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BALL IN …
How relevant is salary to performance? How about salary in comparison to playoff performance?
In our second annual Dollar Menu, let’s take a look at how everyone’s favorite players stack up against one another on the value scale.
Following our previews is a look at what the players who made MeanD’s Big Board will make for the 2007-08 season.
VS. 
(66-16) (45-37)
MeanD says:
The Celtics finally ended a series many had them finishing a full three games ago. However, what started as a runaway for the C’s eventually morphed into a series with potentially catastrophic ramifications for the NBA’s bottom line had Boston lost to the Hawks – the team with the NBA’s worst record in all the playoffs.
Nonetheless Boston’s first round struggles likely gave Cleveland added confidence heading into their much anticipated second round matchup. With both teams splitting the season 2-2, and neither team winning on the road, it is hard to calculate a clear-cut advantage outside of home court.
Nevertheless, having written much on the evolutionary growth of championship-caliber teams, I have to wonder if the Celtics are ripe for picking by a congealing Cavaliers squad that has been anything but consistent since acquiring Ben Wallace and Joe Smith from Chicago. After all, the Cavaliers have been here before, having reached the conference finals last year. But Cleveland has played like anything but the reigning Eastern Conference Champions all season.
Like Kobe Bryant did last summer, though far more muted, Lebron James demanded change from the Cavs front office after seeing several blockbuster trades go down out West. With rumors abounding that James will opt out of his current contract in two years, Cleveland could hardly afford to stand pat. Whereas I liked what Gooden gave the Cavs as an interior compliment to Zydrunis Ilgauskas, the team’s listlessness suggested a change in chemistry was needed. So with Paxson feeling the heat in Chicago as a result of the struggles of the achieving Bulls, a trade that looked like a mere Band-Aid fix was made, and to mixed results.
Historically speaking, the Celtics own a 10-7 playoff advantage over the Cavs, with a 7-1 record at home. Ray Allen leads all Boston scorers against the Cavs at 23.8 per game, while James averaged a stellar 32.4 ppg. With the exception of cross-matchups featuring Pierce vs. James, and Big Z vs. Kendrick Perkins, all other matchups clearly favor the Celtics. Rajon Rondo has been far more consistent for the C’s at the PG spot, averaging 10.6 pps, 4.2 rebs, and 5.1 assists to Delonte West’s 8.3 ppg, 3.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. However, the shooting guard advantage tilts heavily to Allen over Devin Brown who averages only 7.5 ppg on 40% FG shooting, which hardly offsets Allen’s numbers. However, if Boobie Gibson and Wally Szczerbiak can play big, the Cavs just might be able to nullify whatever Boston gets from Allen, who has a tendency to get lost on offense.
Although hardly a slouch at the SF spot, Pierce’s offensive production never matched that of James in the regular season series, with James outscoring Pierce handily over the four game stretch despite only playing in three of the contests. Now, having received a rude awakening from the irreverent Wizards in the first round, look for James to take his game to another level. If Lebron can double-up KG’s offensive production in this series, the C’s could be in store for a battle.
Finally, Zydrunis Ilgaukas enjoyed a huge advantage over Perkins all season, averaging 14.1 ppg, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists to Perkins paltry 6.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.
So who will win …
As much as I like what Boston has achieved this year in winning 66 games, I must, nevertheless, stand by my theory that winning the NBA title is an evolutionary process that requires a year-by-year progression of steps to finally break through. Save this year’s Lakers squad, this paradigm fits Cleveland nicely.
Season Series: 2-2
Players on Big Board (rank):
Boston - R. Rondo (PPG-8), R. Allen (BDG-6), P. Pierce (MP3-2), K. Garnett (PFC-2)
Cleveland - L. James (MP3-1), Z. Ilgauskas (CEO-9/Missed Cut)
MeanD’s Big Board - Boston
MeanDovine - Cleveland
Ricko - Boston
vs. 
(57-25) (54-28)
Ricko says:
The Lakers don’t seem to be a favorable matchup for the Jazz. (Hmm. I said the same thing about the Nuggets facing L.A. Maybe there’s a pattern here). The Lakers may have too many players to rotate down low for Utah to deal with. Ronnie Brewer will do his best on Kobe, with AK and maybe even Matt Harpring taking their shot. But the series won’t be decided as much by Kobe’s numbers as it will by some other factors. First, Gasol didn’t play in any of the four meeting between the teams this season, so a quick adjustment is needed by Utah at a time when they are coming off a tough series against Houston. A tall order, indeed.
Second, what will Utah get from Paul Millsap? A large effort is needed from him to at least somewhat neutralize guys like Gasol and Odom. Without it, the Jazz may be in trouble. But that’s what the playoffs are all about. Time to get to the next level.
Back to Brewer, he had pretty good games offensively against the Lakers this year, which would go a long way in helping Utah’s chances if he can continue that. It would force the Lakers to pay perhaps just enough attention to him to allow Deron Williams to be huge, as the Lakers have no one who can equalize Williams with any consistency. If L.A. is allowed to consistently pick him up right after mid-court, or trap him with a double-team, the Jazz are in trouble.
