When you get it wrong, you really get it wrong. My prediction of the Phoenix Suns chances against the Spurs have not only been shattered into smithereens, but the Suns are now on the verge of completing the exact “bizarro” version of my prediction, and eliminating the Spurs with either a clean sweep, or by game 5 back in Phoenix.

And when I say bizzaro, I mean it, there is nothing typical about how the Suns claimed game 3 in San Antonio.

In Game 3 Amare Stoudemire only scored 7 points, Steve Nash didn’t have double digit assists, and three Suns players (Jared Dudley, Louis Amundson, and “starting” center Jarron Collins) amassed 0 points in a combined 36 minutes of run. On paper, this looks like the outcome would have no chance of rolling in the Suns favor.

Somehow Goran Dragic explodes in the second half, with 4 for 4 three point shooting ( 5 for 5 total), ending up with 26 points in 17:27 minutes of run.

Alvin Gentry nor any of his teammates could fathom this happening, that is how bizarre this game truly was.

Thanks for the lift Goran!

What about Steve Nash? Nash was on the bench getting plenty of rest while enjoying Dragic terrorize the Spurs guards. No seriously, George Hill and Tony Parker might be crying themselves to sleep tonight biting their pillows out of the fear that Dragic might invade their dreams and hit countless 3 point shots on them. Kind of like counting sheep, but in the nightmarish form of Dragic and his lethal stroke.

On that note, where in the world is the “A” game of Tony Parker and George Hill? What in the world happened?

After basically dousing the Mavericks with gasoline and setting them on fire during the first round, these two have fizzled and self-extinguished themselves. At this point I seriously doubt they could hit water even if they were tossing basketballs into the San Antonio River Walk.

The only thing good for the the Spurs is that we are all bearing witness to how unbelievably gifted Manu Ginobili truly is. If you ever enjoy basketball strictly for the purity of watching good basketball, all favorites and team faith aside, you owe it to yourself to watch Ginobili and slowly enjoy his game in like you would a fine wine.

Unfortunately for the Spurs,  Ginobili is supposed to be the player that puts them over the top, not the guy who has to carry the entire load. That’s Tim Duncan’s job.

Duncan has been somewhat decent offensively but he has shown an inability to hang with the Suns defending the pick and roll, which used to be his bread and butter. Looks like Steve Nash is heading towards the Most-Valuable-Old-Dude-Who-Still-Got-It award for this series.

The bottom line is Steve Nash and Alvin Gentry have the Suns in unfamiliar territory. The Suns are poised to eliminate the Spurs and proceed the Western Conference Finals, something they have been unable to do during the Tim Duncan era.

Steve Nash has a hurt hip. Tim Duncan has ailing knees. There are many things that could be written in an attempt to elaborate the potential outcome of this second round Western Conference playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns, but no other factors will have a larger impact.

Steve Nash and Tim Duncan share similarities in that their teams will ride their performances and perform accordingly. It’s the same old song and dance, however, the dancing part is getting harder these days as these savvy veteran’s bodies continue aging and deteriorating.

How's that hip doing Nash?

Suns First Round Synapsis

Nash did manage to gimp around the court as the Suns eliminated the Blazers. He was the inspirational leader leading a team without a center, possessing only one strong defender in Grant Hill, defeating a Portland team playing without its best player.

Realistically, can anyone argue that Brandon Roy was nowhere near his regular self?  Additionally, how would argue the Blazers roster was so depleted by injuries that it didn’t resemble Swiss cheese?

Spurs First Round Synapsis

Tim Duncan was hindered by knee problems allowing Dallas’ plethora of bigs like Erick Dampier and Brendan Haywood to slow him down and somewhat contain him, yet the Spurs managed to ride the hot hands of George Hill and Manu Ginobili to eliminate the Mavericks.

The Mavericks had all their players active, and even though Dirk Nowitski and company played well, they were not good enough to beat the Spurs.

Major First Round Performance Difference between Spurs and Suns:

Even when the Spurs best player is not 100%, the Spurs can still manage to overcome a top notch team like the Dallas Mavericks.

Do you think the Suns would have been able to defeat the Mavericks? I truly doubt it.

That being said, here are a few crucial questions I asked myself in deliberating the outcome of the series, eventually convincing myself that the Spurs will devour the Suns.

How do the Suns contain or stop Tim Duncan?

