Empty the Bench

When you’ve tasted as much success as Kobe has, the descent into mediocrity is bound to get to you eventually. As Bryant has grown into a more competent leader of the Los Angeles Lakers in the wake of Shaq’s departure to Miami, he’s seen his supporting cast take a dramatic dip in terms of talent since the days of contending for a title nearly every year. Now, team achievement is measured on simply winning a playoff series or two, and that’s just not good enough for Kobe as he approaches 30 years of age. Nor should it be, especially when they can’t even advance past the first round (which they haven’t done since losing in the NBA Finals in ’04).

With time of the essence, Bryant has finally issued his strongest demands to team management to strengthen the team or else. With the man who built the Lakers into perennial championship contenders, Jerry West, about to vacate his GM spot with the Memphis Grizzlies, Bryant has told ESPN The Magazine that he wants West back in the fold and given full authority to reshape the roster:

“I would love for him to be a part of this,” Bryant told the newspaper. “But it’s not something where I demand he comes here. All I can do is offer my thoughts. I love being a Laker. I want to retire a Laker. I want to fix this thing, or at least help any way I can.”

“I want to see us get to a contending level,” he told The Times. “I want to see us become a championship contender. It’s been a frustrating process for me and I’m sure it’s been a frustrating process for all Laker fans. I’m just hoping we can get to that level. I’m still frustrated. I’m waiting for them to make some changes.”

That’s a nice way of saying “get your ass in gear or I’m taking my ass elsewhere.” In a conference that’s already stacked for years to come, the road to glory got that much more difficult when the Trail Blazers and Sonics came out as big winners in this year’s draft lottery. Greg Oden and Kevin Durant–two potential franchise cornerstones–will transform their respective teams into two more formidable opponents LA might have to deal with down the road. In Bryant’s eyes, everyone is making tangible improvements except the Lakers.

Fixing the Lakers won’t be an easy proposition, especially with so much money tied up in Bryant’s salary. Andrew Bynum has all kinds of potential, but how long will it take the 20-year-old to realize it? Jordan Farmar could develop into a solid starting point guard, but it’ll be a long while before he can compete with the Steve Nash and Tony Parkers of the world. Kwame Brown is Kwame Brown. Luke Walton is a free agent this summer. Lamar Odom has proven to be a solid compliment to Bryant, but he’s injury-prone and seems to come up small in big situations. And how much longer will Phil Jackson be leading the team?

Misusing and ultimately giving up on Caron Butler too early and sending him to Washington as part of the Brown deal was a major blunder that set this team back. The Lakers have the 19th overall pick in the draft, as well as two second-rounders. They need to make the right call with their first rounder and hope to land at least one gem in the second. They need to figure out what to do with Walton (part of a sign-and-trade package with Odom?) One could argue that outside of Bryant, there’s major potholes everywhere else (especially off the bench).

Maybe West could turn this franchise around, maybe not. Either way, the clock is ticking for the Los Angeles Lakers. Mess up, and Bryant’s next state-of-the-franchise comments just might be his swan song as the Laker’s leading man.

Cleveland 88, Detroit 82

Finally, after two so-so performances in his first Conference Finals series, the man who would be king delivered. With Cleveland’s season on the line in Game 3 against the Detroit Pistons, Lebron James hit the court running with a few early, thunderous dunks in transition and never really got untracked for the rest of the night. Star players worthy of the accolades James has perhaps prematurely been showered with cement their legacy by stepping up in crunch time, and in the fourth quarter that’s just what he did.

There was a step-back three-pointer from the corner in Tayshaun Prince’s face. There were layups in traffic. There were swishes as the shot clock expired. And in one particularly brutal sequence in the fourth quarter that seemed to turn the tide toward Cleveland, Lebron James drove to the hole, raised up, and absolutely posterized Rasheed Wallace with an in-your-face dunk that also drew a foul. It pains this lifelong Pistons fan to say it, but that was one of the most emphatic statement plays I’ve seen this postseason. You just don’t see ‘Sheed get dunked on like that, ever. All the credit in the world goes to Lebron James for willing his team to victory last night, especially after all of the criticism–some deserved, some misguided–he endured after Games 1 and 2 in Auburn Hills. On the night, James came up just shy of a triple-double, with 32 points (12-21 FG), 9 boards, 9 feeds, and 2 steals.

