is not so much about the Rockets’ reclaiming their bid as contenders as it is about Morey, the king of “all smoke, no fire.”
With all that said, Lin is a superior acquisition. I love his pick-and-roll game, I love his swagger and I love his resilient nature. I don’t think he’s a perfect fit, but I think he’s a notch below. Where I think the ideals will clash is if the Rockets manage to actually get Andrew Bynum, and obviously will then have to turn schematically from a guard-oriented offense to a post-centric one. If the Rockets truly want to build around Lin, interestingly enough the best complement would be Howard, who doesn’t need the ball to be effective yet still commands double teams (only God knows why) and thrives off rebounding and shot-blocking. However, with the stable of young talent that’s been on display at the Rockets’ summer league in Vegas, I’d be very cautious before surrendering most of it for a one-year rental of Howard. A core of Lin, Donatas Motiejunas, Chandler Parsons, Royce White and Jeremy Lamb is tantalizingly special. Of course, I’d like Howard if possible, but if he’s not going to give any promise of re-upping, why sacrifice the future? The Rockets have a bevy of draft picks and cap space at their disposal to further build the club, and I’d like to see how the aforementioned core grows together. Howard could thrive playing off Lin’s dumpoffs and alley-oops, whereas Bynum needs the ball with his back to the basket and his defense is predicated upon his offense, not vice versa, and that’s a no-no with a ball-dominating guard like Lin.
Aside from the basketball aspect, there is no question Lin also puts the Rockets back in the limelight nationally and internationally. This all goes back to Morey wanting to bring the team back to relevance, and he managed to kill two birds with one stone: not only did he make his team better and acquire that big star, but he also managed to produce a big wave for the team’s bottom line in revenue. National pundits can now ignore the fact that this Rockets team still has underachieved greatly this summer and can focus on the fact that media darling Lin is now wearing the red and silver. I’m amped up about this. I won’t even lie; I can’t wait to get my hands on a Lin jersey. Not only am I a fan of Lin’s game, I’m a fan of what he represents: an astute, savvy businessman who is marketable, humble and represents his team in the appropriate fashion.
It’s very much the second coming of Yao Ming. Like Yao back then when he was drafted No. 1 overall by Houston in 2002, Lin signals the berth of a new era. I hate to sound cliche, but he does. Rockets fans have longed to hold onto someone – anyone- who symbolizes the Rockets with the grit and thrive-amongst-adversity swagger that Houston represents. Yes, we’ll miss Luis Scola and Lowry, and yes there are some nutty fans who still haven’t gotten over the trade of Chase Budinger, but no talent or personality has gripped our attention like Lin has these last 48 hours or so when it became clearer and clearer that the New York Knicks wouldn’t match Houston’s offer. And even re: Yao, we didn’t really know what we were getting when he was drafted. We knew he was tall and boasted a myriad of brilliant skills for a man his size, but we didn’t truly know. With Lin, we do. We’ve seen him destroy the defense of the Dallas Mavericks and put up 38 points on the Los Angeles Lakers. We’ve seen him create for others and get to the rim seemingly at will. There is substantial proof that Jeremy Lin has the skillset to be a transcendent star for the Rockets, and that’s the difference.
Top to bottom, there is no reason to not like this move by the Rockets. A move of desperation, yes, but a move nonetheless. This is a fastball that Morey has whiffed upon so many times in his tenure, and finally he got it right. I don’t care if I should be wary that free-spending New York felt it was too much to match Lin and instead thought Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton were just as qualified to hold down its point guard fort. I don’t care if there are questions about Lin’s defense and propensity for turnovers. I don’t care if Jeremy Lin really, deep down wanted to play for the Knicks and simply accepted Houston’s offer, not because he really wanted to be a Rocket, but because it was too good to pass up.
I just care that he’s on our side. I just care that he’s only 23 years old. I just care that he averaged 18 points and 7 assists in his 25 starts. I just care that Morey finally struck it big. I just care that the Rockets are finally relevant again, even if fools will consider that because of Lin’s race and not because of his vast array of skills.
As a Rockets fan, I just care again. Not that I didn’t care before, but certainly not with this much guile and with this big of a smile on my face. As a Rockets fan, I’m in love again.
Former TAMIU head men’s basketball coach Shane Rinner (in white) was one of more mercurial and successful coaches I’ve covered in my seven years as a sports journalist. Here he is talking with me (in black) along with star guard Ryan McLucas after winning the program’s first conference tournament championship in 2011.
(Since 2009, I covered Shane Rinner’s stint as head coach of the Texas A&M International men’s basketball team. I was the beat writer for the program – and was from June 2007 through January 2012 – and recently learned of him leaving the program last week for a job in California. As one of the more mercurial and successful figures I’ve had the joy of reporting on in my career, here is my recollection of Rinner’s tenure in Laredo, Texas).
One of South Texas’ most brilliant and calculating basketball minds resigned last week to head to California for a better gig. But what Laredo’s Texas A&M International men’s basketball program lost in head coach Shane Rinner was not only a man who revived what had been a scandalous doormat of an athletic institution, but an individual presided upon ethics who embraced right from wrong and expected his staff and players to follow suit.
As complex as Rinner, who will be the first assistant head women’s basketball coach at Fresno State, may seem, he’s actually not. The fiery, no-holds-barred tornado that whirled the sidelines in the “Gateway City’s” north side is actually, in essence, an affable, thoughtful, considerate human being without a selfish bone in his body. All the evidence necessary is the reason why he took the Fresno State gig, and that was to get his wife Amanda, a Cali native and Fresno State alum, back home to be with her family, knowing that’s what she’s wanted all along. That was priority No. 1: do what’s right by his family.
See, there’s Shane Rinner, the coach, and there’s Shane Rinner, the person. It’s important to learn how to differentiate between the two.
In a brief but substantially rewarding three years at the helm of the Dustdevils, Rinner – who accepted what appeared to be a career death sentence in 2009 when he accepted the position following a cheating scandal the prior spring in which the program had six players who cheated on a spanish exam, resulting in the NCAA stripping the program of all wins in 2008-09 and putting it on probation for following seasons – led TAMIU to its first NCAA conference tournament postseason appearance in his first year and earning two consecutive conference championships in his next two seasons. He won a school-record 21 games in each the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, and in 2010-11 he guided the program on an epic run toward the NCAA Division II tournament, where the Dustdevils fell to No. 1 seed and site host Central Oklahoma by nine points in overtime in the first round. In his three years at TAMIU, Rinner’s Dustdevils won 54 games. In his final campaign last year, he earned the conference’s Coach of the Year honor and helped Evan Matteson (his first recruit to TAMIU) nab MVP.
It was easy to assume that basketball is all Rinner eats, sleeps and drinks. It’s true that his work ethic is legendary. It’s also true that he is incredibly meticulous on all matters in his program, nothing was void of his fingerprints, and is the definition of “hands-on,” from the style of marketing posters made for the team to the way a player closes out on a potential shooter. But there is certainly a method to his perceived madness, and if you can say one thing about Rinner it’s that it’s blatantly clear that he cares way too much. That goes for any waters he dips his toes into. If he pleads his allegiance, it will be done, and it will be done right.
But basketball is not the end-all, be-all with Rinner. In a sit-down chat right after a heated practice before the start of the 2011-12 season last winter, I found out a few cool things about a leader who is as multi-faceted as he is demanding. Rinner actually does not necessarily aspire to be a head coach at a prominent Division I university. He’d be perfectly fine as an assistant coach at a mid-major DI. He boasts other interests, vastly different from his current vocation. He loves politics. He’s been known to sit in on campaigns and craves that kind of stuff, even going as far as tinkering with the idea of running for office back home in Alaska.
He also likes fundraising. Loves it, in fact. In previous conversations, he has mentioned how he doesn’t necessarily have to coach and he would still be happy in college athletics. He’s talked about his passion for building a program. He also joked that he would like the lifestyle involved in fundraising, which is “little more than playing golf and going out to dinners.” He has a passion for helping others, for building, for structure. It’s a cliche, but Shane Rinner is all about the journey, all about being immersed in the process.
While I was taken aback a bit at the sudden nature of Rinner’s departure for Fresno State last week, I was far from totally surprised. His move not only achieved the goal of getting his wife closer to her family and back home, but also opened the door for former player, longtime associate head coach and dear friend Bryan Weakley to run his own program and keep TAMIU afloat all at the same time. It was a no-brainer for Rinner. It was a calculated move. It was an unselfish move. No one loses. Everyone wins.
It’s the end result to a past three years that have been hellaciously tiring and emotional. It’s why Rinner busted his tail in otherwise deplorable circumstances.
Consider:
– The Dustdevils are one of three Heartland Conference teams not fully funded. TAMIU, in the 2011-12 conference championship season, played with 5.2 scholarships. The rest of the 5.9 went to redshirts. TAMIU played with 5.8 schollys this year, 6.8 total.