Duncan and the Spurs face off against a Suns team lacking any dominant, defensive-minded big men that will occupy space in the middle or put any significant pressure on Duncan. Expect Duncan to cause severe damage in this series.

How will Nash deal with his hip injury and continue to remain effective?

Nash is one of the best point guards in the game, hands down, but will Nash and his sore hip have anything left in the tank to finish games after chasing George Hill and Tony Parker around for 40 minutes?

Running on a bump hip is one thing, but having to crouch down into a defensive stance while moving full speed laterally while also trying to stay in front of lightning quick players like Hill and Parker is an entirely different story.

Having to defend either player will take a huge toll on Nash’s injured hip, possibly leading to extended time on the bench due to soreness or because of foul trouble by being caught out of defensive position.

George Hill has been on fire lately, and as soon as Parker is inserted off the bench, the Spurs are tossing another certified NBA starter against the Suns second unit if Nash cannot log big minutes.

How do the Suns stop the Spurs from having their way inside, and then outside?

Duncan is one of the best passing big men to ever play the game, and will surely make the Suns pay when they collapse on him with nimble passes to wide open Manu Ginobili, George Hill, or Matt Bonner. Yeah, I said it, Matt Bonner.

Good work fellas.... It's Bonner time!

Western Conference Round 2 Playoff Outcome Summary:

I will honestly be very surprised if the Suns can make this series last longer than 5 games. That being said, who would have counted on the Suns posting a 54-28 record this year, based on how they played the year before. If Nash can shake off his injury he can make the impact to maybe help the Suns win a second game, but that is about it.

Look for the Spurs to shine like Ginobili’s ever-expanding bald spot as they make their way into the Western Conference Finals.

The San Antonio Spurs notched a 102-88 victory in Dallas to tie the first round of the Western Conference playoffs 1-1. Richard Jefferson finally came alive for delivering 19 points, providing much needed support to the Spurs “big 3″  Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Jefferson’s emergence couldn’t have arrived soon enough for San Antonio.

As goes Jefferson, so goes the Spurs.

Jefferson’s performance in game 1 is analogous to how he played during the first two-thirds of the season: out of sync and over-thinking how to contribute offensively. His performance in game 1 can be summarized as an overall disappointment: 4 points.

Looking at the score by which the Spurs lost, 100-94, it raises the question: Had Jefferson scored a total of 10 points in game 1, aren’t we are talking about overtime, or possibly a win?

The Spurs played like title contenders in game 2, and should continue to be in the discussion so long as Jefferson continues making an impact for the Spurs, especially by contributing offensively.

Jefferson can San Antonio consist of a “Big 4″ with his defense, rebounding and by keeping Dallas or any other opponent honest on defense. When this combination works, it works well, and San Antonio can beat any team in the league.

The Spurs now return to the Alamodome with momentum and a chance at further capitalizing on their road win. An experienced winning team like San Antonio will know how to capitalize on this advantage.

Manu Ginobili has been “NBA Championship-caliber” Manu after finding his confidence after the All Star break. Manu overcame psychological issues caused by several injuries to his ankle issues and is now causing all sorts of problems for Dallas. He is averaging 24.5 Points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in 2 games.

Let’s face it, Manu Ginobili is a winner, and has won at every level he has played. There is no stopping a healthy Ginobili unless you are an injured Manu Ginobili.

Bad knees will not stop Duncan on his quest for a title.

It seems as though everyone has been talking on and on for years about Tim Duncan’s degenerative knees. They also debate that he has lost a step, claiming he is not the Duncan of old, and that this will inevitably doom the Spurs.

Hobbled or not, come playoff time, Duncan plays better basketball than any other power forward. Ever. He will unquestionably do what he has made a career out of doing: whatever it takes, any given game, to lead his team to victory, be it scoring, rebounding, both, blocking shots, or receiving technical fouls while laughing with a towel covering his mouth. He has been a monster thus far, averaging 26 points and 12.5 rebounds.

As Tony Parker and George Hill return to pre-injury form, the Spurs should only continue get better at the exact point of  the season you would hope for. The Spurs are about to be running on all cylinders, so to speak. After spanking Dallas, at Dallas, in game 2, they appear poised to issue further damage and deliver the Mavericks another infamous and early round 1 playoff exit.

It is a given Ginobili and Duncan will show up to play. Parker seems to have shaken off the dust. If George Hill can get healthy enough to surpass his injuries and contribute, even better. In reality, the Spurs chances to win it all this season hinges upon multiple factors going right for the Spurs.