While James is single-handedly responsible for about 75% of this win, he was assisted with key contributions from his ragtag supporting cast, most notably rookie Daniel Gibson. Gibson’s box score (9 points, 2 boards) belies his contributions this evening, as both his field goals came from beyond the arc at key points in the game, and perhaps most surprisingly it was his post defense on the much bigger Chauncey Billups and, after a switch, Tayshaun Prince that really helped frustrate Detroit. Sasha Pavlovic also helped cover up the ongoing disappearing act of Larry Hughes (hobbled by a sprained left foot) by nailing a few improbable shots late in the shot clock, finishing with 13 points on 5-8 FG and 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.

For Detroit, they once again suffered from extremely poor play from their all-star backcourt. If you hadn’t watched the NBA over the past few years and flicked on last night’s game, without question you’d wonder why Chauncey Billups will be considered the top free agent on the market this summer. As Steve Kerr wrote today for Yahoo! Sports, “one bad game is a fluke. Two bad ones is a trend. Three in a row? It’s a reality.” Billups has looked all kinds of out of sorts this series, and as bad as he looked in the first two contests, last night was his biggest stinker yet. The shooting was bad enough (4-14 FG, 2-8 three-pointers), but it’s the lack of assists (3) and high number of unforced errors and bone-headed plays (5 turnovers) that’s especially alarming. Billups is widely considered one of the most solid, cool-headed floor generals in the league, but against Cleveland he’s been one of its worst.

The Pistons’ offense is at its best when the ball is moving from side to side and all five players touch it at least once in the half-court set before a shot. So far, it’s just not happening, and some of that blame lies at the feet of Billups, who isn’t exuding the kind of confidence he’s known for and is struggling to get his teammates set up in a position to succeed. The one-on-one post-ups and drives stagnant this offense to no end, and Detroit must get back to what they excel at if they hope to turn it around. That’s where head coach Flip Saunders must prove he’s the offensive genius advertised and make the proper adjustments moving forward; so far, he hasn’t done it. Larry Brown could be the one drawing up these plays.

Rip Hamilton was simply a non-factor, going 2-8 from the field for just 7 points. Hobbled by a sprained ankle, Tayshaun Prince finally hit some shots, but missed an open three-pointer late in the fourth that would have cut the Pistons deficit to just 1 point. (A. Sherrod Blakely wonders if Prince’s ankle injury had a lot to do with Lebron’s breakout performance.) Rasheed Wallace remains the Pistons’ MVP of this series, as he hit two huge three-pointers to get the Pistons back in the game late and finished with 16 points. Chris Webber also had a nice bounceback effort (15 points, 7 boards, 3 assists), though foul trouble limited his impact in the second half.

Game 4 is Tuesday night in Cleveland (8pm, TNT), and will prove to be the real defining moment of this series. If the Cavs win and even the series, well, we have a series. But if the Pistons steal this one on the road and head back to Detroit with a chance to close it out, our “Pistons in five” prediction will be looking good. Honestly, we thought last night’s contest would be a lop-sided win for the Cavs and are surprised it was a close one. Expect another grind-it-out affair tomorrow with so much at stake. If the Pistons’ maligned backcourt snaps out of their funk, look for Detroit to win. If they don’t, you have to like the Cavs’ chances.

For more on last night’s Cleveland win, check out Fear the Sword, 20 Second Timeout, Brian Windhorst’s Cavaliers Blog, Pistons Insider, and The Detroit News Pistons Blog.

Tonight:

San Antonio at Utah, 9pm ESPN: Deron Williams, the Jazz’s standout second-year point guard, is looking more and more like a young Jason Kidd (with a better jump shot). In the pivotal Game 3 Utah blowout win, Williams was nothing short of spectacular, scoring 31 points, 8 assists, 5 steals, and 4 huge three-pointers. If he can duplicate that effort tonight, we like the Jazz evening up the series. Let’s go Utah!

This shocking development just in: Michael Vick not only enjoys partaking in the casual dog fight from time to time, but according to one source he also chargrills the losing dog (favorite marinade: zesty Italian?) and serves its crispy-baked carcass with a side of asparagus!

At this point in the ongoing dog-fighting scandal irrevocably tied to the Falcons QB’s good name (his real one, not his porn one), would it really surprise you if that was the next indictment to make headlines? First, it was Vick owned land where dog fights were reportedly taking place, but it was land lived on by his cousin that he “hardly ever visited.” (For the record, police nabbed 66 dogs during their raid. 66!) Then it came out that Vick actually *did* know what was going down there in Surry County.