– In the Heartland Conference, Laredo is considered the second-least desirable attraction other than Oklahoma’s Panhandle State. The program is also second-worst in scholarship allotment, also behind OPSU, and TAMIU has the fewest number of students on campus (approximately 600). The next fewest is 1,600 in Odessa at Texas-Permian Basin.
– Any increase in Rinner’s budget has come from his own fundraising, which is approximately $2,000 in his three years. That money helped for upgrades in the men’s locker room as well as the women’, due to Title IX. He was the program’s chief fundraiser and drove the initiatives, finding little support from department administrators.
The only plus of being in the situation in Laredo, Rinner told me, is how bad it was before he got there. It was a program mired in scandal and mediocrity; a program of apathy and a revolving door of head coaches, philosophies and principles. For a first-time head coach, it was also a beneficial one. Anything and everything Rinner and his staff would be able to accomplish in Laredo would be seen as the next great thing, simply because the program had never escaped the depths of college basketball purgatory. Had Rinner failed, it would have been thought of as nothing. But if he succeeded – he would be seen by university leaders as nothing less than a savior. It was win-win. Low risk, high reward. Much like his move to leave TAMIU, interestingly enough.
Give Shane Rinner this: No move goes unplanned. He’s always thinking 2-3 steps ahead, on and off the court. He is a throwback to the old age of coaches who demanded excellence on the court, off it and in the classroom. The plus is that TAMIU won’t skip a beat with Weakley. Weakley shares Rinner’s thrill for helping student-athletes succeed, in the classroom first before on the court. And while I have no doubt the Dustdevils – who graduated eight seniors and are in an ideal rebuilding situation with a motivated, hungry teacher like Weakley running the show – will maintain the program’s integrity and growth initiated three years ago, it’s important to take a moment and understand what Rinner truly accomplished, coming to Laredo like a dark knight from his home of Alaska, willing to put his career on the line and sacrificing for the greater good of the university.
And now that sacrifice has been rewarded, for the greater good of his family.
In his first unofficial game as a Rocket on Friday, 7-foot forward/center Donatas Motiejunas did not disappoint, compiling 25 points and nine rebounds in a 93-81 Houston win over Toronto in Las Vegas. (Associated Press photo).
It’s only one game. An unofficial one, at that, against peers who will likely see more time in the D-League than the NBA come the 2012-13 NBA season.
That’s what I had to keep telling myself as I watched the Rockets open summer league play with a 93-81 win over Toronto in Las Vegas on Friday afternoon. Then again, as a Rockets fan these days, I’ll take any inkling of hope I can get, and if that means going gaga over the Rockets’ batch of tantalizing youth talent, then so be it. Because if anyone came away with any impression at all after Friday, it was this: the Rockets’ future is bright. Very bright.
With Houston in the midst of heated talks for the Magic’s Dwight Howard – where it is almost certain a great deal of that youth and promise we saw Friday will be dealt away for Orlando’s disgruntled mega superstar – the game at least gave a slight bit of hesitation to Rockets fans who want nothing more than to see Howard wearing No. 12 in the red and silver. For the record, I do not want Howard. It’s not worth mortgaging the future for a moody individual who has made it perfectly clear he will not re-up with Houston once his contract expires next summer. I see it as extremely, and uncharacteristically, short-sighted that Rockets GM Daryl Morey just give away all the assets and young talent he has worked so hard to acquire over the last four years in a move that reeks of desperation and all style and little substance. That’s just my opinion.
The Rockets talent that took the floor Friday was just too overwhelming, in my eyes.
– Motiejunas is incredible. He is 7-feet, 222 pounds and not yet even 22 years old. He amassed 25 points and 9 rebounds, and made it all look so freakin’ easy, playing with a distinct purpose in the paint against a relatively experienced Raptors frontcourt. He ran the court like a gazelle, established position early and then burned his defender witha series of jump hooks, power moves or simple duck-ins. If that wasn’t enough, he went deep and buried two long 3s from the right wing and corner, showing no hesitation to rise up and shoot as soon as the ball was rotated his way. His stroke is pure, and he is sure and able around the rim, shooting 11 for 13 overall. He’s got to work on free throws, though. He missed four of five.
– In case we didn’t know already, the Rockets are in trouble at the point guard spot. Their lone two floor leaders on the roster are the two available in this summer league now that Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic were either traded or departed for perceived greener pastures earlier this summer. The 5-foot-10 Courtney Fortson, essentially an iffy-shooting guard in a point’s body, missed six of his seven shots, and 6-foot-1 undrafted guard Scott Machado, who led the nation in assists last year, missed five of his six shots and had five assists to four turnovers, often forcing the issue way too much, though that’s expected. Houston is in trouble here. Bad. One point guard I don’t trust to run the offense and set up his teammates, and the other has a tendency to try too much. The good news – aside from the fact that it was indeed just one game, and the first at that – is the Rockets boast an assortment of bigs who are versatile and have the skillset to handle the ball, lead a break and find teammates. More on that later.
– It’s only been one game (again, I have to keep reminding myself), but let me just get this out of the way now: I was wrong about Terrence Jones. I thought the 6-foot-9, 252-pound, No. 18 pick of the first round this year was nothing more than a carbon copy of current Rocket Patrick Patterson, also a product of Kentucky. No. Not at all. Jones can handle the ball. He can take a man off the dribble. He can shoot from distance. He can bang and rebound and defend the post. He’s simply more versatile than Patterson, can do more things with the ball. Not only that, if you heard on NBA TV how coach Kevin McHale gushes over him like none other – calling Jones “my guy” – then you know Patterson’s minutes and spot in the rotation are in jeopardy. Jones made just 4 of his 11 shots, but he made a 3, hit all eight of his free throws and contributed 17 points and 9 rebounds.
– I liked what I saw out of 6-foot-5 wing Jeremy Lamb, the Rockets’ No. 12 pick in the first round, but I wasn’t blown away. Lamb did what we all figured he could do: he scored, and scored a lot. He had 16 points, made 6 of his 11 shots and did little else. He can create off the dribble and attack and is a confident shooter, willing shot-taker. He is a lot like Kevin Martin, except he attacks the paint and loves the floater and doesn’t rely strictly on the jumper. He is a steady presence out there, which is nice for a youngster playing with young teammates, but guards like him who can score with ease are a dime a dozen in this league, especially at an average size like him.
– I am in love with the Rockets’ plethora of versatile bigs. In. Love. Whether it’s 6-foot-9 Chandler Parsons, the 6-foot-9 Jones or even 6-foot-8 Royce White (in a pinch), the Rockets have found playmakers at other positions aside from just point guard (thank God). Early on, White (who looked lost and uncomfortable against the size he saw at the power forward spot) and Parsons took advantage of opportunities to set up others. You can detect White’s passing ability and know-how, and Parsons looks a lot better than I saw last year. He’s much, much more comfortable on the perimeter and seems to relish having the ball in his hands, which is a good sign for someone who’s as skilled as he is. Parsons had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. White had two assists to go with six points and three rebounds. With Parsons and White on the floor at the same time, we saw the ball in their hands often, making plays and initiating the offense, allowing a shoot-first point like Fortson to spot up and look for his shot. Parsons’ length and range, and White’s size and bulk both pose difficult matchups for opponents at the forward spots who don’t like to stray far from the rim and defend off the dribble. In all,13 of the Rockets’ 21 team assists came via the bigs.
Again: It was only one game. I can’t stress that enough. However, before we read about all these guys who may or may not be involved in a Rockets deal for Dwight Howard, it was crucial that we see at least what the young kiddos had in the stable. Put it this way: White looked the worst of the Rockets’ youngsters, and he’s been the most heralded by coaches and scouts so far. That’s the depth of talent we’re looking at. If I’m Daryl Morey (and fortunately I’m not), I think twice about getting Howard in tow for all these young players and assets I’ve worked so hard and mortgaged the last three seasons for.
Morey has a tough decision to make, and, for better or worse, he’s responsible for the bed he finds himself in.
James Harden and the U.S. will pose an interesting dynamic this summer: can small ball win on the international stage? (Photo by Associated Press)
Lost within the mindless drivel of whether or not this year’s U.S. men’s basketball Olympic team could beat the 1992 Dream Team is the intriguing test of ideals posed by the current representatives.
First things first: this year’s team would not stand a chance against the ’92ers. Not. A. Chance. As athletic, quick and versatile as this year’s version is, there is no question the Dream Team’s vast size, bulk and efficiency (i.e. pure shooting) would be too much to handle. That efficiency would severely limit transition opportunities for this year’s bunch and force the 2012ers to play in the halfcourt more than they’d like. Not only that, the ’92ers would own the glass and do a sound job of getting to the free throw line, limiting possessions and pace, both attributes this year’s team thrives and is heavily dependent upon. So can we stop with the nonsense, please? Yes, it makes for good conversation, but the bottom line is it’s disrespectful to the 92ers, whom many – including moi – consider the greatest team of talent ever assembled.