Like Houston in the prior series, L.A. is one of just four teams to win in Utah during the regular season. Utah will probably need to get a couple wins in L.A. to win the series, and I don’t think game one will be one of them, with the Lakers being much more rested. I know the age-old debate is always half-full or half-empty; are they getting rested or rusty? For me, I’ll take rest at this point in the season every time. After 82 games and four playoff games, some time off is beneficial. Especially considering the Lakers had big scoring nights vs. Utah this season. Look for Utah to be hard-pressed to curb that trend. This is a series where Jerry Sloan may need to call on all of his experience to try to throw the Lakers off their game. Williams and Carlos Boozer should have very good series, and if Utah can somehow get enough help from other sources, their winning the series is not out of the question. Believe it or not, they may need to pound the ball inside on L.A. to free up an occasional well-placed three pointer, while trying to defend inside on the other end while staying out of foul trouble. The BIGGEST FACTOR IN THE ENTIRE SERIES may be Mehmet Okur. If his inside-outside game is in peak form, he can be one of the few players in the league that teams don’t have an answer for, and the Lakers will have to scramble on defense more than they would like. But Okur must be consistently good on offense, and a factor defensively as well.
Many things will have to go Utah’s way for them to win this one. While I think they have sufficient talent, the Lakers’ depth and recent time off will play large factors. The Jazz may be fighting an uphill battle right out of the chute. If they can somehow pull one off today in the opener, it would be a huge shot in the arm.
It seems that the strength of the Lakers and Jazz lie in slightly different areas, so it could be a classic matchup. But due to the slight advantage in depth and the rest the Lakers just received, I’ll take L.A. in six games.
Season Series: 3-1
Players on Big Board (rank):
Los Angeles - K. Bryant (BDG-1), L. Odom (PFC-7), P. Gasol (CEO-3)
Utah - D. Williams (PPG-2), A. Kirilenko (MP3-Honorable Mention), C. Boozer (PFC-4), M. Okur (CEO-7)
MeanD’s Big Board - Lakers
MeanDovine - Lakers
Ricko - Lakers
THE CARROT
______________
PREDATORS
(VVS-1, All-World Game)
Rabbit
L. James (Akron) - $13,041,250
Fox
K. Bryant (Philadelphia) - $19,490,625
Wolf
C. Paul (Winston-Salem) - $3,615,960
HUNTERS
(SI-2, Suspect Arsenal)
T. Parker (Bruges) - $10,500,000
P. Gasol (Barcelona) - $13,735,000
D. Howard (Atlanta) – $6,061,274
D. West (Teaneck) - $10,650,000
K. Garnett (Mauldin) – $23,751,934
D. Williams (Parkersburg) - $4,010,640
T. Duncan (St. Croix) - $19,014,188
M. Ginobili (Bahia Blanca) - $9,074,811
M. Okur (Yalova) - $9,000,000
L. Odom (Jamaica, NY) - $13,248,596
P. Pierce (Oakland) - $16,360,094
P. Stojakovic (Belgrade) - $11,664,000
T. Chandler (Hanford) - $10,500,000
BLOODHOUNDS
(Flawed, AKC Certified, Questionable Pedigree)
T. Prince (Compton) - $8,675,620
R. Hamilton (Coatesville) - $10,000,000
H. Turkoglu (Istanbul) - $6,373,000
C. Boozer (Juneau) - $11,593,816
C. Billups (Denver) - $10,000,000
R. Lewis (Pineville) - $14,884,951
R. Allen (Merced) - $16,000,000
R. Rondo (Louisville) - $1,229,280
R. Wallace (Philadelphia) - $12,540,000
KENNEL CLUBBERS
(Well-trained, Knows More Than a Few Good Tricks)
DOG POUND
(Needs to be More Integral)
GRAVEYARD
(R.I.P.)
(Non-ranked. Final rankings dependent upon end of post season)
D. Nowitzki (Wurzburg) – $16,360,094
A. Stoudemire (Lake Wales) – $13,762,775
S. Nash (Johannesburg) – $11,375,000
T. McGrady (Bartow) - $18,257,750
A. Jamison (Shreveport) – $16,360,094
A. Miller (Los Angeles) - $9,600,000
A. Iverson (Hampton) - $19,012,500
C. Anthony (New York) - $13,041,000
J. Kidd (San Francisco) – $19,728,000
S. O’Neal (Newark) - $21,000,000
A. Iguodala (Springfield) - $2,804,889
M. Camby (Hartford) - $10,000,000
J. Howard (Winston-Salem) - $9,5000,000
NBA
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the signals suggesting that Mike D’Antoni and the Phoenix Suns will soon part company are only getting stronger.