Anyway, every network and sports blog out there has this story covered, so we’ll skip on to today’s latest development: a source told ESPN that Michael Vick has been attending dog fights at least as far back as 2000, and that it when it comes to placing wagers, Vick is a world-class heavyweight:

“That’s who bets a large dollar,” the informant said on the show Outside the Lines. “And they have the money to bet large money. As I’m talking about large money, 30 to 40 thousand, even higher. He’s one of the heavyweights.”

When asked how he knows Vick bets that amount, the informant said, “because I’ve seen it.” The informant said his dog beat Vick’s dog in 2000, the year before Vick was chosen by the Falcons with the first overall pick in the NFL draft.

We’re never sure what to make of unnamed “informants” in cases like this. Obviously, identity protection for police collaborators is important, but there’s always people out there looking to capitalize on famous rich people’s misfortune, so this could turn out false. For the record, however, we appreciate the “informant’s” gusto in not only fingering Vick as a “heavyweight gambler” in the dog-fighting world, but also adding insult to injury by slipping in the fact that his dog beat Vick’s dog. Ouch.

- Differing accounts of this encounter with Scott Skiles at a bar last night (see the comments), but one thing’s for certain: the Chicago Bulls head coach said the word “shit” and we’re deeply offended by his potty mouth.

- Mark Cuban is chillin’ in the Cayman Islands and don’t you forget it. He’s also into coin-flipping.

- “Big” Mike Williams is all keyed up and ready to rock the house for the Oakland Raiders. We had a post written and ready to go about a month ago entitled “Hindsight is 20/20 for Mike Williams,” but I axed it at the last minute because, well, I don’t know why. The gist of it is that now that Williams is out of Detroit, it sounds like he’s blaming his dismal failure there on everyone except himself: the coaches, his teammates, the media, the guy manning the drive-thru at Burger King. Look, he was a bust for the Lions, but I’d like to see the kid do well. Really. But the fact is that he can only blame himself for the less-than-ideal beginning to his professional career. Dropping passes, dogging it in practice, insisting *his* ideal playing weight was the right one–not the coaches’–and not learning the playbook. That’s all on him.

- Middle relief pitchers and how managers use them under the microscope.

- The pride of the New York Yankees’ pitching rotation, Carl Pavano, is probably the most popular guy on the team. As we speak, Yankees fans are furiously typing emails to the publicity department, demanding autographed balls and photos. They never, ever want to forget their $40 million man.

- There’s a shakeup a-brewin’ in Golden State, and the fall guys look to be either Jason Richardson, Patrick O’Bryant, Mickael Pietrus, or 2007 Most Improved Player Monta Ellis. We have issues with anyone who’d consider moving ETB favorite Ellis. Yes, his playoff performance was anything but spectacular, but we’re talking about a 21-year-old kid in his first postseason. He’s electrifying, he’s got a ton of upside, he’s a keeper.

- After firing head coach Brian Hill (the right move), Orlando Magic GM Pat Smith thinks he has “one of the best sports franchises in the country” and “expects [his] team to win a championship.” Maybe so, but right now you have a man-child at center in Dwight Howard who still has a ways to go in developing his offensive game, and then… not much. Jameer Nelson is not the long-term answer at point guard, Darko is still a question mark and wants to get paid, and the jury is still out on Trevor Ariza. Am I missing anyone? J.J. Redick doesn’t count.

- Can anyone blame Vinny Testaverde for trying to earn a cool million while holding a clipboard for another year? He might be old, but the man is smart.

- Right, so, Michael Vick enjoys pitting dogs against each other in a battle to the death. Is it really that big of a deal? Aside from the shoddy morals, poor judgement, and cruelty to animals factors, of course.

- Jayson Stark for ESPN.com lists 10 of the most underrated professional baseball players. Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt tops the list, which is funny because my ETB associate Andrew was just talking the guy up the other day before Oswalt’s duel with Tim Lincecum. Also nice to see the Detroit Tigers’ Placido Polanco clock in at #7; thus far in the season, Polanco is batting .333 with 1 HR, 26 RBIs, and .422 slugging percentage. The numbers don’t tell the whole story, though. He’s an extremely tough out, hardly ever strikes out, and is a steadying presence in the infield.