Now that that’s over with, let’s talk a bit about whether or not we are truly entering a new era of basketball, something that’s been at the forefront of the minds of hoops enthusiasts ever since Miami won the 2012 NBA title with smallball (though many conveniently neglect how significant of a role LeBron’s improved post play figured into matters). It’s been noted how small this year’s USA team is; only two player stand taller than 6-foot-9). They are wing-heavy, reliant upon incredible versatility, interchangeable parts that cover up fantastic flaws. At one point during Thursday’s 113-59 smothering of the Dominican Republic in an exhibition in Las Vegas, the USA trotted out a lineup of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. Thirty-eight points were scored off 27 turnovers, and when the DR zoned, the good guys were able to find Kevin Durant, the team’s lone pure shooter, time and time again. It was fun basketball, pickup at its best. Run, run, run. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Wash, rinse, repeat. Rarely – if ever – was the U.S. forced to slow it down and play through a man defense in the halfcourt.
But there is a reason Americans watch the likes of Spain and Argentina with a careful eye. Spain, in particular. With an experienced point guard in Jose Calderon who can deal with pressure competently and not lose his poise when the likes of James and Bryant are in his face, Spain looms as the U.S.’s biggest threat when you add the tall and beefy Gasol brothers and stringy shot-blocker extraordinaire Serge Ibaka. Or how about France and Tony Parker? Or Argentina and Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola. If the U.S. did not boast just Tyson Chandler as its lone true center, then we wouldn’t be having this discussion. But competitive basketball comes down to two things: Can you stop the other team, and can you execute when it counts? And those two come hand-in-hand with halfcourt basketball and producing when stakes are high and possessions are precious; when the game has slowed to a considerable crawl and not a track meet. The optimist’s thinking is that, just as much as we consider how the U.S. is going to match up against opponents, opponents are going to have to guard them too. This is true, and no one questions how nightmarish of a headache it will be to stop the U.S., especially if racking up transition points. However, playing on a smaller court, in more limited space, size matters in FIBA, and that’s something the U.S. lacks since Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Bosh, and now Blake Griffin are all out with injury. I find it highly amusing that people think the U.S. will cakewalk to another gold medal when even the elements of the game (closer 3-point line means less operating room, and the court itself is smaller in FIBA) do not lend favor to the U.S.
I have long been a fan of traditional basketball (if you can’t tell). Give me size and bulk any day. I want rim protectors. I want guys I can throw the ball into and work inside-out. I want guys who can play with their back to the basket, guys who protect the lane. I want guys who can post up, get to the rim and draw contact and get their defender in foul trouble. That’s basketball. The idea of basketball is to put the ball in the hoop, and you have a harder time doing that if you have guys who can protect the rim and force opponents to shoot jump shots (preferably 3s). The U.S. has almost always had a team who could do those things AND outlet to the skill guys who could race the other way for easy dunks or wide open 3s. Now this bunch only does the latter. Gone are the days of a David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kevin Garnett. And while offense struggles with a lack of size, that won’t necessarily prove the case with these U.S.ers. They’ll score just fine. It’ll be on defense where it will be felt the most, when LeBron and Carmelo Anthony are having to guard the Gasol brothers and could find themselves in quick foul trouble if Spain plays it right.
These Olympics, I can’t wait. Not only will we see if Kobe can win a gold in his (in all probability) swan song on this grand stage, or what LeBron will do for an encore after a legendary championship run, but two basketball eras are clashing – this era of speed and athleticism versus the traditional route of size and strength. Who will prosper, and is this a movement to new form of basketball? We shall see.
If Daryl Morey had his way, it’s highly unlikely that rookie first-round draft picks (from left to right) Royce White, Terrence Jones and Jeremy Lamb would ALL be wearing Houston Rockets colors. Alas, so far they are, an indictment of how much of a failure this offseason has been for the organization.
There’s an infamous saying that goes something like this: “Sports are a business. It’s nothing personal.” Eventually all fans have to learn to adopt this adage, even if they don’t wish to. We’d like to personalize our teams. We’d like to find ways to relate to the players. We’d like to see them grow and mature, not only on the court or field, but off it as well. In essence, we’d like to feel that we were with them along the way, and that should they ever reach that sacred stage known as their sport’s championship, that we were right there with them, through thick or thin, heaven or hell.
Unfortunately, the Houston Rockets could not care less about the human nature of sports. They are business, above all. Their employees on the court are not people; they are assets. They don’t necessarily care for their players as they do the bottom line, even when, apparently, that bottom line is far from a success. As fans, we understand there is no loyalty in sports, but it wouldn’t hurt the teams we root for if they weren’t so blatant about it. Yet, that’s where the Rockets – playoff-less the last three seasons and owners of middling middle of the first round draft picks over that same time – stand. In an effort to do whatever it is they’ve been trying to do, whether initially trying to rebuild without bottoming out (fail) or now trying to sacrifice all for the precious signature star that has eluded them since the days of a healthy Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, they’ve also successfully managed to disconnect themselves from their fans, as if operating as some sort of secret service whose intentions are only known to those inside the precious walls of the Toyota Center.
Consider this: This summer, the Rockets have said farewell to four players (Kyle Lowry, Courtney Lee, Samuel Dalembert and Chase Budinger), two of which (Lowry and Lee) were held in relative high regard by fans for their professionalism (Lee much so than Lowry over the previous six months) and two valued two-way talents, a commodity owned by few Rockets. Lowry was traded to Toronto last week for a first-round draft pick that is all but guaranteed to be a lottery selection. Lee was simply given his walking papers; even worse, his qualifying offer was withdrawn even after General Manager Daryl Morey confidently assured fans Lee would be back even as an restricted free agent. Dalembert, a valuable rebounder and shot-blocker on a team lacking interior presence, and a first round pick were traded to Milwaukee for three unknowns in Jon Brockman, Jon Leuer and Shaun Livingston, and a first round pick. Budinger, a sharpshooter, was given to Minnesota for a late first round pick. So let’s summarize: Four Rocket players – three who started a significant number of games last year – and a middle first round pick were essentially exchanged for three benchwarmers and three middle first round picks. In the process, in an offseason with an adored amount of cap room and assets, the Rockets have been rejected by the likes of Dwight Howard, Eric Gordon and even their own unrestricted free agent, Goran Dragic. This summer’s biggest prize so far? Omer Asik, a career backup, one-dimensional center whom Houston desperately is committed to spending $8 million per year upon.
This summer was supposed to be one of redemption for Morey, who has been hyped beyond belief ever since he arrived in Houston’s front office as some sort of boy genius; the Billy Beane of the NBA, if you will. This was the summer where it appeared everything was in line: plenty of money available. Plenty of young assets. Plenty of draft picks to offer in sexy trades. This was going to be Morey’s time to shine. This was going to be his moment; his LeBron epiphany, per se. But it never came to fruition. And now Morey and his staff are left as the laughingstock of the offseason. It has gotten so bad, the Rockets have abruptly switched directions. A team that was only a premier superstar away from really making a quantum leap in the West is now under midst a rebuilding session, a fire sale in a misguided effort to indeed land that signature star; yes, the same signature stars like Howard and Gordon who do not even consider Houston as a fruitful destination. But what else is Morey supposed to do, really? He waited too long. It took him three years before realizing that drafting 14th in the lottery is not where a team desires. The Rockets have been living in no-man’s land for the most of Morey’s tenure. Even the Charlotte Bobcats feel bad. And while owner Les Alexander is also to blame for his insistence that his team rebuild without tanking, his time as owner has not been this discombobulated. The bottom line is it’s Morey’s job to put the pieces in place to field a respectable, competitive unit, and he failed to done so.
It’s also Morey that has a great deal to do with what follows, which arguably could be the most troubling.
Morey prizes assets, not people. And people around the league – opposing GMs and, of course, players – are starting to see that. Players are immediately expendable the moment they find themselves on the roster of the silver and red. There is no such thing as job security if you’re a Rocket. Mind you, that’s true for all teams in all sports, but especially for the Rockets. They don’t even pretend to believe they care for their players. So I give them props for being upfront, even if it’s hurting them just the same. Professional athletes wish to be cajoled, embraced, beloved. Not only financially, but personally. They want to feel wanted, as if they’re valued. They don’t want to be treated as if they’re a minor league prospect, shipped at a moment’s notice if that’s what the higher-ups deem necessary. Morey and the Rockets deal with assets, not people. And don’t think that that doesn’t matter. It does. Just look at the fact they didn’t give Dragic that player option in his fourth year of a discussed deal, simply because they couldn’t harbor the thought that a player was not in their control. Phoenix did offer that option. Guess where Dragic went?