However, no one factor can be as transparent as this: the playoff production of Richard Jefferson from this point on will determine the fate of the Spurs this season.

The San Antonio Spurs have won 9 of their last 11 games, currently rank 8.5 games back from the top playoff seed with only 2 games separating them from the 4th seed. The Spurs roster, crafty and veteran-saturated, is making its move in the final stretch as if it where a thoroughbred horse stealing a victory in the last quarter mile. Coming from seemingly out of nowhere, but believing it was the winner from the very beginning.

With Tony Parker out with a broken hand, Manu Ginobili and George Hill have assumed the starter roles in the backcourt. For the month of March Ginobili and Hill are combining to  average 35.8 points and 9.9 assists with only 3.8 turnovers. Ginobili has never complained about coming off the bench but has been proving to us that he is healthy and ready to do damage in a starting role.

Ginobili has taken over as a starter for the Spurs.

Richard Jefferson appears to have finally found his way within the Spurs team dynamic and is peaking at the right time. Since being reinserted into the starting lineup, he has averaged 17.3 points and 8.6 rebounds.

If you’ve followed the NBA for even only a few years you know by now that this is the time of year where Tim Duncan starts to buckle down and begins imposing his will. Look for Duncan to have monstrous “statement” games leading the Spurs against playoff teams this month. Look for him to be rested more during games against the lesser competition.

This is standard Poppovich “pre-postseason-final-tune-up” protocol time.

The reality is that if San Antonio plays their way into a 4th seed, or possibly higher (it’s super tight in the West and if any team slips it can definitely happen), they will have home court advantage for the 1st round of the playoffs, creating an opportunity for a quick closeout meaning more rest before round 2 begins.

If San Antonio continues to gel and win on the path to the post season, all the critics and naysayers will have wasted their words and breath all year. San Antonio is an elite level team who knows how to win rings as well, if not better, than anyone in the business.

Do you think Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan or George Karl are not sitting up straight and taking notice to the Spurs recent surge?

San Antonio’s current level of performance closing out the season is making me believe my preseason prediction of the Spurs winning the title significantly less far-fetched than it was in February.

The 2010 NBA All-Star starters were named live today on TNT at 7:00 PM EST.

There has been much discussion about issues with the voting, focusing specifically on Tracy McGrady, whom played in only 6 games, averaging 3 points a game this season. He is currently at home, exiled from the Rockets as they seek out a suitor for a trade.

Allen Iverson has also been a topic of massive debate. AI has played for two teams and conferences this season, and after failing in Memphis, foudn himself back in Philly, and is about to be named to his 11th all star game. He is averaging 14.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 3 rebounds a game. Those are hardly All-Star caliber stats for a 76ers team with a losing record of 13-28.

Iverson fails in comparison to the Easts best guard, Rajon Rondo, who is averaging 14 PPG, .527 FG%, 9.6 APG, 4.1 RPG, 2.5 SPG, on a team whose winning record is 27-13.

Here are the voting results for the starters:

• Carmelo Anthony (Forward)
• Tim Duncan (Forward)
• Amar’e Stoudemire (Center)
• Kobe Bryant (Guard)
• Steve Nash (Guard)

• Kevin Garnett (Forward)
• LeBron James (Forward)
• Dwight Howard (Center)
• Dwyane Wade (Guard)
• Allen Iverson (Guard)

It is very fortunate that the Western Conference’s Steve Nash leapfrogged Tracy McGrady, ousting him in the waning moments to overtake the starting guard position. It saved the league further embarrassment after Allen Iverson was voted in.

Here is a list of players notably deserving to start:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Chris Kaman

If not Chris Kaman, Tim Duncan should have been listed on the ballot at the center position. Both players are having substantially better years for their teams than Stoudemire. Kaman has been a beast this year, and has been leading the Clippers to respectability this season.

Kevin Durant

Durant is the reason to move Duncan to center. Durant as one of the starting forwards only makes sense. Durant is the league’s third leading scorer, and his team is in playoff contention this season after only winning 23 games total last year.

The fact that he is in Oklahoma obviously hurts his chances due to low national visibility, the only reason that logically explains, albeit unjustly, Durant’s exclusion from the Western Conference starting line up.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Rajon Rondo

Rondo has experienced some of the worst bias in fan voting I have ever witnessed. Rondo has been nothing less than the best Point Guard in the Eastern Conference all season long. He is member of one of  the best teams in the East. He averages 5 more assists per game shooting 10% better from the field than Iverson.