- When Jon Bon Jovi offers his full support in your quest to become the first female president of an Arena Football League franchise, you know you’re golden. That, or he’s just angling for an in to sing somewhere, anywhere, even if it’s just the national anthem.

- Statues outside Wrigley Field? Bugs & Cranks *hates* statues. That and listening to Ron Santo bitch.

- Someone else finally saw Lebron throw the ball at a woman sitting courtside at the Palace during Game 1 Monday night. It’s really not a *huge* deal, but we’re just a little miffed that no one on TNT’s announcing crew even mentioned it.

- Jason Maxiell goodness. (via True Hoop)

Detroit 79, Cleveland 76

It wasn’t a foul. In playoff basketball–or at least the playoff basketball that anyone over the age of 21 surely remembers–that kind of it-could-go-either-way drive to the hole, with the game on the line, with less than 12 seconds remaining, is not, or at least should not be, a whistle. And it’s a shame that some writers are so disappointed that a superstar didn’t get the superstar whistle, for once, that this is all they’re going to talk about the next few days leading up to Game 3 Sunday night. Not about Rasheed Wallace’s semi-miraculous fallaway swish from the baseline to give Detroit the lead. Not second-year forward Jason Maxiell helping himself to the baby buffet, playoff style. And certainly not the stifling Pistons defense that again saved them when their offense just wasn’t clicking.

The Cleveland Cavaliers could for all intensive purposes be heading home with a 2-0 lead in this series, but the reason they’re not is because they haven’t performed under pressure, in clutch situations, nearly as well as Detroit has. Plain and simple. No game is ultimately determined by one play–a lot happens before the final minute, right, Chris Sheridan?–but in Game 1, it was Donyell Marshall bricking a wide-open three-pointer that would have likely won the game. Last night, first it was a deja vu play with about 30 seconds left when Lebron drove to the hole, the defense collapsed, and he dished to an open teammate beyond the arc, almost the same spot as Marshall’s shot. Sasha Pavlovic hesitated, pump-faked, and traveled. Turnover. Then it was Anderson Varejoke (14 points, 14 boards) acting incredulous that his flopping disguised as a sorry excuse for defense didn’t earn him an offensive foul call on ‘Sheed before the big man nailed a difficult shot in Lebron’s face.

Then, on the last possession, head coach Mike Brown inexplicably does not draw up a play to get a shot off within a few seconds, thereby extending the game if the shot doesn’t fall, instead opting to isolate Lebron at the top of the key, with Rip Hamilton guarding. Lebron drove, spun, and assumed that since he’s King James, King James would be shooting free throws. No. Instead, the shot clanged off the back of the rim, bouncing right to Wallace… who mishandled the ball! Larry Hughes grabbed it and put up a point-blank, seven-foot jumper. Clang. Then an offensive tip, Anderson Varejoke, that flirted with the rim before harmlessly falling out. Mike Brown does a little dance on the sideline, upset that his team didn’t get the chance to win on the backs of a whistle, technical foul, game over, the Pistons survive again.

Whew.

For the Pistons, Jason Maxiell made all the difference in the world, and right now is earning himself more minutes not just for the rest of this series and possibly the NBA Finals, if Detroit can get there, but next season too. We hear a lot of talk these days in the league about “energy players,” and Maxiell is quickly becoming one of the best of that breed. In the first quarter–nay, the first half–J-Maxx was the savior off the bench. Mitch Albom for the Detroit Free Pass summed it up nicely:

First he blocked LeBron. That’ll get anyone pumped. Then he grabbed an offensive rebound and slammed it home over LeBron. Say hello. Then he took an alley-oop from Billups and slammed it, hanging on the rim. He grabbed another rebound. Blocked another shot. Grabbed another rebound. Put in a lay-up. Grabbed another rebound. Drew a foul.

By the time the half was over, Maxiell was Detroit’s leading scorer (11), leading rebounder (five), and leading shot-blocker (two). Remember, this is his first year in the playoffs. He continued his great performance in the second half and finished with 15 points, six boards and a new respect from the fans — and certainly the Cavaliers. “I told Jason that was probably his best game all year,” Wallace said.