It is a severe disconnect. Players feel like assets to the Rockets, and fans don’t know who to root for or get to know because he could be here today, gone in a few hours. Morey and the Rockets wish to be looked at as a forward-thinking franchise. In some ways, they are. They get the most bang for their buck and have done a relatively admirable job of scouting talent for the draft. But mostly, they operate like a minor league club, jettisoning players to and from the D-League at will (with no real data showing that it pays off in considerable improvement by the particular player) and pretty much employing a system void of feeling, void of personality.
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant will be joking around all the way to the 2011-12 NBA championship. Silva On Sports has the Thunder beating the Miami Heat in seven games in the Finals. (AP PHOTO)
After a frenetic, hurried regular season, the NBA’s postseason tips off Saturday. Unlike my preseason awards picks, my preseason playoff picks were, more or less, the same. I’m actually quite proud. Kind of.
In the East, I picked, in order: Chicago, Miami, New York, Indiana, Atlanta, Orlando, Boston, Philadelphia. In reality, it was, in order: Chicago, Miami, Indiana, Boston, Atlanta, Orlando, New York, Philadelphia. I got the teams right, just the seeding varied through the middle of the pack. Of course, the East should have been the easiest conference to pick.
In the West, I picked, in order: Oklahoma City, Dallas, the Clippers, Portland, Memphis, the Lakers, San Antonio, New Orleans. In reality, it was, in order: San Antonio, Oklahoma City, the Lakers, Memphis, the Clippers, Denver, Dallas, Utah. I whiffed completely on the Hornets and really underrated Denver. I also completely underrated the Spurs, and I obviously missed the boat on Portland.
So, here’s what we’re looking at in the first round matchups: in the East, it’s (1) Chicago vs. (8) Philadelphia, (2) Miami vs. (7) New York, (3) Indiana vs. (6) Orlando and (4) Boston vs. (5) Atlanta. In the West, it’s (1) San Antonio vs. (8) Utah, (2) Oklahoma City vs. (7) Dallas, (3) the Lakers vs. (6) Denver, (4) Memphis vs. (5) the Clippers.
In my preseason picks, I chose Oklahoma City and Chicago to square off in the Finals. I’m changing that. Not knowing exactly how healthy Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton really are for the Bulls (I think they’re far from 100 percent, really), I’m going with a Oklahoma City-Miami Finals, with the Thunder (who I did pick to win it all) prevailing. As badly as I would like to see LeBron James get his ring, there is simply not enough quality depth around him. Thunder get by the Heat in 7.
But that’s still quite a ways down the road. Here are my picks for the first-round matchups:
EAST
(1) CHICAGO BULLS vs. (8) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS … season series: 2-1, Chicago … SILVA’S PICK: BULLS IN 5
The Bulls are the best defensive team in the NBA, and while I think they’ll fall a lot sooner in these playoffs than many might think (as in, the second round), it won’t be against the Sixers. To beat the Bulls, Philadelphia will have to thrive in transition, and while that might work enough to earn a win, it won’t be enough over the course of a series. You have to win in the halfcourt in the playoffs, and Philly simply can’t. Chicago is too good defensively. It will force Philadelphia into the halfcourt and into shooting jumpers. Philly’s Evan Turner said he would rather have the Bulls than to play Miami in the first round. Now he’s got them. He won’t like the outcome. The Bulls will roll, and they would roll even if Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton weren’t playing. I just don’t care much for the Sixers.
(2) MIAMI HEAT VS. (7) NEW YORK KNICKS … season series: 3-0, Miami … SILVA’S PICK: HEAT IN 6
The Heat are vulnerable against teams that can shoot the 3, which New York does, and quite well. However, the playoffs are won around the rim, and that’s where Miami will hurt the Knicks. Miami averaged almost three more free-throw attempts than the Knicks in their games this season, and almost SEVEN more rebounds per game. I expect the Knicks to catch fire and win a couple of games, but the Heat will be too much in the paint and in transition, capitalizing on the long misses from whenever New York does miss from distance. The key matchup in this one will be Amare Stoudemire-Chris Bosh. If Stoudemire can win that matchup, things will get interesting, but that is a favorable matchup for Bosh, and I assume the Heat know that. I expect a steady dose of Bosh touches, and I expect LeBron James to absolutely have a field day against the Knicks. He knows these playoffs are his for the taking, and it starts with a marquee matchup in the Big Apple.
(3) INDIANA PACERS VS. (6) ORLANDO MAGIC … season series: 3-1, Orlando … SILVA’S PICK: PACERS IN 6
Even with Dwight Howard unavailable for the Magic, I still think Orlando will steal a couple of games. Stan Van Gundy is a brilliant coach, and I think the Pacers will let their guard down a few times. Indiana has so much pressure on them to simply breeze through this series, that it may tighten late. The Magic should let Roy Hibbert get his points but lock down everyone else. They’ll have to keep hitting from deep, and I think they will, and it’s an absolute must that they keep Indiana off the free-thr0w line and out of transition. It seems like a lot to ask, but I expect the Magic to be playing with a Goliath-sized chip on their shoulder. It still won’t be enough to knock off a deep and balanced Indy squad, however.
(4) BOSTON CELTICS VS. (5) ATLANTA HAWKS … season series: 2-1, Boston … SILVA’S PICK: CELTICS IN 5
The Hawks not having Al Horford is just as essential as the Magic not having Dwight Howard. Horford offers a versatile power dynamic for the Hawks that they otherwise lack, and now they have no interior game and no threat to pull Boston’s bigs away from the basket, meaning Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass and Greg Steimsma can just sit back, protect the rim and rebound. If Atlanta is to upset Boston, it will have to from the perimeter, and that’s not happening with the best defensive backcourt in the playoffs wearing the green and white. Expect to see a breakout playoff debut for Avery Bradley, as well as a field day for Rajon Rondo. Easy pickin’s for the Celtics.
WEST
(1) SAN ANTONIO SPURS VS. (8) UTAH JAZZ … season series: 3-1, San Antonio … SILVA’S PICK: JAZZ IN 7
Ah, yes, my upset special. I can hear Spurs fans frothing at the mouth right now. But let’s take the facts: The Spurs struggle against size. Prime example is their 4-2 ouster to Memphis in last year’s first round of the playoffs. In fact, the situation is eerily similar – last year, the Spurs were the 1 seed; Memphis was the 8 seed. No one even dared giving the Grizzlies a shot. Like deja vu. Utah has the luxury of throwing big after big after big at the Spurs: Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter. All are mobile bigs with height, not unlike Memphis’ Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. I expect Utah to make a high percentage of its shots, with its inside attack, and limiting the Spurs’ transition opportunities. Having size also means this: Utah won’t have to double team a Tim Duncan, for instance, and can afford to stick with the Spurs’ plethora of shooters, which is absolutely crucial. San Antonio will have to win this series with its perimeter firepower, and with Devin Harris playing out of his mind lately, I don’t exactly expect a cakewalk for Tony Parker. Not enough people are giving Utah credit. The young club stepped up and rose to the occasion in the last month to earn the last playoff spot, beating teams with its interior depth and timely shooting. Almost every game over the course of April was a playoff game for Utah, and it survived. The Jazz are smart and don’t beat themselves. This is a scary matchup for the Spurs.
(2) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER VS. (7) DALLAS MAVERICKS … season series: 3-1, Oklahoma City … SILVA’S PICK: THUNDER IN 5
The Thunder shall roll (no pun intended) through this one. Too much firepower for Oklahoma City. The biggest thing is that the Thunder have gotten to the free-throw line with ease against the Mavs, averaging 31 attempts to Dallas’ 19 this season. The Mavericks’ have no answer for the Thunder, and OKC knows it can attack the rim at will against Dallas. Oklahoma City is playing with something to prove. This will be Russell Westbrook’s series to take control of, and he will. The defending champs will go out with a whimper.
(3) LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. (6) DENVER NUGGETS … season series: 3-1, Los Angeles … SILVA’S PICK: LAKERS IN 6
Tempted to go with another upset here, but the playoffs are won by rebounding and defense, and Los Angeles certainly owns those facets in this series. The Lakers will play this series without their best perimeter defender in Metta World Peace, and that could hurt them against the likes of Danilo Gallinari and Al Harrington. Fortunately, the Nuggets don’t have too much size, and their beloved transition attack doesn’t win playoff series’. Ramon Sessions and Andrew Bynum will have to play big, and I expect they will. The Lakers will beast on the boards (they outrebounded Denver by 6.5 caroms in their games this season) and they held the Nuggets to a measly 22.6% marksmanship from 3. To beat the Lakers, you have to be able to hit from the outside since odds are you won’t get anything going inside against the likes of Bynum and Gasol. Not good for Denver.
