The Bench: Episode 18

Episode 18 - "Never going back to North Korea!" Donnie DaSilva and Curtis D are in the house at Hardwood Studios while Vanessa is on assignment and JK is sick as a dog. The guys did still get JK on the phone to share his Hilight / Lowlight of the week before going back to his suffering. Over the last few months, The Bench Guys have received plenty of emails and tweets from listeners asking about the tape that more and more NBA players seem to be wearing.  To address that, The Bench welcome Dr Jennifer Illis Rector to the program.  Dr Rector is one of the leading authorities on this subject, and is uniquely qualified to discuss it.   In the 4th quarter of the show, the guys are joined by former NBA All Star, Eric Sleepy Floyd!! This is an awesome interview and a lot of fun. Don't miss out! You can also listen to the show, and easily access our archives on your smartphone / tablet by downloading the Stitcher App or by subscribing to us on iTunes You may also download the direct link to the MP3.

 

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Trade Deadline Report Cards

An astonishing 40 bodies were moved yesterday. 

So much for my claim on this week's episode that trade deadline days have been quiet and disappointing in recent years. 

The basketball gods shut me up REAL good!

So who were the big winners and losers from yesterday’s trade deadline bonanza?



Boston Celtics
Sent: Tayshaun Prince, Marcus Thornton, 2016 First Round Pick (Cleveland)
Acquired: Isaiah Thomas, Luigi Datome, Jonas Jerebko

The Celtics needed a true scorer in the backcourt, and they got one.  Isaiah – while undersized, is natural born basket maker.  With Thomas under contract for the next 3 seasons on a very fair deal, the team will likely be shaped around him and their 2014 draft pick Marcus Smart.

Thornton desperately needed a change of scenery after posting anemic scoring numbers as a Celt. 

Jerebko at this stage of his career appears to be ‘just a guy’ and won’t challenge any of Boston’s forwards for minutes.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: B+

Brooklyn Nets
Sent: Kevin Garnett
Acquired: Thaddeus Young

Last season the Nets went for broke, and … it broke.  They emptied the cupboard of draft picks and went above and beyond the cap ceiling to get themselves clobbered by the Heat in the second round.  The departures of Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston punctuated that it was time to begin a rebuild.

It was common knowledge that the Nets were trying desperately to move Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez.  A deal that would have seen Lopez become a member of the OKC Thunder was nearly executed yesterday, but the Thunder walked away at the last second to work with Utah. 

Thaddeus Young has been nothing short of flat this season, and his contract could see him up at 10 million bucks next year.  The Nets failed to move their 3 big cap eaters, and moved an overpriced, aging big man for a younger overpriced big man.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: D-

Detroit Pistons
Sent: Kyle Singler, DJ Augustine, Jonas Jerebko, Luigi Datome
Acquired: Reggie Jackson, Tayshaun Prince

Detroit was looking for some help to get them into the playoffs.  While Augustine is much better shooter than Jackson, Jackson is a natural scorer – albeit often at the expense of his teammates.  Jackson is a freakish athlete with arms as long as Michigan and should be a much better defender than he currently is.  His helpside D is frustratingly bad most of the time.  If Pistons fans are hoping for a James Harden type explosion from this Thunder bench player, they will be very disappointed. 

Prince was playing better in Boston this season, than he had been in Memphis.  Perhaps he was showcasing himself to other GMs.  He was hoping to be moved to a contender – but instead he got shipped backed to where he started his career.  The Pistons are hoping his length and defensive ability will fill a gap and help them grab a playoff spot this season.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: A

Denver Nuggets
Sent: Arron Afflalo, JaVale McGee, Alozono Gee, First Round Pick (Oklahoma City; protected 1-18 in 2015, 1-15 in 2016 and 2017, becomes two second-round picks if not conveyed by 2018)
Acquired: Thomas Robinson, Will Barton Victor Claver, First Round Pick (either 2016 or 2017, turns into two second-round picks if Portland misses the playoffs in both seasons).

The Nuggets were looking to unload and certainly they gave up a ton of talent without bringing much back.  They had stated that the price for Arron Afflalo was a first rounder, and while they got it – it’s so heavily protected that it is unlikely it turns into much in the next two seasons of shallow draft classes.

While Afflalo isn’t playing at his near All-Star like level he did last season in Orlando, you have to think they could have amassed better assets than this.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: D

Houston Rockets
Sent: Isaiah Cannan, Three Second Round Draft Picks
Acquired: KJ McDaniels, Pablo Prigioni

While I like Cannan’s ability to spread the floor, and the way he fit with Houston, he isn’t much of a two way player – and if you listen to Sir Charles Barkley, the Rockets suck on D. 