Rondo has helped his team overcome injuries to Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and continue to win to the tune of a 27-13 record.

Aren’t All-Stars supposed to be star players on winning teams? Out of fairness to any other player starting this years All-Star game, Iverson is the only player on team with a losing record.

Ironically, the 76ers have as many wins as Boston has losses: 13. One would hope that fact alone should make voters rethink whom they vote for.

]]> http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/21/2010-all-star-starters-announced-on-tnt/feed/ 0 http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/20/utah-jazz-vs-san-antonio-spurs-nba-game-of-the-week/ http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/20/utah-jazz-vs-san-antonio-spurs-nba-game-of-the-week/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:46:05 +0000 Adam Sedie http://protectthepaint.com/?p=3639

The Utah Jazz (23-18) take a 3-0 season-series lead into San Antonio (25-15) tonight to test the Spurs at the AT&T Center for the second time this year. The last time the Jazz played in San Antonio they defeats the Spurs 113-99. The Spurs kept it closer the last time they met up, but lost nonetheless 104-101. The game airs live nationally tonight on ESPN at 9:00 PM EST.

Which Spurs team wil show up tonight? (Credit: picapp.com)

The game tonight features a Spurs team has been slowly beginning to play up to its potential, however, they have gone 4-3 over their last 7. It is tough to determine which version of the Spurs will show up on any random night, as one night they can pummel the Lakers by 20, then 6 days later they can lose to a team like Memphis. Nothing against Memphis, but they are a weak team defensively, and not in the same breath as the Lakers.

Will the games Tim Duncan misses to preserve his knees for the playoffs cause him to be too rusty to score 15 points and eclipse the career 20,000 point mark? Will Manu Ginobili show up to play tonight or will he lay a bunch of bricks?

The Jazz has played well of late going 5-2 over the last 7 games, beating Dallas and Cleveland during that span. Deron Williams has been battling through the pain of a sprained right wrist while Andrei Kirilenko is recovering from a hyper extended knee.  Either player can be one drive to the basket, or a steal attempt away from sitting on the bench with a bag of ice.

The outcome of this game will depend on which version of the Spurs show up tonight versus the health of Williams and Kirilenko, players vital to Utah’s chances of winning. If the Spurs team that walked over the Lakers show up, it will not matter much if Utah is at full strength or not. If the Spurs play the way they did when they lost to Memphis, A depleted Utah team could walk away as the winner.

Prior to the new year, we were lucky enough to have one of our Protect the Paint correspondents embedded in Shanghai, China. Her duty was to aim her camera at all things NBA, and snap away. Also, to give us a report on the NBA influence that is quite popular and spreading faster than a wildfire throughout the world’s largest country.

The NBA is the taking over China. Simply put, basketball is the number one sport of the nation. You cannot travel very far without turning a corner and seeing one of several NBA players, or a mix of Adidas sponsored athletes in a montage together, plastered to gigantic billboards.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Also, our new correspondent Sergey Ustinov informed me that one NBA game airs on Shanghai’s television networks daily. I have an issue with this because in the United States you must either live in a NBA local market or watch whatever TNT or ESPN decides to air nationally. Without purchasing the NBA League Pass or the Broadband package, you are at the mercy of local cable networks.

Li Ning, the Chinese domestic athletic apparel brand, has billboards of its NBA Players who they sponsor and provide signature gear for. Inside a local Li Ning store, we were lucky enough to find a display of Baron Davis of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Baron Davis has his own shoe display? China must not discriminate!

That is correct, no typo here, Baron Davis has his own signature shoe and promotional displays inside Li Ning stores. When a Los Angeles Clipper can be featured in a display you know the NBA is impregnating China.

Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors also has his own signature. It is ironic he is endorsed by the Chinese company after the Men’s Spanish Basketball team took that infamous racist photo prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. It seems apparent that the rest of the world has a sense of humor, and can take a joke.

The Chinese obviously can take a joke, and endorsed Calderon.

Shaq remains a modern enigma in China, and dominates the Li Ning brand in local athletic apparel stores. His shoes might be found in discount stores like Ross Dress for Less here stateside, but in China his shoes can be found in display cases along with other various apparel hyping up the the “Big Diesel.”