(4) MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES VS. (5) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS … season series: 2-1, Memphis … SILVA’S PICK: GRIZZLIES IN 6
Memphis is my darkhorse in the West. Too much size. Too much defense. Great perimeter play. It’s too much of a headache to try to game-plan stopping Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol on the inside, AND Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo on the perimeter. I really like Memphis; it would really not surprise me at all to see them make a run to the Finals. They’re that good. The Clippers are a solid team, but they’re just not ready. DeAndre Jordan has been too off and on this season, and I don’t feel too secure having to rely upon the likes of Reggie Evans, Nick Young and Randy Foye. I also don’t expect Blake Griffin to counter the Grizzlies’ physical nature; in fact, I think Memphis could very easily take Griffin off his game early and often if it so desires. The only Clipper I expect to rise up is Chris Paul, but it won’t be nearly enough. This Grizzlies team is loaded, and their identity plays perfectly to playoff success.
Another NBA season has come and gone, this one more unique than others – obviously – due to the 66 games played in 120 days. The playoffs loom Saturday, though there is no clear-cut favorite. I had Oklahoma City – the West’s No. 2 seed – winning it all in the preseason and I’ll stick with that pick. But we’ll get to the postseason later.
For now, here are my end-of-season awards:
MVP: LeBRON JAMES, MIAMI HEAT
To me, this race is not even close. James has far and away been the best the league has to offer this season. Even aside from the 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists per game. Even aside from the 53% field-goal percentage and 36% 3-point marksmanship. He owns a league-best player efficiency rating of 29.9, 1.6 more than the next closes in Kevin Durant. Oh, and he’s also doing this in the second-fewest minutes per game (37.8) over his career.
Say what you want about LeBron, and much has been said. But there is never a time when he is not the best player on the floor, and what makes this season impressive is his work done in the offseason to improve his game. One aspect in particular has shown vast growth: his abandonment of 3-point attempts (3.5 per game last year; 2.4 per game this year), which has resulted in more attacks near the rim (6.6 attempts at the rim this season; 5.9 last year). James has found a way to make his game even more dangerous.
James gets the easy nod over the Clippers’ Chris Paul (fifth in PER; who has single-handily transformed the culture of the Clippers; is, in my opinion, the most clutch player in the league, amidst the top 10 in points and assists in the clutch; 19.8 ppg, 9.1 apg, 2.5 spg in 36 mpg) and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (third-straight scoring title; 28 ppg, 8 rpg, 3.5 apg in 38 mpg).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: TYSON CHANDLER, NEW YORK KNICKS
Much like Chris Paul has turned around the Clippers’ fortunes, Chandler – the best free agent acquisition in the offseason, without question – completely altered the Knicks’ defensive fortunes. In Chandler’s first year with the team, the Knicks are fifth in the league in defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions) instead of the 23rd they were last year. Consider that their two top stars are Carmelo Anthony – just now learning the concept of defense – and Amar’e Stoudemire, who likely will never quite grasp the concept of defense.
Chandler not only defends, he leads. He guards without fouling. He yells out rotations. He holds teammates accountable. He averaged 9.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, but again, that’s only the surface. The stats don’t account for how many times he accounted for whoever blew by Anthony or Stoudemire on any given possession. It doesn’t account for shots altered.
Chandler gets the nod over the Celtics’ Kevin Garnett (holding opponents to 37% shooting on post-up plays) and the Bulls’ Joakim Noah (9.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg, but came on too late after a slow start).
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: KYRIE IRVING, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
It was not the best year for rookies, but Irving was the top pick – literally. He blew away his freshmen peers and displayed a mature offensive game for a first-year player, someone who can score on the bounce or off the pass, and someone who excels late in games. In 30.5 minutes this season, Irving averaged 18.5 points, 5.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds. His shooting numbers were healthy – 47% from the field, 40% from 3 – and here’s the real deal: according to SI.com’s Zach Lowe, Irving shot 51 percent (18-of-35) in the last three minutes of games when the scoring margin was three or fewer points, even winning such a game in Boston against the Celtics.
Irving gets the nod over the Kings’ Isaiah Thomas (11.5 ppg, 4.1 apg, only 1.6 turnovers per game, 25.8 mpg), who was the LAST PICK of the 2011 NBA Draft, and the Knicks’ Iman Shumpert (9.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.7 spg28.9 mpg), who, like Chandler, helped revive the Knicks’ defense and has become one of the top perimeter defensive players in the entire league.
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: JAMES HARDEN, OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Another easy pick. You can even argue that Harden is the second-best player on the Thunder. One of the most gifted offensive performers in the league, Harden averaged 16.8 points and 3.7 assists in 31 minutes per game this season. He shot 49% from the field 39% from 3 and 85% from the free-throw line. Most impressive is the fact that he averaged his points on only 10.1 field goal attempts per game. He has a true shooting percentage (which takes into account 3s and free throws) of 65 percent. To put into perspective, the only player of the last three seasons, according to Lowe, to achieve that is Chandler, a 7-foot-1 center who did it twice. Incredible. Simply an outstanding year for the wingman.
Harden gets the easy nod over Memphis’ O.J. Mayo (12.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.6 apg in 26.8 mpg) and Philadelphia’s Lou Williams (14.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 26.3 mpg).
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: JAMES HARDEN, OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Harden’s credentials have been cited. Already an electric player, he had his coming-out party in last year’s playoffs, and improved his PER this season a full five points from last year. That’s not easy to do when you’re already a primary component to a team. Harden averaged 4.6 more points per game than last season and one more rebound per game. His shooting took the biggest jump. He shot just 43% from the field and 34% from 3 in 2010-11.
Harden gets the nod over Minnesota’s Nikola Pekovic (13.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg this year to 5.5 and 3.0, respectively, last year; 10-point jump in PER) and Houston’s Goran Dragic (11.7 ppg, 5.3 apg this year to 7.7 and 2.5 last year).
COACH OF THE YEAR: TOM THIBODEAU, CHICAGO BULLS
2010-11 MVP Derrick Rose played in just 39 of 66 games this season. With how heavily Chicago is dependent upon him (he had a 32.16 usage rate last season, third in the league), it could be assumed that the Bulls would be fortunate just to hang on to a playoff spot in the East.
Nope.
Instead, the Bulls waltzed to a 50-16 overall record, good for the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA. They beat Miami by FOUR games for the top spot in the East, and relied upon the likes of John Lucas III and Taj Gibson and C.J. Watson. Um, who? But Thibodeau’s no-nonsense attitude, as well as his admirable defensive mind, paced Chicago, which is why he should win the award in consecutive years for the first time in the league’s history. Thibodeau accepted no excuses and held each and every player accountable. Not only was Rose absent most of the season, so was Rip Hamilton – the team’s prized offseason acquisition – so the Bulls were without their starting backcourt for a great majority of the condensed campaign. Thibodeau’s acute play-calling and use of his players, however, only boosted team morale, and he puts his team in a position to succeed time and time and time again.
Thibs gets the nod over San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, who again led his team to the top spot in the cutthroat West, and Memphis’ Lionel Hollins, who guided the Grizzlies to the West’s fourth seed even with star forward Zach Randolph (28 games played) and key reserve Darrell Arthur (out the entire year) missing significant time.
Kaleb Canales, the pride of Laredo, Texas, finds himself in the limelight as the interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. (AP PHOTO)
I met Kaleb Canales in the summer of 2009. As sports editor of the Laredo Morning Times, a small daily newspaper on the border in Laredo, Texas, I had received word that Canales would be in town for the first of what would be his annual summer basketball camps in his hometown.
I was enthused. As an NBA aficionado, to know that someone affiliated with a team, in this case the Portland Trail Blazers, was coming to town was a story I craved, particularly in the ho-hum days of summer when storylines are few and wire reports are many. Still, I did not know what to expect. My experience dealing with pros has been fair. They answer a few questions, but almost always cut things short. After all, got things to do and people to see, right?
When I walked into the gym of Alexander High – Canales’ alma mater, where he finished his high school career after spending two years at United High – I waited in the bleachers. The turnout was respectable, maybe 100-125 kids in attendance, and instantly I spotted Canales, a human Red Bull sprinting around giving directions, clapping every 10-20 seconds it seemed, and a broad smile never once leaving his face. Eventually he came around to me, during the middle of the camp, apparently eyeing a new face. Before I could utter a word, he introduced himself. I introduced myself and we talked, spending 20-30 minutes on a variety of subjects, basically being given his life story. Throughout the entire time, his answers were short, yet spirited. Countless times, he boasted how his rise — as a 5-foot-11 graduate assistant coach at UT-Arlington, to assistant coach at Martin and United high schools in Laredo, and to becoming a video intern with the Blazers in 2004 and, at that time, now a video coordinator with Portland — was a “blessing.” He thanked God early and often, and you could tell he was genuine. It’s what I imagine it’s like talking to Tim Tebow, who is also joyful and authentic in his ways. This was who Canales was, someone eternally grateful for the opportunities thrown his way, and paying back that gratitude with the way he treated others, as if they were a part of his own family.