Suns president Steve Kerr told the ESPN Radio affiliate and Suns flagship station last week that D’Antoni would not be allowed to speak to other teams regarding any vacancy. NBA coaching sources reiteratated to ESPN.com again Sunday that D’Antoni feels he can’t work under the conditions proposed by Kerr and owner Robert Sarver. So if even Suns management is now convinced that reconciling with its coach is no longer possible, giving D’Antoni an opportunity to find a new job might be the easiest way for Phoenix to move forward without worrying about the two years and $8.5 million left on his contract. As opposed to firing D’Antoni and paying the full amount or trying to work out a buyout, allowing him to land a new job and thus a new salary would offset whatever the Suns owe him. D’Antoni met with Sarver and Kerr for more than two hours Friday, with Kerr saying afterward that they all wanted to take a few days to digest what was discussed. Kerr stuck to his earlier pledge that he and Sarver remained hopeful of convincing D’Antoni that the parties’ philosophical differences could be resolved.
But sources close to the situation have maintained for days that D’Antoni does not want to continue coaching in Phoenix if he must implement the changes suggested by his bosses, which include increasing the time spent practicing defense and a more stern approach with younger players such as Suns forward Amare Stoudemire and guard Leandro Barbosa.
ESPN.com reported last week that Chicago has emerged as the most likely landing spot for D’Antoni if he leaves Phoenix. The Bulls also want to interview recently fired Dallas coach Avery Johnson and have already spoken to Mark Jackson and Rick Carlisle, but Johnson would appear to be D’Antoni’s only serious competition with the Bulls given Jackson’s status as the consensus favorite with the Knicks and Carlisle now widely expected to replace Johnson with the Mavericks.
EUROLEAGUE
CSKA Moscow wrote another chapter in its illustrious Euroleague Basketball history by defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv 77-91 on Sunday night for the 2008 Euroleague title – its sixth continental championship crown and second in the past three years. CSKA’s victory over Maccabi at the Community of Madrid Sports Palace in the Spanish capital moves the Russian powerhouse into second place on the all-time list behind only Real Madrid’s eight crowns. Trajan Langdon was named Final Four MVP after posting 21 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting and 7 rebounds to lead six CSKA scorers in double figures in victory. J.R. Holden added 14 points, Matjaz Smodis, David Andersen and freshly crowned Euroleague MVP Ramunas Siskauskas scored 13 points apiece and Theo Papaloukas added 12 to give the Russian champs another title to add to their trophies from 1961, 1963, 1969, 1971 and 2006. CSKA also defeated Maccabi in the 2006 final in Prague. Head coach Ettore Messina, who before the game announced that he had re-signed for another season in Moscow, won his fourth Euroleague title, moving into a tie for second place all-time with legends Pedro Ferrandiz, Alexander Gomelskiy and Bozidar Maljkovic, all of whom trail only Zeljko Obradovic of Panathinaikos. The game was a close affair for the first half, which ended with CSKA ahead only 41-42. CSKA started to pull away thanks to its defense in the third quarter and a 0-10 charge to start the fourth settled things early. Will Bynum paced Maccabi with 23 points, Esteban Batista added 14 and Terence Morris 13 in defeat.
One of the steadiest players of the decade, Trajan Langdon of CSKA Moscow, was selected Final Four MVP in a vote of media after leading the winners with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Langdon’s choice as the Euroleague Final Four MVP tops an outstanding career in the competition. At age 31 – he turns 32 on May 13 – Langdon has won two Euroleague titles and made it to four title games in five years in the competition. Langdon previously won it all with CSKA in 2006 and reached the title game again last season. He also played in the Euroleague final with Benetton Treviso in 2003.Born in Palo Alto, California, and raised in Alaska, Langdon is a cold-blooded shooter, who had one of his career-best performances on Sunday night. Langdon fired in 2-for-2 two-pointers, 4-for-5 three-pointers and 5-for-6 free throws on his way to 21 points, leading six CSKA players in double digits. Langdon added 7 rebounds, an assist, 2 steals and 7 fouls drawn for a 33 index, the highest ranking in a Euroleague final since Anthony Parker had 34 in the 2004 title game.
After four years shining at Duke University, Langdon joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for three years before signing for Benetton Treviso en route to becoming a European basketball superstar. In his six seasons in Europe, Langdon has also won the Italian League with Benetton in 2003, the Turkish League with Efes Pilsen in 2004 and consecutive Russian Leagues with CSKA in 2006 and 2007. He has a chance to win another one this season. Langdon is at the prime of his career and his MVP award adds even more value to an incredible career in European club basketball.
THAT’S GAME …
* Player in red is reigning champ
* Players is gold won regular season individual category rankings
Photos:
Bryant-James: Ed Crisostomo/The Press-Enterprise
Bryant-James embedded: NBAE/Getty Images
Player photos: NBAE
T. Langdon: Euroleague.net
Credits:
Euroleague: http://www.euroleague.net
Predator: Released June 12, 1987 by 20th Century Fox
Rambo: Released October 22, 1982 by Orion Pictures Corp.
http://www.dophotoshop.com/angry-wolf
http://www.actden.com/GRAP_DEN/clipart/images/rabbit.jpg
Fox: G and C Corsi (California Academy of Sciences)
Profiles/Teases are done for the season.
LOTL Postseason Edition posts Monday & Friday mornings.
__________________________
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All Rights Reserved.
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Left by ace on May 5th, 2008