Indeed it was, and this time, I don’t think Flip Saunders will forget it. At times this season, it was befuddling how J-Maxx would come in for a few minutes, dominate, then find himself on the bench for the rest of the game. Those days are numbered now because this kid has officially arrived. If it wasn’t for his poor free-throw shooting, he probably would have closed out the game, again, in the fourth quarter at the four spot.

As for the box score-y wrap, ‘Sheed led Detroit in points and rebounds with 16 and 11, respectively, to go with 2 blocks and 2 steals, while Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton notched 13 points apiece, each of them struggling from the field and shooting a combined 9-21. Tayshaun Prince’s offensive disappearing act continued, as he went 0-8 FG and just 1 point. He’s now 1-19 for the series, the toll from guarding Lebron clearing taking away from his offense. For Cleveland, James led the way with 19 points (but only 5 in the second half). Mike Brown got little to nothing from Drew Gooden, Big Z, and Larry Hughes, as the trio combined for 11 points, 5-19 FG, 11 boards, and 6 turnovers.

Game 3 Sunday night (8:30pm, TNT) now becomes a must win for Cleveland at home. Lose that one, and we could very well see a sweep. One has to think they’ll be fired up and pissed off after these two extremely close losses in Detroit, but there have to be seeds of doubt sprouting in their bellies. Their best defensive efforts still weren’t enough, and how much longer will Flip Saunders and the Pistons fail to make the right adjustments to Mike Brown’s admittedly smart defensive schemes? How much longer will Billups play out of character, will Prince miss easy ones, and Chris Webber miss point-blank hooks? One thing’s for sure: the Cavs need to stop banking their chances of winning on a referee whistle.

For more on last night’s game, check out Detroit Bad Boys, Need4Sheed, Fear the Sword, 20 Second Timeout, LTD Hoops, and Columbus Cavs.

In the eyes of the luckiest man of the moment, Portland Trail Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard, there’s no reason to just settle for Batman–he just might want to bring Robin aboard as well. You *may* have heard that Portland won the NBA’s draft lottery Tuesday night and, of course, the rights to Greg Oden, whom according to some reports is fully capable of averaging 45 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots for the duration of his professional basketball career.

That in itself would make any franchise’s collective head spin in 360-degree circles for a week. But as that old saying goes, Pritchard seems completely focused on seizing the day and capitalizing on his team’s good fortune while he’s in the enviable position to do so. To that end, speculation is rising that with a few bargaining chips to play with, the Trail Blazers are not satisfied with drafting the best true center prospect since Tim Duncan–they want Oden’s running mate since his AAU days, Mike Conley Jr., who just happens to be the best point guard prospect in the draft.

Think landing the best bets at two key positions sounds foolhardy? Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski says think again:

Does Pritchard have enough with Zach Randolph, a 20-and-10 low post scorer and rebounder, and Jarrett Jack, a competent point guard, as the backbone of a major trade? As it looks now, the Blazers are determined to find out.

As for the Celtics, who sit miserably at No. 5, they logically should be one of the Blazers’ most promising trade partners. Without Oden or Kevin Durant, G.M. Danny Ainge is wisest to look hard at packaging his pick and a young player or two for veterans. Yet there is the pending problem of Ainge agreeing to do a major trade with the Blazers after that draft-day disaster a year ago that left them without Roy or Randy Foye – and with Sebastian Telfair. Another issue muddling this possibility is that Randolph is too similar to the Celtics’ Al Jefferson.

Truth be told, the Blazers might have to get the third overall pick out of Atlanta’s hands to guarantee that they can get Conley. The Hawks could get their point guard at No. 9 with Acie Law and use the third pick to bring back a powerful inside presence in Randolph. Of course, Atlanta may not have the salaries to give back for the maxed-out Randolph, and that’s where a third team could be useful.

Together, Oden and Conley are represented by Mike Conley Sr., who has aligned himself with Bill Duffy’s BDA Management. Duffy is a powerbroker agent who can facilitate the kind of major trade needed to happen here, one which likely will need the involvement of a third team.

The probability of pulling off such a coup still seems slim, but certainly not too far out there. Without question, finding a taker for Randolph should be major priority for Pritchard starting…. now, and while Jarrett Jack improved his game this past season and hinted at even bigger and better things at times, the Blazers have another young point in Sergio Rodriguez who they have high hopes for. If it means landing Conley and putting Oden further at ease in his transition from college kid to professional adult, you do it if the opportunity is there. Chemistry on the basketball court is never an overstated element, and having that already built in between your starting point guard and center would prove invaluable to this team’s overall development.