From that point, Kaleb and I exchanged contact information and we talked maybe once or twice every six months, though we talk a bit more often now. I always covered his camps when he came the following years, and eventually met other NBA folks – like current Minnesota scout Pat Zipfel, who worked with Kaleb when the latter was an intern in Portland – who sung Kaleb’s praises to no end. Whether it was Zipfel, LaMarcus Aldridge or Jerryd Bayless – all individuals Kaleb brought to Laredo to help assist his camps – there was never a bad word mentioned about him. Two things were always brought up in any conversation regarding Kaleb: His relentless work ethic (he often sleeps in the practice facility and hardly ever sees his apartment) and his uplifting attitude, which can inspire the most solemn of Debbie Downers, this I assure you.
It should surprise no one that, aside from his youth camps every summer, Canales also hosted private sessions with any local high school coach or player who wanted to attend, drilling the players and letting friends like Zipfel offer their knowledge to the coaches. The turnout for these particular camps was significant, probably 200-300 for an event that was not advertised or promoted (on Canales’ want) in order to not have distractions and so that he could work with the local talent on a one-on-one basis.
So to see Canales now as the head coach of the Blazers on an interim basis as of Thursday is not entirely surprising. Kaleb is an individual who has worked tirelessly to get to this point, never cutting corners and never making excuses. When he talks to the media, he speaks in cliche (and I will say he has improved drastically in that regard since I first talked to him that summer), but when I joked with him about that, we both acknowledged that cliches exist because they are true in some form, and many people abide by them. So when he talks about focusing on just that night’s game, or staying “in the moment”, he’s being honest. It’s not coachspeak, at least not in his instance. It’s Kaleb. Although, I did witness a sort of media breakthrough last summer when Canales allowed a photo shoot to be arranged for a feature story. He bounced into the gym (he does bounce, not walk), and said, “D, buddy, I don’t do this for anyone other than you … ” and we shared a handshake. Throughout the entire shoot, I told Kaleb, who later beat me by a letter in a game of H-O-R-S-E, how appreciative I was.
Kaleb is a man of integrity and honor. As a result, he is well-respected, having represented the NBA and its Basketball Beyond Borders program last summer in Brazil (which precious few are given the honor to go) and having been inducted into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame last fall. The greatest thing you can say about him is that, in a profession of tireless, driven, obsessive individuals, Kaleb is regarded by his peers as the hardest worker of them all.
Over the years, I managed to write more than my fair share of stories while covering Kaleb, who is beloved and adored in Laredo, for obvious reasons. I’d like to share some of my favorites so that you get a better idea of the youngest head coach currently walking the sidelines in the NBA. Photos are courtesy of the Associated Press:
Making it big: Laredoan gives back to community
By DENNIS SILVA II LAREDO MORNING TIMES Published: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 8:09 AM CDT
Kaleb Canales, an assistant coach/video coordinator for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, has more in common with Laredo youngsters than just a love for hoops.
He, too, was once one of them.
The former Alexander High grad, who was a member of the Bulldogs’ first ever graduation class and an assistant coach at Martin and United, has never forgotten his roots.
He returned home this summer to conduct his first series of basketball camps at Alexander and LBJ High. From Thursday through Monday of last week, Canales hosted approximately 100 kids a day, for eight hours each day, and taught his hometown’s youth the game he loves so deeply, hoping one day they end up just like him.
“For him to do this says a lot,” said Martin High head basketball coach Hecky Noyola, who played against Canales in high school and is one of his best friends.
“Guys in Kaleb’s position are busy throughout the whole year.
“For him to do this in his one or two weeks off a year means a lot to these kids and community.”
Gateway upbringing
Noyola and Canales met when Noyola was in high school, playing ball at Martin.
Canales was two grades older than Noyola.
He went to high school his first two years at United before moving to Alexander, when it first opened. He was a role player throughout his high school career, but he had his moments, such as a few 20-point outings, as well as a deadly go-to move.
“He had one signature move that nobody could stop … we called it the ‘Canales shuffle’,” Noyola said, laughing. “He’d get on the low block, turn, quick fake and everybody would fall for it. He’d take one dribble and score.
“He was always getting people with that move.”
Canales grins at the mention of the move.
“It was my only move in the post,” he said with a smile. “Guys were always so intent on blocking me, so I’d get them up and go in and score a layup.”
After graduating as part of the first senior class from Alexander, Canales went to Laredo Community College, but was still around high school basketball.
During Noyola’s senior year at Martin, Canales, whenever he had time, helped out as an unofficial team manager, washing uniforms and doing the scorebook, or whatever was necessary to stay involved in the game.
He went on to eventually graduate from the University of Texas-Arlington, where he spent one year as a manager while Noyola was a player, before serving on coach Bobby Cruz’s staff for one year at Martin.
From there, he moved to United with Cruz, now the athletic director for the United Independent School District, before returning to UTA for an assistant’s job for a year.
After that, Canales served as an intern with the Trail Blazers, and was promoted to video coordinator after head coach Maurice Cheeks was dismissed in March 2005.
Canales served in that capacity until the 2008-09 season, when he was named assistant coach/video coordinator.
He is primarily responsible for video work, scouting of opponents and player development.
“It’s incredible to see his dreams come true,” Noyola said. “I remember when he was younger, he used to always tell us he’d be on SportsCenter, as a sports anchor. He’d write letters to ESPN and ask how he could get a job.
“It’s just funny, because now he’s on SportsCenter, but as a coach.
“When they give highlights of the Blazers games, there’s Kaleb, coaching the NBA guys.”
Big-game star
It seems Canales’ career has been that of a dream.
“It’s like a book,” he said. “I’m extremely blessed. I think I’ve done it the right way, as far as pecking order.
“I’m just trying to learn and pay my dues right now so I can get where I want to be, a head coach in the NBA.”
The 31-year-old Canales has certainly put in the work to achieve that lofty goal.
This summer alone, he has spent time in Indiana (working out with Blazers center Greg Oden), Austin (with Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge), Oregon (with Roy) and Spain (with Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez).
“It’s like high school, it just blows by so quickly,” Canales said. “My career has been like that. I’ve just tried to stay humble, work hard and enjoy the process.”
Asked if he was still starry-eyed from the fact he’s a Laredoan working amongst the game’s best, Canales smiled.
“At the end of the day, those guys are kids and you just want to coach them,” he said.
“You just want them to get better. Initially, when I got to the league, I was taken aback, but the bottom line is coaching and teaching.
“You coach them just like you’d coach United and Martin kids.”
Canales did note, however, that the NBA is a whole different world in regard to pure basketball ability.
“It’s day and night,” he said. “First, these guys have God-given gifts. They’re so athletic, so strong, so fast. I mean, LaMarcus was here the past couple of days, and when we do our workouts, we work on 3-pointers … and he’s 6-foot-11! He’s 6-foot-11, shooting 3s, making 7 out of 10.
“The NBA is such where the big, huge guys can do what guards can do.”
Luis Valdez, an assistant coach during Canales’ time at Alexander and now the head coach of the Bulldogs, is not surprised at his former pupil’s success.
“His passion for the game was always evident,” Valdez said. “He has not changed a bit.
“He has grown to be a wonderful man and a wonderful ambassador for basketball.”
Staying grounded
If there’s one thing Canales has kept in his memory banks from his Laredo days, it’s the coaching he received.
“One thing I learned is that you appreciate the things they did for us at that age,” he said. “At that time, you may not agree with coaches and how they go about things, but as you grow up, you learn and start to understand why they did what they did.
“To this day, I keep up with all my coaches and the high school sports here in Laredo. I’m on lmtonline.com every day, all the time, because I still have a lot of love and appreciation for this city.”
Valdez said Canales’ story is one every Laredo hoopster with big dreams should abide by.
“Kids like Kaleb is what makes coaching worthwhile,” Valdez said. “It’s not about the money or championships. It’s about kids like Kaleb coming back and saying ‘Thank you.'”
The talented coaching in Laredo is why Canales has a lot of faith in the future of basketball in the Gateway City.
“As a city, we don’t have great height, but our kids are skilled, they’re good and they play so hard,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of skill here in Laredo, and Laredo basketball has a great future.”
Aside from being an exemplary basketball mind, Canales is also an affable and thoughtful person. It’s not uncommon for him to call Noyola before a big game, just to talk basketball. He never forgets birthdays, and he always calls Valdez for Father’s Day, or to speak with his daughter on her birthday.
“She calls him ‘Tío Kaleb’,” Valdez said with a laugh.
All around, Canales is a role model for Laredo in every aspect.
“He’s always been the hardest working guy and he does things 100 percent and the right way,” Noyola said. “It’s good to see someone from Laredo succeed like this; it’s good for kids to see that anything is possible.”