McDaniels is a great athlete who could evolve into a very good two way player, especially with a guy like Trevor Ariza around to show him the ropes.

Prigioni is an insurance policy at the point, and even at 38 yrs of age, offers a little something off the bench.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: A

Miami Heat
Sent: Noris Cole, Danny Granger, Shawne Williams, Justin Hamilton, 2 First Round Picks
Acquired: Double Dragon (Goran &Zoran Dragic)


While the Heat DID get the best player to change uniforms yesterday, they have to hope and pray that this is a good fit.  Giving up a pair of first rounders when you are currently a bottom dweller in the East’s playoff picture is risky. 

The roster guys they gave up don’t hurt the Heat in the least.  Cole has been bloody awful, and Danny Granger has confirmed to the world that he is done.  Done done.  Really, really done. 

Goran loves to fast break and get up and down the floor – but who on the Heat is willing to play that way?  Wade would – if it was still 2006.  As a half court facilitator, you remove a lot of the Dragon’s fear factor.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: A-

Milwaukee Bucks
Sent: Brandon Knight
Acquired: Michael Carter-Williams, Tyler Ennis, Miles Plumlee

A good ol fashioned basketball trade.  Three young guns for a borderline all-star.  It seems the Bucks were looking to become a little younger and longer at every position.  Wingspans for each their potential starting line next season: MCW 6'7", Jabari 6'11", Plumlee 7'0", Giannis 7'4" and Henson 7'6". Bring on the zone defense!!

Still, this one has you thinking, “Huh?” 

Knight was playing out of his mind, and while he is an RFA this summer, there was no real danger of him walking.  They have certainly downgraded their starting PG spot. 

Ennis goes from being the 4^th string guard in Phoenix to the 3^rd stringer in Milwaukee as he will struggle to pull minutes from Bayless – this season anyway.  The Bucks went from being a team that could pull a first round upset, to a little less scary to face.DRAFT DAY GRADE: D

Minnesota Timberwolves
Sent: Thaddeus Young
Acquired: Kevin Garnett

Cue Skylar Grey.  I’m coming home!

We told you on The Bench weeks ago that you could expect KG to be sent back to the Wolves this season and then take up a minority ownership role next season. 

The hope for the Wolves is clearly that KG helps the younger guys, makes them a little smarter, sells some tickets for his farewell tour, and curries favor for his new career as a Minnesota TimberSuit.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: A+

New Orleans Pelicans
Sent: John Salmons
Acquired: Shawne Williams, Norris Cole, Justin Hamilton

“Sometimes teams make trades just to see their name in the papers the next day”.  One NBA player stated this to me yesterday, and in the case of the Pelicans this seems appropriate.

They dumped Salmons, are expected to buy out Williams, grabbed a practice court punching bag for Anthony Davis and a massive underachiever in Cole.

While the Pels will spin this as “we picked up a two time championship winning point guard” – Cole is not the answer for New Orleans depleted lead guard spot.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: D-

New York Knicks
Sent: Pablo Prigioni
Acquired: Alexy Shved, Two Second Round Picks

Shved started the season out with so much promise.  Playing for the lowly Sixers, he was posting a career highs in points (9.9) and was trying to fill a role as an agitator. 

After being shipped to Houston, Shved played in only 9 games and was essentially invisible.  If things don’t improve significantly in New York, he’ll likely be looking for work in his native land of Russia.

He is a smart player that could be a fit in the triangle.  It’ll be interesting to see how that pans out.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: B-

Oklahoma City Thunder
Sent: Reggie Jackson, Kendrick Perkins, Future First Round Pick
Acquired: DJ Augustin, Enes Kanter, Kyle Singler, Steve Novak.

The Thunder got better.  Not doubt about it.  The question is how much.

I don’t think they are as improved as Thunder fans on social media seem to believe.   While Jackson is a better all around scorer than Augustin, he was a terrible outside shooter, a lazy defender and disliked by most of the organization.  He also turned down a ridiculous 4 year / 48 million dollar offer from the Thunder which sealed his fate. 

The fact that the Thunder got this much for an aging 5 and a guy that didn’t want to be there and that they didn’t want is miraculous.

Since being picked up by the Bulls last season, Augustin has cemented his reputation as the NBA’s preeminent backup point guard.  That being said, all he really does is fast break and shoot the 3.  Running a half court offense isn’t something he excels in – but coaching a half court offense isn’t something Coach Brooks does much of anyway. 