If I’m Pritchard, I find a way to make this work. Sweeten the pot with whatever’s necessary–don’t forget that Portland had a third first-round pick in 2006 that was spent on the British 6-11 center Joel Freeland. That kid’s still only 20 years old and playing out a contract in Europe for Gran Canaria, but with Aldridge and Oden in the fold, Freeland has become completely expendable. Why not offer Randolph, Jack, the rights to Freeland, and, if necessary, a 2010 first-round pick (which is bound to be a low one)?

Whatever happens, one thing’s for certain: this promises to be one of the most thrilling, unpredictable drafts in recent NBA history.

Push Mikhail through a sonar fence, watch him spit up blood, see him return with a vengeance. Beat the living snot out of Mikhail, see him scowl at you shortly after. Shoot Mikhail with a harpoon in the vicinity of his heart, then watch in horror as Mikhail swims by, smiles, waves, and pulls the pin on a grenade. Boom.

Perhaps the resurgence of Detroit Tigers slugger Magglio Ordonez isn’t quite as Teflon-tough as Lost‘s favorite one-eyed Russian, but both have proven that injuries are not about to keep them down. Before suffering what most believed was a permanently career-debilitating injury to his left knee in 2004, Ordonez was one of the best-hitting outfielders in the majors, finishing with a batting average above .300 and over 29 homers and 99 ribbies for five straight seasons.

But then came the surgeries. Two of them. Then came the inevitable decline in on-field production. The Chicago White Sox decided they’d had enough, and allowed Ordonez to sign a lucrative five-year, $75 million free-agent deal with the Detroit Tigers. It was a considerable gamble, and one that early on looked like a bad one–in his first season, the injury bell again tolled, this time a hernia that sidelined him for about three months.

But like Mikhail, this setback proved to merely be a hurdle. Ordonez returned to form last season for the Tigers, batting .298 with 24 HRs and 104 RBIs and helping lead his team to the World Series. Thus far this season, the results are projecting to be even bigger and better. Through 45 games, Maggs is batting .345 with 12 HRs and 42 RBIs.

Last night, his two-homer game led the Tigers to their 28th victory of the season and vaulted them back into first place in the AL Central. “I’m feeling good. I’m seeing the ball really well and being very patient with my pitches,” Ordonez said. “I’m using the whole field again and not just pulling the ball.”

He might not be able to take a harpoon to the heart, but Magglio Ordonez has proven he can take a hit and keep on hitting.

We understand that he’s one of the most skilled big men in the NBA at the moment, and certainly one of the few legitimate guys on the current Grizzlies roster that the team can theoretically build around. We acknowledge that his post-up game is rock solid, and that he’s come damn close to averaging a double-double all five years he’s been in the league. He’s an above-average shotblocker, averages over 3 assists a game for his career (which isn’t too shabby for a seven-footer), and that he’s shot higher than 50% from the field every season but one. Pau Gasol is a talented NBA basketball player, and he’s still only 27 years old.

But Pau Gasol is not a talented NBA leader. He’s not captain material. And if I’m an NBA GM looking to improve my team not just in terms of on-court talent but in overall character, chemistry, and cohesiveness, I take a deep breath and pass on any opportunities to acquire Gasol, and look elsewhere.

I just don’t believe he’s a winner, and that he never will be.

This past season, Gasol was clearly and audibly frustrated with his team’s lack of tangible improvement and/or competitiveness, often voicing his anger directly through the media and hinting that he’d had enough, it was time for Memphis to trade him. Fine. But it didn’t happen, and now he’s still “stuck” with the Grizzlies. And, likewise, Memphis is still “stuck” with Gasol. It’s not a happy marriage, but in my opinion, the franchise is the one who should be crying foul, not Gasol. They should get rid of him while the gettin’ is good.

Look, Memphis finished the regular season with the worst record in the league. They’re fielding a lineup that’s dominated by rookies and second-year players. Talented players, but nonetheless very green players. Losing is par for the course in times like that, but the ultimate goal is that these guys will take their lumps, learn from them, and improve over time, hopefully sooner rather than later. Eventually, some veteran help will need to be mixed in to balance it out, but this is the *right* approach by the team’s decision makers. They’re trying to improve their franchise from the ground up.