Canales inspires Laredo hoops
By Dennis Silva II Gateway sports Published: Sunday, August 15, 2010 3:17 AM CDT
They came by the hundreds. Kids from all over Laredo, San Antonio and the Valley all rushed to the Gateway City last week for Kaleb Canales’ Assist XIII basketball camps that were held at LBJ and Alexander high schools.
By now, everyone is aware of Canales’ story. The Laredo native was a graduate of Alexander, went to Laredo Community College for a year and then embarked on a fast and furious road that eventually led him to where he is today, as the assistant coach of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.
Last week, during a lengthy stay in his hometown, Canales hugged, chatted, clapped, cheered, encouraged, motivated and excited a legion of supporters.
He brought in Blazers guard Jerryd Bayless, as well as high-ranking coaches and scouts from around the NBA.
Laredo’s ambassador
“Kaleb is an ambassador for Laredo,” said Houston Rockets advanced scout Patrick Zipfel.
And Zipfel should know. He worked with Canales when the two were with the Blazers a few years ago, and Canales was just a video intern.
Together, they shared 22-hour work days and grew a bond that is everlasting.
“Look at what he’s done,” Zipfel said, gesturing to the hundreds of kids and local high school coaches who listened under Canales. “Just look at what he’s done.”
If there is a more humble, kind and gentlemanly man in professional sports than Kaleb Canales, I have yet to meet him. He is a man of few words, but the few he speaks resonate strongly.
“I’m blessed,” he says whenever asked to talk about his unique situation from Laredoan to NBA coaching star. “I’ve been very blessed.”
Everywhere at once
Canales is a man in constant motion.
If he’s not mentoring kids on how to do a left-handed lay-up, he’s chatting with his “coaches” — who consist of Laredoans who desire to coach basketball one day — about the nuances of the game. If he’s not doing that, he’s talking with the media, doing video interviews, or merely just shooting the breeze.
This previous week was a tremendous opportunity for local basketball enthusiasts, and if Canales has his way, it will continue to be so every year in August whenever he takes a break from the grind of the NBA to make the trip back home.
Canales will be roaming the sidelines for the Blazers again this season, a year smarter after serving as the head coach of the Blazers’ summer league team in Las Vegas in early July (he won four games and lost one).
But Laredo will be there every step of the way with him. Already, the amount of Blazers paraphernalia seen around town is staggering, and that’s due to one man.
“I know everyone’s a Spurs fan,” Canales said with a grin, “but I’m seeing more red and black a lot lately.”
And that’s exactly how it should be.
Inducted: Laredo’s Canales enshrined
By DENNIS SILVA II LAREDO MORNING TIMES Published: Friday, September 16, 2011 2:17 AM CDT
As Kaleb Canales’ career ascends, so does recognition of his talents.
On Thursday evening, Canales – a Laredo native and current assistant coach with the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers – was inducted into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame at the organization’s 17th annual event in San Antonio.
“It’s extremely humbling,” Canales said early Thursday afternoon. “Talking to (founder) Mr. (Raul) Zuniga, who I’ve known for a couple of years, I do know he’d mentioned he was following me and keeping track of my career.
“To be in a hall of fame is a privilege and an honor.”
Canales was one of six honorees on Thursday, and one of four who were awarded for their accomplishments in athletics. The organization is run by the Latinos In Action Sports Association and its mission of providing opportunities for students in various high schools for college support.
Latinos In Action, according to a press release, “inducts individuals who have made a name and example for all the youths of our nation.”
“It’s really exciting for my family, just to see the smiles on their faces,” said Canales, who was joined by his father and mother at Thursday’s induction. “I love seeing that, more than anything else. They put as much sacrifice, just as much as I have.”
Canales said that, while being a Hispanic has not provided particular obstacles toward his career’s growth, he does have more than a mere chip on his shoulder
“It’s more like a brick,” he said with a laugh. “We all get motivated and we’re all competitive and I’ve definitely found things to make me work harder. I’m just like anybody else, man; I get motivated by different things.”
Canales, 33, graduated from Alexander High – where he played as a 5-foot-10 power forward and was part of its first graduating senior class – and quickly climbed the coaching ranks, rising from team manager after graduating at UT-Arlington, to assistant high school coach back in Laredo at Martin and United, to video intern with the Blazers.
He was promoted full-time with the Blazers in March 2005 and served in that capacity until 2008-09, when he was promoted again to assistant coach/video coordinator.
This summer, Canales was chosen by the NBA to be part of its distinguished “Basketball Without Borders” campaign, coaching young kids in Brazil.
“His passion for the game was always evident,” said Luis Valdez, now Alexander’s head boys’ basketball coach who was an assistant there when Canales played. “He has not changed a bit. He has grown to be a wonderful man and a wonderful ambassador for basketball.”
Latinos in Action has awarded more than $90,000 worth of scholarships since it was initially founded in 1989. Also inducted alongside Canales on Thursday were Natalie Gamez (St. Mary’s University All-American basketball player), Tony Moreno (two-time National Golden Gloves champion) and John Luna (former Southwest Texas all-conference pick and San Antonio Toros player).
Receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards for Community Service were Wal-Mart executive Robert Romo and the former Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez.
Canales will return to Portland on Saturday and get back to the weekly coaches’ meetings the Blazers are holding.
Finally game time for Kaleb and the NBA
By Dennis Silva II Gateway sports Published: Sunday, December 25, 2011 3:28 AM CST
A hurried and bustling 66th NBA season tips off today.
With that comes the annual reminder the past eight years that a Laredoan will once again roam the sidelines, overseeing the best of the best in an effort to take advantage of a compressed 66-game schedule.
Alexander High graduate and former Martin and United coach Kaleb Canales will once again ply his trade as an assistant coach for the remodeled Portland Trail Blazers, who lost franchise guard Brandon Roy to retirement but gained veteran pieces in Jamal Crawford, Kurt Thomas and Craig Smith after flaming out in the first round of last year’s playoffs to eventual champ Dallas.
This particularly lengthy offseason – obscured by the childish antics of the NBA and its players association during the league’s second lockout in the past 11 years – served as a chance to get back to the basics for Canales, who was inducted into the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame in September after serving as a league ambassador for its prestigious Basketball Without Borders program.
Broadening his horizons
More importantly, however, Canales was able to broaden his knowledge of the game. The boyish-faced 33-year-old visited the men’s basketball programs at Baylor, Oregon, Oregon State, University of Portland, Texas and TAMIU.
He met with coaches, sat in on practices and discussed new ideas and theories with some of the game’s best leaders.
“It was still very much a busy offseason,” Canales said late Thursday night as he prepped for Monday’s season opener against Philadelphia. “Getting the opportunity to go study different coaches and different programs in college basketball and going back and forth on ideas, philosophies and concepts … it was a great, great time and a blessing.”
Canales said it was a welcome time for his “personal growth and learning.” He also spent most of his offseason in Portland, meeting with coaches, developing game plans and basically doing whatever head coach Nate McMillan thought could help the team.
So when Canales got the call from McMillan 17 days ago that the lockout was officially done and over with, there was no panic. No rush. No heavy concern.
“We had prepared every day just like every other team,” Canales said. “We were ready to get back out there.”
Back to the game
The Blazers, and the rest of the league, rushed through a frenzied free agency period, though their biggest coup – the scoring dynamo Crawford – wasn’t secured until early last week during the team’s brief preseason schedule.
Fortunately, Canales said, the whole thing has been relatively smooth, which he credits Blazers veterans like LaMarcus Aldridge, Marcus Camby and Raymond Felton for.
At a time many thought would set teams back in regard to firmly setting a foundation for this season, the Blazers were perfectly fine.
“Just talking to Kurt, Jamal and Craig, they’ve said it feels seamless, as if they’ve been with us for awhile,” Canales said. “That’s a credit to the core of the team and it’s a credit to our training camp. We have veterans that know how to play and have been here awhile and they understand the challenges.
“We had a great training camp. Great collective spirit. Obviously the schedule will come fast and furious, but we’re prepared. Everything’s been going well. The guys have been wonderful about getting up to speed.”
The main difference in the shortened preseason was that the Blazers have gone with one long practice each day instead of McMillan’s preferred two-a-days.
It helps keep the Blazers rested and moving forward to win the battle of attrition and rest and recovery for a unique season that features the hated back-to-back-to-backs (three) and five games in one week.
“The schedule is always going to feel like it does. Games are always fast and furious,” Canales said. “It looks like a lot, but every team is faced with it. The one thing is being in basketball game-ready shape. That will be the biggest challenge, and the only way to do that is to play games.
“Everyone will be faced with that.”
Up in the air
Popular consensus is that the teams with an abundance of youth and depth stand the best chance to prevail this season.
Canales, however, doesn’t figure that to be necessarily the case.