Enes Kanter is a better scorer than aging Perkins, but Perkins in a wheelchair is still a better defender.  That being said, if there is a team for a scoring center who doesn’t play D – this would be it, as Kanter will be teamed up in the frontcourt with Serge Ibaka. 

Singler is going to struggle to find minutes on this team, and Novak will hit a TON of 3s … in practice.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: B+

Philadelphia 76ers
Sent: Michael Carter-Williams, KJ McDaniels
Acquired: JaVale McGee, Isaiah Cannan, First Round Pick (LA Lakers top-five protected in 2015, protected 1-3 in 2016 and 2017, unprotected in 2018), the lesser of Denver or Minnesota’s 2015 second-round pick, first-round pick from Oklahoma City (protected 1-18 in 2015, 1-15 in 2016 and 2017, becomes two second-round picks if not conveyed by 2018), second-round pick from Houston.


Unlike many out there, I don’t have an issue with the 76ers dumping MCW.  They clearly didn’t seem him as their point guard of the future, and frankly, neither do I.   But dumping KJ McDaniels seemed premature. 

The 76ers claim that they are not looking to buy out JaVale McGee, but honestly – what the hell is he doing there?  You don’t need JaVale McGee on that team.  He doesn’t want to be on that team.  It doesn’t make any sense at all.

The Sixers must see something in the 2016 / 2017 draft classes that I don’t, because they continue to amass picks for what appear to be rotation players / potential starters at best.

We are putting the Sixers on probabtion.  One more dumb move like this and we are shipping your whole organization to the D-League.
DRAFT DAY GRADE: F

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Video: Foot Locker Spot - James Harden

Foot Locker has done it again!

 On November 18th, we shared with you a brilliant commercial produced by Foot Locker to hype up their "Week of Greatness" sale.

That ad featured two men known for their low-key, monotone deliveries acting as if they were super-excited.

Now, Foot Locker has got Houston Rockets 2 guard James Harden clowning himself.

It's no secret that Harden's defensive abilities have been less than stellar, and really magnified since becoming a starter in Houston.

Check out this spot where a couple of regular dudes have some fun with Harden, who clearly understands his public perception.
 

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Dwight in for a Fight

What do Houston Rockets Dwight Howard and Adrian Peterson have in common?

Athletes?

Yeah. Of course.

Black?

Sure.

Oh, and they have both been accused of child abuse by the mothers of their sons.

Dwight has been accused of whipping their 6 year old son, Braylon, with a belt after the mother, Royce Reed of Basketball Wives, took him to a doctor to be examined.

The doctor that examined Braylon stated that had bruises consistent with being struck “numerous times by his father.” He even went so far as to say that the buckle may have been used and since the bruises lasted longer than 24 they could be considered as a sign of child abuse.

My parents would be in prison for life. Gotta love the 80's.

The doctor also recommended that Dwight go to parenting classes to learn other methods to discipline his son. At the time there was not enough evidence to charge Howard with child abuse though he has acknowledged that there was some abuse, it was not child abuse as he was raised the same way.

Howard is in a weird position with his baby mama Royce and the law because while he is fighting child abuse allegations at the same time he is fighting for custody of his son.

Howard's people released a statement in part saying “It is appalling to see a mother use her son as a pawn against his father in an attempt to extract money, which is what is happening in this case.”

Royce recently posted an image on her Instagram of her and Braylon celebrating his 7th birthday at a Hooter's which was then used to illustrate her ineptitude as a parent.

Howard has accused Royce of allowing their son to observe her having sex with “numerous companions.”

Ouch. 

Howard also released a statement through The Orlando Sentinel via his attorney saying “It is troubling to see a mother use her son as a pawn against his father, which is what is happening in this case.

Dwight Howard will continue to act in the best interest of his children and do whatever is necessary to protect their welfare and best interests.”

This is getting bridesmaids dress ugly.

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Protect Those Knees!

A story popped up on the wire today that got me thinking.

The story was revolving around Houston Rockets star big man, Dwight Howard who banged his knee up on Saturday and is still feeling some of the after effects.

“Some of the swelling has gone down,” Howard said. “I got a lot of movement and range in it, more than I did when I first hurt it. It felt pretty good today. Thank God it wasn’t that serious, because it did bother me the whole game. A lot of people noticed it. One thing I was thinking is I need my knees to play this game.”

I’m sure the Rockets ownership and fans are happy it wasn’t that serious either.