Shaq might be able to fit his big toe in this pair of his signature shoes.

Deeper analysis of the Li Ning brand, when you study it long enough, you will begin to notice some striking familiarities, with their logo and their mission statement, to the Nike and Adidas brands.

The Li Ning logo looks quite similar to the Nike Swoosh if it were reversed and made more square in design.

Can you see the reversed Nike swoosh and blatant rip off of Adidas' campaign?

The statement “Anything is Possible” is quite possibly the most similar slogan to “Impossible is Nothing” that Adidas has ran in campaigns with its endorsing athletes.

Compared to any other major American sport, the NBA is taking China by storm with a gigantic disparity. It is easier to find a basketball outdoor court with constant full-court games there than it is here. The Kobes, Dwights, LeBrons, etc, are all well known and beloved by the basketball fans in China. The game has a presence and is not slowing anytime soon.

]]> http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/07/nba-players-nike-and-adidas-taking-over-shanghai%e4%b8%8a%e6%b5%b7-china-%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd/feed/ 0 http://protectthepaint.com/2009/11/06/nba-game-of-the-week-spurs-vs-trail-blazers/ http://protectthepaint.com/2009/11/06/nba-game-of-the-week-spurs-vs-trail-blazers/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:32:24 +0000 Adam Sedie http://protectthepaint.com/?p=3179

The match up of the Spurs vs. Trail Blazers will represent a slug-fest in the west.

Portland will test themselves against the retooled Spurs lineup, as the Spurs will also see how well they can perform against a deep yet young team  who is coming off of 54 wins last year.

KEY MATCH UPS

Tim Duncan vs. Greg Oden Duncan has been opting to shoot more outside jumpers, a strategy derived by Greg Popovich, in order to spare Duncan’s knees from the constant grind of pounding points down low in the paint. Greg Oden has shown signs of life rebounding and defending this season, and Duncan will provide him another tough guard to add another clink in his armor. Brandon Roy vs. Manu Ginobili

Brandon Roy will put Ginobili’s surgically repaired ankles to the test tonight. Both Roy and Ginobili are crafty, smart players. It will be fun to watch who will out-craft who with their similar style of game.

Ginobili will to be looking forward to a post game icing.

SYNAPSIS

Both teams are reputable for their long range shooting. This game should be a well-balanced long range bombing fiasco. Look for Rudy Fernandez, Steve Blake and Roy to balance out bombers Matt Bonner, Richard Jefferson, and Ginobili.

For the Blazers it will be interesting to see if free agent signing Andre Miler will help slow down Tony Parker. Steve Blake has been a major liability playing against the leagues best point guards, so tonight will indicate how dividends Miller will pay for the Blazers.

With the Spurs reeling off loss in Utah last night, they should come to play. Only thing is, playing in Rose Garden Arena might be just as tough as playing in Energy Solutions Arena, making this the game of the week worth catching!

Antonio McDyess is officially a member of the San Antonio Spurs, strengthening Protect the Paint’s prediction that the Spurs are the team to beat for 2010.

McDyess (and draft choice DeJuan Blair) joins Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner to give San Antonio an incredibly strong, versatile frontcourt. Duncan does everything. He might not rap or be covered in tattoos. He’s never assaulted anyone, so his street-cred is lacking, but he’ll go down as one of the best basketball players ever.

McDyess' shooting touch can now help a contender. (credit:picapp.com)

Bonner started last season, but most likely will come off the bench for the new Spurs. His 44 percent from beyond the arc brings defenders out of the paint freeing up space for Duncan. Blair—the 37th pick in last month’s draft out of Pittsburgh—is a rebounding machine. This is a man who can protect the paint.

Which brings us to McDyess. The number two overall back from the 1995 Draft averaged 9.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last year in 62 games with Detroit, starting out as a reserve and eventually gaining a starting position because of his steady play. He might not have the same psycho look in his eye Kurt Thomas (traded to Milwaukee) did, but immediately makes the Spurs a much better rebounding team and more physical.

Jefferson will be slashing teams apart at will. (Credit: picapp.com)

Throw in the acquisition of Richard Jefferson—excellent defender, gets out on the break, in his prime—and the Spurs add the athleticism they lacked last season.

Tony Parker and a healthy Manu Ginobili, along with Duncan, McDyess, and Michael Finley gives the team five players who at some point have been All-Stars. The Spurs head into the season with their deepest roster ever, and this is a franchise that has won four NBA titles.