“It’s hard to say,” he said. “I’ve been blessed enough to be in the NBA for eight years, and that’s why you play the games. You just never know. Every game presents a different challenge. I know for us, when we go on the road to the east coast, that first home game back is very much a challenge. You’re still on east coast time, and obviously stuff like that will come into effect pretty often this season.”
Headlines have fluttered this month as players have moved all over the place. Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler are now Los Angeles Clippers. Dwight Howard figures to not be an Orlando Magic much longer. Vince Carter and Lamar Odom are Dallas Mavericks.
It’s been a sea of change, particularly in the Western Conference, where the Mavs, Rockets, Spurs and Blazers reside.
“We’ve been so locked into camp and practice that it’s been difficult to keep up with everything,” Canales said. “But we see the stuff on SportsCenter and anytime it affects our conference we have interest in that. Like, for instance, adding someone like Chris Paul to a talented roster to a team that didn’t make the playoffs last year is something we’re aware of.
“We see what’s going on and when it’s the West, it does affect us.”
While some of the NBA gets started back up today, the Blazers, Rockets and Spurs won’t tip off until Monday. For fans, everything points to a season that’s very much up for grabs, with no true favorite, especially with the unpredictability of 66 games in 120 days.
For Canales and the rest of the league, however, it’s back to business as usual. And that is perhaps the best Christmas gift of all for NBA fans.
“It’s no different at all,” Canales said of a season beginning on Christmas Day. “The past couple of years we’ve actually played on Christmas, which is an honor. I remember always watching the NBA on Christmas when I was a kid and how big of a deal that was and I’m sure the teams playing this year are fired up.
“But we’re approaching this season no different from any other. It’s exciting.”
And some video work I’ve done of Kaleb:
August 11, 2010:
August 5, 2011:
Before I end this 4,400-word post, I want to specifically link to my favorite Kaleb story I wrote, the feature piece that I talked about in the introduction. It was more of a personal look into a man who shys from the spotlight, yet was gracious as we enjoyed a two-hour discussion from everything, mostly his life and not so much basketball.
The story is on page 6-7 of the tabloid. Click on each page to enlarge it.
It’s such a great story. Inspiring, uplifting, magical, unbelievable … there’s not enough words to describe the gritty trek of a South Texas native up the ranks to the head coach of one of the NBA’s more prominent franchises. In fact, this blog likely does not do him justice. You have to meet him to understand how wonderful of an individual he is. I jokingly refer it to my wife as “The Kaleb Experience.” And what an experience it has been, all 34 years for the NBA’s freshest face.
Oh, by the way, Kaleb’s first game as head coach? A 100-89 win in Chicago over the Bulls on Friday. The story only gets better.
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has done his franchise no favors with his intent to keep reloading instead of rebuilding.
If Leslie Alexander could get a clue, I’d be eternally grateful. Because right now, his stubborn, money-driven initiatives are only setting his beloved Rockets franchise back.
The Rockets (22-20) are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third year in a row. They currently sit in eighth place in the West, but with do-everything point guard Kyle Lowry out the next 2-4 weeks with a bacterial infection, there is no reason to think the team won’t take at least a few steps back while the lurking Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz try and make up some ground. Houston is not constructed to where it can stay afloat without its top player for a lengthy amount of time.
As constituted, the Rockets are, well, the Rockets. They’re a strong offensive team (9th in offensive efficiency) and a subpar defensive team (17th in defensive efficiency). They are in the midst of a miserable slide (from six games over .500 two weeks ago to two games as of today, having lost 6 of their last 10 games). They are a middle-of-the-pack, mediocre club, and Alexander’s penchant for throwing money and gunning for the veteran pieces to keep contending for the playoffs is ill-fated. His interest, obviously, is keeping fannies in the seats. That’s not necessarily in the team’s best interest as opposed to the franchise’s.
At some point, the Rockets are going to have to actually rebuild. Start from scratch. The last 2 ½ years have been a waste, as they’ve been stuck ninth in the West and therefore drafting a pick outside of the lottery, fooling themselves into thinking a small move here and there can put them into the West’s top eight. Alexander, during this whole time, has been determined to stay competitive, but Houston has been stuck in the middle. Not a contender or a bottom-feeder. It’s the worst possible place a team can find itself in professional sports.
The interesting thing, however, is that his precocious general manager, Daryl Morey, would much rather start from scratch and create a clean slate. As Morey, and most fans figure, rebuilding is inevitable, a necessary evil in the landscape of pro sports. But a media report a few months ago illustrated this much, that the team’s current direction of rebuilding while staying competitive – a status Morey himself declared was “unprecedented” a week ago – was all Alexander’s doing. Morey talked about the team’s current challenge of competing while not completely bottoming out, and I’ll add he didn’t sound the least bit enthused about it.
Alexander’s mission is clearly not working. The Rockets are a miserable outfit right now, full of low-energy, offensive-minded individuals who sometimes choose to play as a team, but often do not. It’s not a dysfunctional group. It’s just inattentive. Aside from Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry and Courtney Lee, there are no winners in the lot; no players with significant playoff experience. It could even be assumed that with new head coach Kevin McHale being brought on board last summer, this season would have been the perfect time to start over, implement the new regime and move forward instead of standing still.
The sooner Alexander gets a realistic understanding for where things stand, the sooner the team can move on. That would mean, essentially, clearing out all but the few players who abide by McHale’s principles of toughness, defense and smart play; players like Lowry, Lee, Chandler Parsons and Patrick Patterson. There is too much dead weight on the roster. Throwing in three players and a precious pick for a two-time champion and multiple-time All-Star like Pau Gasol may be a start in terms of finally acquiring a legit player they can build a team around. Then the Rockets could deal Jordan Hill/Jonny Flynn/Terrence Williams/Hasheem Thabeet and maybe Chase Budinger for a slew of young talent but, more importantly, quality draft picks, where Morey has had a successful rate of selecting, though relatively still to be determined as key figures remain overseas.
With the exception of Samuel Dalembert, the Rockets do not have a player on the current roster that was acquired through free agency, and they’ve actually whiffed on a few, including Chris Bosh and Nene. Historically, Houston’s central acquisitions have either been through trade or the draft; the fact is Houston, as a city, is not considered an attractive destination for the elite free agents. The Rockets don’t have a past of attracting the big name in free agency; their big-time players of the last 17 years or so (Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest) were acquired through trade, which is why the Gasol move would be wise. Get your franchise player now instead of waiting for the summer, when a star piece like Dwight Howard or Deron Williams isn’t likely to come anyway. Add Gasol to a core of Lowry or Dragic, Lee, Patterson, Parsons, Marcus Morris and Greg Smith, and the Rockets would have the start of something, or at least a direction. Then Morey could acquire as many picks possible for what will be a deliciously loaded draft this year, and voila! Considering Morey’s already got some nice pieces stocked overseas in 7-foot forward Donatas Motiejunas and 6-foot-3 guard Sergio Llull, the Rockets’ dynamic overhaul already has really started. The next step is just admitting it and following through.
It can be done, and I’m confident Morey can get it done. But he’s being asked to do something not even he is on board with. Morey, he of the prized advanced stats, gaudy technology and evaluation techniques, wants to start over, and rightfully so. The Rockets are stuck in nowheresville. He sees that. The fans see that. But the head honcho who makes his home in Florida doesn’t see that.
Les Alexander would probably point out that the Rockets, from 2006-07 to 2008-09, won more games than during any three-year period of the franchise, even with stars McGrady and Yao Ming consistently hampered by injuries. He’d point to the team’s .588 winning percentage over the last four years as justification that his way is not all wrong. He’d likely tell you that that’s reason No. 1 why he thinks a few tweaks are needed before the team makes that gigantic leap.
He’d be wrong. He’d be pointing at style points, but nothing of substance. What I’d instead counter with is that this is a big-market franchise that has only won one playoff series since the 1996-1997 season. That’s the bottom line. Alexander’s desire for reloading, and not rebuilding – while admirable – is misguided.
The players aren’t what are holding Houston back (they are who they are, and some are even overachieving). McHale isn’t at fault, either, and neither is Morey. Alexander is. Until he pulls the handcuffs off Morey and lets him do what he does best – acquire assets while not being bound to a specific directive – this team will be stuck in the mud.
Too many (including myself) were fed up with Morey because he has produced nothing substantial in five years on the job now, facing three straight seasons without a playoff berth. But the light bulb came on, and I apologize to Morey. I erred in my thinking and was wrong to cite him as the virus behind the Rockets’ ills. It’s not his doing. It’s not his fault. He’s too bright to let this charade go on, which means someone else is pulling the strings.
And that someone else, unfortunately, is an owner that refuses to acknowledge the current situation. And the longer Alexander waits and sits on reality, the longer it’s going to take to get this franchise back on its feet in a healthy direction.
Silva On Sports 