“I’m going to have to find some of those Hakeem (Olajuwon) knee pads,” Howard said. “We actually did talk about that at the end of the season, me wearing some knee pads. It looks like I’m going to have to do it. Taking those bumps now, at 21 (years old) I could recover at halftime. But now, I got some of that kryptonite juice stuck in my knees so I have to make sure I get that out.” This last quote is what really forced my brain off on a slight tangent. It’s 2014; why aren’t all NBA players wearing knee pads?

Especially bigs or guys who attack the paint and are vulnerable to knee on knee hits in traffic? Why wouldn’t ownership make this piece of equipment mandatory?

The answer is simple. Machismo. Nobody wants to be called soft (especially Dwight … right Kobe?) and wearing protection on your knees is apparently the sign of “getting too old to play” or “being soft”.

Hakeem wore them and dominated. So did Patrick Ewing. I don’t remember anyone ever questioning their toughness.

NBA players wear mouth guards to protect against elbows in the face and help absorb impact on a blow to the head. Well, headshots are serious – so we don’t consider that soft.

NBA players wear THICK foamy compression shorts or pants under their uniform to absorb impact whenever they hit the floor. Well, you want to be aggressive, plus nobody can see that big diaper looking thing – so we won’t call you soft for that either.

Now when it comes to protecting the most exposed, and arguably most important part of a basketball player’s anatomy – then we get all snippy.

Basketball kneepads evoke thoughts of bulky rectangular bandages that may hamper mobility and more importantly, not look cool.

These days, the technology has changed. Honeycomb style pads built into knee / leg sleeves allow all sorts of protection.

Allen Iverson started wearing a compression sleeve to assist with the treatment of an injury, and it became a fashion statement.

Howard already wears his trademark arm sleeves – why not some leg sleeves too with built in protection?

If it extends your career another year or two isn’t it worth it?

Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of kids that would copy cat, and go out and buy the exact same gear. Sure, they’d be doing it just to look cool – like their favorite baller, but in the end it would also be protecting those oft destroyed knee ligaments that so often fall victim to this game.

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D12 in Hot Water Again

Houston Rocket Dwight Howard is no stranger to drama.

About four years ago he sued his baby mama for $550,000,000 after she trashed talked him on Twitter and on Basketball Wives after she had signed a court order prohibiting her from doing so.

Their paternity agreement said it would cost her $500 each time she said his name.

If I got $500 for every time a woman said my name I'd have $750!

Howard's latest drama involves his license being suspended after racking up red light ticket after red light ticket in Orange County, FL.  In 2012 alone he got nine of them and now after his tenth in July they snatched his driving privileges away.

I would say it sucks for him and he needs to play by the rules but then I found out that all he has to do is have his baby mama say his name once and he can have enough to pay the $285 fine as well as fill up his tank a few times.

Ain't that a bitch?

At my age I can say that Howard is a silly ass kid. He's 28 years old and has more money than brain cells.  If he showed this much dedication when he played for here for The Lakers we would've had a parade and I could've looted!

You can't have shoulders as wide as you are tall and blow through red lights - but when the fine is so small he may as well start driving with his damned feet. 

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Where's Rondo Going?

Full disclosure: I’ve never been a  huge fan of Rajon Rondo’s game.  

While I respect his athleticism and feel that when healthy he may be the fastest man in the NBA from baseline to baseline … I just don’t like investing in a point that can’t shoot.

That’s my personal bias.

Rondo was considered mediocre (at best) during his rookie year before the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.  

Being surrounded by three hall of famers definitely opened up driving lanes and allowed him to even dominate games – because so much attention was being paid to 3 other positions.

If Rondo had spent his career in Denver or with the Clippers and had career averages of 11 and 8, people would say he was a “nice player”, but certainly not a superstar – or a max money player as he allegedly believes he is.

All that being said, Rondo does offer the unique ability to throw tight pocket passes and run the pick and roll.

Earlier today, news broke that Rondo wanted to be moved from the Boston Celtics – which of course begs the question, where will he end up?

Rondo wants to play for a contender or at the very least, a team on the upswing that is nearing the end of a rebuild.

A team acquiring Rondo should:

•           be heavily influenced with veterans who can keep his monstrous ego in check
•           have a coach that understands how to best utilize him, and how to hide his glaring weakness
•           have another point guard on the team who CAN shoot
•      a big with great hands that can finish in traffic and help Rondo rack up the assists

So, here are Rondo's top six options:

Houston Rockets:  The Rockets are perennial contenders, but haven’t had a dominant star point guard since … well, since ever.

