Empty the Bench

- Here’s an idea: let’s do away with the silly “Shooting Stars” and “Skills Challenge” during NBA All-Star Weekend, and instead roll the highlight-reel heavy Freshman/Sophomore Game into the Saturday night festivities. Lead the evening’s telecast with the Three-Point Shootout, follow with the Slam Dunk Competition, and then let the youngsters run wild. See, I almost missed out on what was likely the best all-around dunk contest in the last decade–anybody who tunes into the Shooting Stars thing cannot realistically be expected to stay awake for another 2 hours until the main event. It’s dull, boring, slightly depressing, and a great way to cure insomnia (let’s please not make anyone watch Eddie Johnson or BJ Armstrong shoot in a televised event ever again). As for the Skills Challenge… meh. Three-point shootout? Eh.

Thankfully, Dwight Howard and Gerald Green were on hand to save All-Star Saturday from itself by putting on one helluva show. Both brandished their insane leaping abilities, creativity, and showmanship (though Green is clearly a bit rougher around the edges in the spotlight). Last year’s dunk champ didn’t disappoint, first pulling off The Birthday Cake then later rocking the rim with a between-the-legs throwdown without shoes on. That last one hasn’t gotten enough credit because it followed Howard’s now-infamous Superman Dunk, theatrics that have instantly put this kid on the fast track to becoming a household name. And don’t tell me “yeah, but it wasn’t a dunk”–dude threw the ball into the basket, and he did it with more force than many players will ever get on a “proper dunk.”

It’s just too bad TNT didn’t televise his warm-up dunk, which is pictured above. In this one, Howard stood at one end of the court, picked up that Orlando Magic dancer, and threw her like a football to the other basket to throw the rock down in his name. It was really something.

- So, the Atlanta Hawks have finally acquired a legitimate point guard to run the show. Good for them, good for Joe Johnson, and good for head coach Mike Woodson. We’ve been touting the run-and-gun Hawks as a team to watch all season long (and Andrew will emphatically tell anyone within earshot that he’s been on the bandwagon for years now), and this move should–should–ensure they make it into the playoffs. After all, we all know how much of a dud the Eastern Conference is once you get past the Pistons, Celtics, Cavaliers, and Magic. You know it and I know it and I probably don’t need any kind of rehash or proof as to the “dudness” in the East, but here’s a little perspective anyway: at 23-30, the New Jersey Nets are currently clinging to the East’s 7th seed. Meanwhile, in the West, the Denver Nuggets went into the All-Star break with a respectable 32-20 record… which is good for a pat on the back and a spot in the lottery. Yep, if the season were to end today, the Nuggs would be left on the outside looking in, sitting at 9th overall in the West.

Anyway, the Hawks–they’re already pretty fun to watch on most nights, and with Mike Bibby in the fold they should be even moreso now. Johnson can now exclusively slide back into his natural shooting guard role and focus on what he does best: score. Bibby’s arrival should also do wonders for Johnson’s mental focus, as in recent months the first-time All Star sounded fatigued and worn down by the rigors of playing for a team that’s been rebuilding since the day Dominique Wilkins left town. And Coach Woodson now has the talent to get this team into the postseason. Right or wrong, he’s faced a lot of criticism during his tenure with Atlanta, and now’s his time to prove he can make it work. Or else.

- Speaking of the Nets, they really scored on the Jason Kidd deal, despite coming to the table with little to no bargaining power on their side. Forget about the spare parts (Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, and to a degree Desagna Diop)–this was all about landing one of the best young points in the league that doesn’t get much press, Devin Harris, as well as two future first-round picks and about $3 million in a large, unmarked manila envelope. The Nets were clearly going nowhere with a disgruntled superstar who’ll turn 35 years old in about a month, and were certainly not going to make anything more than a whimper in the playoffs if they somehow got in. By acquiring Harris and some picks, they’ve now publicly acknowledged what many of have been waiting for: it’s time to rebuild.

Sadly, the ludicrous contract they gifted upon Wince Carter last summer will clog those efforts–he’s owed a ridiculous $66.8 million over the next four seasons!!–unless they’re able to find a foolhardy trade partner who’s searching for a mediocre volume scorer (with a significant history of injuries) who plays with passion during 1 of every 8 games. And Richard “Peanut” Jefferson is still under contract for another three seasons and roughly $42 million at the conclusion of this campaign. In our view, Harris, Josh Boone, and Sean Williams are all keepers–the rest of the roster needs to be purged, Lost style. Hey, sounds bleak, but they still have a few years until the move to Brooklyn… and should have the cap space to lure someone named LeBron James.

News and views on Darko Milicic, the Philadelphia 76ers, and more after the jump…

- So, Memphis Grizzlies big man Darko Milicic is still having confidence issues. Still underachieving. Still tempering solid performances with poor efforts. Still partially blaming it all on his time with the Detroit Pistons.