Gasol refuses to think positively about it. It’s a shame the Spaniard still bitches and complains and moans about his franchise, when he should be taking this time to take a good, long look in the mirror and question whether or not he’s part of the problem, whether he indirectly played a leading role in the team’s malaise last season. To decide whether he’s going to take this opportunity to step forward and be a leader, or shrink back and point fingers.

Sadly, it still looks and sounds like Gasol is choosing the latter approach:

Pau Gasol awoke Wednesday morning on the other side of the world and rushed to a computer searching for how his Memphis Grizzlies fared in the NBA draft lottery. The Grizzlies’ center immediately wanted to go back to bed. “We just don’t have any luck,” Gasol said via telephone from Spain.”

“It was a tough hit for everybody,” Gasol said. “It’s hard to accept the reality. The franchise will still get a good player. But there was a chance to get a great player with the first or second pick.”

Gasol requested a trade in January but seemed to back off that stance when the season ended. While acknowledging that he could still be traded, Gasol said he wants to remain a Grizzly. “I do,” Gasol said. “But the draft (lottery) didn’t go our way, and now other things are going to have to happen to be a better team. I’m talking about the (next) coach and general manager. I don’t know how much this affects my situation. We’ll see. Let’s see how the franchise reacts.”

And let’s see how *you* react, Pau. Okay, so your team has the fourth pick in the draft, not the first or second. Deal with it. You are paid to be the leader on this team, the All-Star, the guy that all your teammates are supposed to follow. Don’t cry about the lottery to the media. Don’t insinuate that all hope could be lost now. Man up! You’re a grown man, and this sulking, “poor Pau” act has grown more than tired.

The best players in this league are supposed to make their team better. Does Pau Gasol do that? Does he elevate the play of his teammates? Does he ooze with confidence? Would his teammates follow him into battle with no reservations or qualms? Maybe, but I wouldn’t. Gasol has never–never–really accomplished anything in this league. He has never led his team to any playoff victories. That’s right–the Grizzlies have gone to the playoffs three times since his arrival, and three times they’ve been swept. That’s 0-12. That’s inexcusable.

It’s time for the Memphis Grizzlies to move on. They need to move Gasol for the good of their franchise, not to bend to Gasol’s trade demands. The compensation should still be substantial enough to make it worthwhile–would the Bulls part with Tyrus Thomas and their lottery pick? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s time to open up the bidding Bob Barker style and send Gasol to the bidder whose offer is closest to the actual market value of their “franchise” player.

- The “deepest NBA draft evah” took a hit today when Roy Hibbert, the 7-2 Georgetown center, decided to return to college for his senior season. His teammate Jeff Green just announced today that he’s staying. Dr. Hibbert would have been a lottery pick, but the financial bonus of going in the top five picks next season instead of the top 15 ultimately proved too tempting. Inch Brazil’s Tiago Splitter up the draft board.

- Speaking of the draft, soon-to-be-ex Memphis Grizzlies president Jerry West is absolutely thrilled his team dropped down to the fourth pick in the lottery. He’s relieved that management won’t have to decide between Oden and Durant, supportive of the NBA lottery format, and looks forward to spending his summer pitching pennies.

- A few days after publicly admonishing baseball and its handling of the steroid scandal–and basically admitting to taking them himself–a report has popped up that NY Yankees fat man-cum-slugger Jason Giambi tested positive for amphetamines sometime in the past year. I’m sure the timing of this leaked story has *nothing* to do with him hanging out MLB to dry. Nope, nothing.

- Ryan McNeill must have learned how to read people’s minds from a distance, because I couldn’t agree more with his great editorial column on Hoops Addict yesterday. The Canadian b-ball guru dismisses the “doom and gloom mentality” that’s permeated so many NBA fans and followers this postseason, and says that “if you can’t appreciate the great play currently underway in the playoffs, then maybe you should watch the NHL playoffs.” Oh, snap!

- Anyone else psyched about the two-hour season finale of Lost this evening? Big thanks to the NBA for not scheduling Game 2 of the Eastern Conference tonight. They want to see Jack die as much as we do.

- Two former Detroit Lions wide receivers are in the news today: one wants to fight, the other has apparently already fought. First, the now-retired Johnnie Morton–whom Lions’ GM Matt Millen once publicly called a “faggot” in one of the classiest moves of management history–has taken up mixed martial arts and is competing in those brutal UFC-style bouts. Take a wild guess as to who the one guy he really wants to get in the ring with is. Second, David Kircus–who slices a mean loaf of wheat bread–has apparently broken someone’s face.