Names like Kenny The Jet, John Lucas Jr, Sam Cassell, Aaron Brooks and Stevie “The most selfish man alive” Francis top the list of the best lead guards in that franchise’s history. 

They seemingly had that man when Kyle Lowry was in town, but battles with management had him branded as an asshole, and they shipped him out of town. 

They thought they were getting that backcourt igniter when they  acquired Jermey Lin, but that didn’t unfold the way they had hoped. 

No matter how good Dwight Howard and James Harden are in the half court, unless they have a 1 that can really control the pace, they won’t be advancing much further than the first round exist that had each of the last two seasons. 

No disrespect to Patrick Beverley.  He’s a nice player, but he’d be better served with more controlled minutes.

The Detroit Pistons have the enigmatic (and often under-performing) Brandon Jennings and their new piece – the savior of the Chicago Bulls 2014 season – DJ Augustin. 

If Augustin can reproduce his performance with the Bulls last season, he will be a valuable piece for Stan Van Gundy. 

With disgruntled forward Josh Smith under contract, it would seemingly make sense to send a package of Smith and Jennings for Rondo and another piece to make the money work.

Detroit had visions of a playoff run last season, but their 3 headed front court monster never really developed the way they had hoped, so it’s time to end that experiment and go with what has always served the Pistons best; dominant guard play.

Indiana Pacers.  In the minds of many George Hill is not the star guard he was once made out to be.  Hill struggled in large spots each of the last two seasons and has gone from “promising young star” to “the fifth guy on the floor”.

With Paul George out for the season, and Lance Stephenson running off to the Hornet hive, the Pacers are in desperate need of more athleticism and scoring.

Rondo could be that man, but the biggest question is what would the Pacers have to deal?  They’d love to unload Roy Hibbert, and Boston might think they can rejuvenate the big man, but if they unloaded Hibbert then David West becomes the number one option for Rondo down low?

West has had a solid career, but he is noticeably slowing down.

LA Lakers.  Let’s just say it.  The Steve Nash experiment was a colossal freaking disaster.  For an entire generation, the Lakers have relied on a dominant two guard (you know who), and a combination of different forwards who dominated to varying degrees.

During all of their highs and lows, they haven’t had an all star point guard since Gary Payton’s retirement tour of 2003. 

While the Lakers are in a rebuilding mode, and are in the treacherous Western Conference, they seem to have  more pieces than the Celtics do.  Perhaps the lore of the purple and gold would be enough to motivate Rajon.

The Sacramento Kings shocked everyone when they let young scoring point guard Isiah Thomas walk.

Their management group truly feels that with Rudy Gay, DeMarcus Cousins and company,  that they have the makings of a young upstart that will push the heavyweights to the limit. 

The question is, are they close enough to make a big play for a guy like Rondo, and would he be enough to move them into the playoff picture?

The New York Knicks do not look like a playoff team right now – even with their off season moves.

With a rookie head coach, and a group of massive egos that are somewhat dysfunctional, it could be a powder keg with Rondo playing the part of fuse.

Or, pairing him with veteran Jose Calderon (a prolific three point shooter) might be the perfect combination.  What Caldeon lacks in speed, Rondo could more than make up for – and Jose can shoot the lights out if teams start to sag on Rajon.

If Derek Fisher used a two guard front – they could be a deadly offensive tandem. 

When he was with the Celtics, Doc Rivers was a huge fan of Calderon’s and would talk about what a great fit he would have been for their team.  Certainly Doc was thinking along these same lines.

While this could all be nothing more than premature internet babble and Rondo could work things out with the C's, it seems clear that both sides would be happy to accommodate

a change.

Where do you think Rajon will end up this season?

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James Harden: "I'm the best"

Not to be outdone by Steph Curry's recent proclamation that he is a better offensive player than LeBron James, James Harden got in on the bravado by making a bold statement of his own.

"I'm the best all-around basketball player in the NBA," said Harden during a recent promotional event. James Harden must subscribe to the Kanye West school of marketing.

If you tell everyone you're the best, SOMEONE is likely to believe you.

Unfortunately for Harden, in order to believe that bold statement we would either have to be unaware of the definition of "all-around" or we would be evaluating him strictly on his box scores.

Let's be blunt.

Harden is a very good offensive player (he finished third this season in the scoring race), but defensively he's a hot mess.

Even if you were grading players strictly on their scoring prowess, it's unlikely that many unbiased observers would rank Harden above the likes of Lebron James, Kevin Durant and others.

I encourage you to take a peek at this collection of defensive "highlights" that Harden amassed last season, and then answer the question for yourself.

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