“If I’m not playing the way that I’m supposed to play people have the right to say what they want. I just have to build my confidence. It’s all on me right now. Now I’m losing my confidence, I don’t know why. There is a lot of stuff going on in my head. All the stuff that happened to me before has left some scars.”

The Memphis Grizzlies are tied to the seven-foot Serbian–still only 22 years old–for at least another two seasons after they signed him to a 3-year, $21 million deal last summer. With Pau Gasol now in Hollywood, the Grizz will likely give Milicic somewhere in the neighborhood of 32+ minutes a night from now until April 16. As I mentioned last week, given big minutes young players on bad teams frequently put up big stats, if not contribute to team wins (see Hakim Warrick at that link). If Darko can’t even do that, you have to wonder how much longer it’ll be until he exits stage right back to the Euro leagues. In the seven games since Gasol’s depature, Milicic has played about 31 minutes/per, averaging 9.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 3 turnovers. Not bad, but I have a feeling the Grizz want more.

- There’s still a good chance that starting PG Andre Miller is moved before Thursday’s trade deadline, but even if he is, I like the Philly 76ers chances of squeezing into the Eastern Conference Playoffs. A dubious achievement, I know, but nobody thought this team would be this competitive and still sustaining any kind of realistic shot at the postseason. If Miller is traded, emerging ETB favorite Louis Williams would likely be awarded with a starting job–click here for more ETB goodness on Williams.

Currently holding down the East’s 8th and final playoff seed (23-30), the Sixers figure to leapfrog the Nets shortly, and are only 2.5 games back of the Washington Wizards in the conference standings. It’s unlikely, but if the Wiz continue getting bitten by the injury bug–and if Gilbert Arenas suffers a setback–it’s feasible they could even fight for the 6th seed (shudder, cringe, sigh). Miller has been the consumate professional this season and a key ingredient in their surprising “success,” but credit Andre Iguodala (another ETB fave) for accepting his role as the face of the franchise and having a fine season despite little offensive firepower around him to take some of the heat off (19.4 points, 5.6 boards, 4.7 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, 1.1 three-pointers). And Samuel Dalembert has finally begun to understood the concept of goaltending–it’s not a good thing–while averaging a double-double for the first time in his six-year career (11.2 points, 10 boards, 2.5 blocks). Things could be worse in Philly–just ask the Clippers.

Andre Iguodala Photo Credit: Icon SMI

- I’m really interested to see what happens with the Chicago Bulls from here on out. Nothing has gone right in the Windy City this season, and it’s on GM John Paxson to fix it (though his track record of late doesn’t exactly inspire hope). At 21-31 and astonishingly just 1.5 games out of the 8th seed, they’re hardly out of the playoff picture, and should get Ben Gordon and Luol Deng back in the lineup sometime this week or next after both missed extended time with various ailments. Trade rumors have swirled about this franchise for a few seasons now, yet nothing of consequence has happened outside of The Great Eddy Curry Swindle and the premature jettisoning of Tyson Chandler. It feels like a long, long time ago when those two were underachieving together as teens and early-twentysomethings on the low blocks in Chicago, doesn’t it?

The team would gladly give up Ben Wallace for anything even close to equal value–right now, that probably includes two large Dominos pizzas and a liter of pop–but Gordon is likely available too. And he should be. The man clearly wants a big payday, one Chicago is just as clearly leery about agreeing to, and there’s a very good chance he’ll sign a one-year tender this summer then walk as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2009. With Thabo Sefolosha coming on nicely, and giving the Bulls more size and better defense in the backcourt, now’s the time to part ways with Gordon. What about a deal with Memphis that sends Gordon and Tyrus Thomas down South in exchange for Mike Miller?

- His teammate, Beno Udrih, was freed from his bench shackles last week with the Bibby trade, and now it’s time for the Sacramento Kings to free John Salmons by sending Ron Artest to the highest bidder sometime before Thursday’s deadline. We’ve written about him a few times this season, and love his splits as a starter: 17.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 steals, 51% FG, and nearly 1 three-pointer/per. We’re keen on Udrih as a fantasy contributor for the rest of the season, and Salmons, too, provided Ron-Ron is gone-gone. Make it happen, Geoff Petrie.

- Christmas came almost two months late for Keith Van Horn. Last seen in 2006 as a benchwarmer with the Mavs, Van Horn has for all intensive purposes retired, but because of a loophole (he never filed his official retirement papers) was considered fair trade game. He’ll now be paid a handsome “thank-you for being a good sport salary” of $4 million for doing nothing more than convincing the league office that no, he wasn’t just doing this to make the trade happen, and that yes, he’s serious about resuming his NBA career. He most certainly is not, and that the league okayed the Kidd deal with him included is an absolute joke.