PROJECTED ROTATION

STARTERS/RESERVES

Tony Parker/George Hill
Roger Mason/Manu Ginobili
Richard Jefferson/Michael Finley
Tim Duncan/DeJuan Blair
Antonio McDyess/Matt Bonner

The five reserves are better than the majority of the starting five for the rest of the league.

McDyess—who will be 35 when the season begins—might not be in his prime, but even though the Lakers added Ron Artest and the Mavs traded for Shawn Marion, it will be incredibly difficult for these two teams or anyone to get past the Spurs in 2009-10.

The combo of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker has won three titles already, and, provided the injury bug doesn’t bite, should make for at least one more.

This past week we have seen Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva join Detroit.

Ron Artest took a pay cut and is hoping to get his first ring playing for the world champion Lakers.

Hedo Turkoglu reneged on a Portland offer, selecting the Raptors instead.

Rasheed Wallace is now alongside Kevin Garnett in Boston.

Trevor Ariza maxed out his contract value and is Houston-bound.

And Finally, Jason Kidd is staying in Dallas instead of going to New York.

The free agent signings become official today, the first day that players are allowed to ink their verbal agreements. There are more deals to come involving free agents, and it is going to be interesting to see where everyone ends up.

We here at Protect the Paint will list some of the rumors/moves involving the available free agents.

REMAINING FREE AGENTS

Lamar Odom

Odom might be hugging members of the Blazers soon. (Credit: daylife.com)

Lamar Odom doesn’t seem to be thinking repeat. Instead he and his agent want to be shown the money in the neighborhood of $10 million per season. Odom appears to be going the Trevor Ariza route, cashing in elsewhere now that he has the ring. He sacrificed his stats to win and now wants to sign with a team that could offer him a starting position and big bucks. Should have a different address in 2009-10. The Blazers are reportedly interested. Championship experience on an up and coming squad never hurts.

Andre Miller

Looks like Miller is heading to Portland. Gives the Blazers the floor general they lacked last season and gives Miller a chance to win. Good match all the way around.

Brandon Bass

Bass would make a mistake going to Detroit. (Credit: ocregister.com)

Bass could be staying in Dallas, heading to Orlando, or possibly ending up in Detroit. It makes absolutely no sense for him to sign with the Pistons. With rumors circulating of Carlos Boozer being shipped there for Rip Hamilton, and Charlie Villanueva signing a 5-year deal, he would essentially be the third option at power forward. The Magic need help up front. Orlando would be a good fit.

Antonio McDyess

McDyess could get a ring if he heads to San Antonio. (Credit: ugplay.com)

McDyess is leaning towards San Antonio in the most recent rumor involving the veteran which would provide more depth in the Spurs front court. He’s a solid shooter and depenable on the glass averaging 9.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg last year for the Pistons. The Spurs would have a solid 1-2 post punch with McDyess and Tim Duncan giving them the size to contend with the Lakers huge frontline.

Marcin Gortat

Marcin Gortat is going to get paid big bucks this summer. (Credit: mlive.com)

Most likely headed to Dallas. We’ll see how he responds to more minutes and more responsibility. This is a huge loss for Orlando who now have lost the majority of their front line not named Dwight Howard–Tony Battie via the Vince Carter deal, Hedo Turkoglu to free agency, and Gortat. The Magic better hope Ryan Anderson is as good as Pat Williams thinks he will be.

Grant Hill

Hill should go to a contender rather than a pretender. (Credit: offsideswithfletcher.com)

There are rumors of Hill heading to the the Knicks. Finally healthy, his game resurfaced playing with Phoenix. He appeared in all 82 games for the Suns last season. It’s unfortunate that he would want to make the move to New York, especially when he could most likely ink himself onto another team with better chances of winning a title. Seems like he and fellow 1994 co-ROY Jason Kidd have more in common then we thought: Take the money, not the chance for a championship ring.

Channing Frye

Frye could play minutes that matter for the Cavs. (Credit: nike.com)

Frye is very interested in signing with Cleveland. The guy has been marred with the “wrong place, wrong time” syndrome during his career. He was buried behind David Lee in New York and then behind LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland. If Cleveland loses Anderson Varajao, Frye will have an immediate chance for big minutes at power forward for the Cavs. This is a good opportunity for both sides. Frye has showed he has a lot of game and could be a late bloomer if given the chance.