- Stupid blisters! First Jeremy Bonderman, then Josh Beckett, and now Ben Sheets.

- Off Topic: we can’t decide if the better caption for this is “She’s only seven” or “USA! USA! USA!” There’s a few favorite moments from that clip, but mine are the slow motion footage around the couch and her mom aiding and abetting the gorging by actually picking up her daughter’s cup for her and pouring that liquidized cheesecake down her throat.

- Oh, right… the San Antonio Spurs beat the Utah Jazz again. It’s almost like we’re not really watching that series.

- Tim Lincecum has ETB’s fantasy baseball psycho Andrew singing Keith Urban’s “I Told You So.” He’s always been a fan of Urban’s traditional tones and catchy songs.

- Vince Carter wants to be paid $20 million a season for at least the next three years. No official word yet as to which drugs he must be consuming.

- Houston Rockets headcase Bonzi Wells thinks it was actually God who hired Rick Adelman as the new Rockets head coach. Everyone knows, however, that it’s apostle Bartholomew with the rooting interest in Houston, so don’t discount his influence.

- Yi Jianlian to the Boston Celtics? Makes sense to me. A lot of sense.

- Finally, we imagine this is kind of what Grizzlies fans (if there are any) must feel like right about now. Frustrated, exasperated, and helpless.

The phrase “jump for joy” has taken on a whole new meaning and relevance in the Portland area this morning. A day after beating the odds and winning the first overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft (read: Greg Oden, maybe Kevin Durant), the long-embattled Trail Blazers have quite a bit to look forward to: more jersey sales, more season-ticket holders, more national TV coverage, more, more, more!

This was already a team on the rise, having successfully eradicated the main culprits of their “Jail Blazer” days and forging a new foundation of talent in Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Alridge, Jarrett Jack, Sergio “Spanish Chocolate” Rodriguez, and Martell Webster. They have an excellent coach in Nate McMillan, who’ll now get a chance to put in even more in-person scouting of Durant and Oden as a member of the Team USA coaching staff this summer. And in what we feel will qualify as a “check and mate” move, GM Kevin Pritchard should finally have the leeway to jettison one of the last remaining bad seeds on his squad, Zach Randolph, to help make room for one of these two all-everything prospects.

To that end, Jason Quick for The Oregonian‘s “Behind the Beat” Blazers blog thinks the bounty of riches won’t end with the draft this summer. With the Seattle Supersonics landing the second overall pick, and ETB favorite Rashard Lewis facing free agency, Quick feels Pritchard and the Blazers will pursue a sign-and-trade deal for Lewis.

“I can’t see us trading this pick,” Pritchard said. “This is a very top-heavy draft and we feel like there is an unbelievable difference maker. They don’t come around. As we move our timeline with Brandon (Roy) and LaMarcus (Aldridge) and a young team, we feel like his player will really be a benefit to that.”

I think a key factor that should not go unnoticed is that Seattle got the No. 2 pick, and how that might become a factor in the Blazers’ chances at signing Sonics free agent Rashard Lewis.

I think the Blazers are intent on luring Lewis from the Sonics come July. And wouldn’t Lewis’ view of the Sonics and his long-term future/role in Seattle change if the Sonics draft Durant – a player who plays the same position?

Could the Blazers drafting Oden force the issue?

If Lewis was to land in Portland – and granted, it would have to involve a sign-and-trade, and likely have to involve a third team (Chicago?) and probably Zach Randolph – it would create a potential starting lineup of Jarrett Jack, Brandon Roy, Rashard Lewis, LaMarcus Aldridge and Oden.

As Patrick Stewart so graciously tells Andy Millman after receiving his script for When the Whistle Blows, we strongly feel that Pritchard should “make it be so.” Does that sound like a fun team to watch over the next few years or what? The prospect of this young team eventually knocking the Spurs down from their Western throne is just too delicious to think about… and make no mistake, if Oden performs as advertised–and he will–and those other guys continue along their path of development, it would happen. Maybe not next year, or the year after, but the Blazers would become a top-tier franchise in the NBA.

Now go out and get Rashard Lewis. Please. We all want a new team to root for in the West.