The things you see and hear, Vol. 5

The weekend ends, thankfully. A looooooong weekend of work and bus rides and emerging stars.

Oh, and that LeBron fellow remains pretty good, doesn’t he?

A bunch of stuff to wrap up an all-star weekend that really went off without a hitch.

J Kidd’s a goner

Finally, the trade gets done, a little tweaking and Jason Kidd’s a Maverick five days later he should have been.

The deal kills the Nets, of course, who go back to being The Nets for a few years and maybe they’re hoping Vince Carter decides to be a leader. Yeah, right.

Not sure what the trade does for the Mavs, though. Sure, Kidd’s one of the top three point guards in the league, but now Dallas is old, with a capital O and they still aren’t big enough to compete with either the Lakers or Suns or Spurs, for that matter.

It’s a splashy deal but I still don’t see Dallas getting out of the second round.

Oh, and anyone notice that it always seems to end badly for Kidd, wherever he’s leaving?

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A quick look into the mailbag and all you have to do is click here to get a submission in. I’ll check with the smart dudes who run this little part of the web and see if they can help out our first writer with the second part of his question.

Q: Doug, I did not realize until you mentioned in your last mailbag. Bosh and Amare are averaging basically identical points and rebounds, but Amare is playing with Nash (no offence to Jose). So is there any reason Bosh should not be consider a superstar like Amare is?

Mike L, Niagara Falls

P.S.  When you have time after the Big Easy, please get someone to add a Send Mailbag Question link under your profile picture to make it easier for us to send our rant/nugget of knowledge to you for enlightenment.

A: Anything for a guy from the old hometown.

The stats are the same but until the Raptors have some kind of playoff success, Bosh isn’t going to get his due. And Stoudemire’s doing his stuff in the West, which is different.

But I will say Bosh is far more valuable to his team than Stoudemire is to his.

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Donnie Nelson wouldn’t call Devean George into the office today and waive him, would he? Would you?

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Worst fashion statement of an all-star game full of them.

Carmelo Anthony wearing seamed support hose with his red shoes.

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Man, you folks are all over Dwight Howard for that Superman dunk. Much mail ripping him and suggesting Jamario got jobbed, even a day after it happened.

Howard’s thing probably wasn’t a real dunk but, you’ve got to admit, it was a pretty impressive athletic feat.

And, honestly, he should have won. No questions asked.

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Speaking of mail …

Q: Doug, if loser has to buy the adult beverages, how would you fare against Stumpy and M Grange ™ in the Skills Competition?

YF W, Etobicoke

A: M Grange ™ kicks our butts six ways to Sunday. But then we get him in the barstool triathlon (wings, adult beverages, stories) and exact our revenge.

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Remember in one of these Seen and Heard things when I told you that Cabbie was wandering around asking all-stats to record messages for his voice mail?
Well, the irrepressible one reports that Carmelo Anthony was the only all-star to play along.

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Second worst fashion statement of an all-star game filled with them:

Announcers wearing East and West warmup jackets while doing their on-air introductions.

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So what do we make of the whole weekend?

Smaller crowds than usual, which probably has to do with the city more than anything else because there were some serious safety concerns going in.

But New Orleans did a fine job with a huge police presence that eased some minds. There were cops on every block in the downtown core Saturday and Sunday night and while few of us ventured any further than the comfort of the hotel, it was nice to know they were there.

The game was one of the best I’ve seen in a decade of doing them, the Saturday night stuff was fun thanks to dunkers with imagination and all they’ve got to do know if find a way to spice up the Friday night ‘cause the kids game is the worst part of the weekend.

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We’ll be back with regular stuff tomorrow from back home, off now to fight huge throngs are the airport and home the weather back there doesn’t cause any delays. Oh, and may have to stop by the hospitality suite one more time to check in with the stragglers I left about three hours ago.

Comments

[yertu damkule]

Doug - when you say Kidd's a 'top three' PG, do you mean in the East? I don't doubt his past greatness, but as the number of truly great PGs has risen over the past few seasons, and as his play has declined (though not overly dramatically), I have a hard time putting him in the top 5. Just my opinion, and I know it doesn't count for much, but there seems to be a top three of Paul, DWIll & Nash (pick your order), then a 2nd tier, of which Kidd is likely a member (along with the likes of Billups, BDavis, Parker, and yeah, Jose - so I'm a homer, shoot me). But top three in the LEAGUE? Not anymore.

Blogger's note: Until one of those young kids wins something, Kidd's top three on career achievement. On skill, maybe not; but he's been in two NBA Finals and none of those others you mention outside of Billups has.

[Danny A]

A comment on the dunk contest - Howard was clearly the cream of the crop and the deserving winner. However, I think the real 'debate' to be had (if you are really interested in debating the dunk contest) is whether Moon should have slipped past Green and at least had a chance in the final. The birthday cake was creative, but Green's second dunk was pretty lousy by dunk contest standards. Moreover, he seems to need some sort of attitude adjustment. Seems to me Moon got punished for putting the tape down and missing the target, rather than rewarded for a soaring - and pretty impressive - left-handed jam.
Howard is the clear #1, but I'm pretty convinced Jamario should have been #2.

[Zack]

Deron Williams has a long way to go before he is a tier one point guard.

[Jeff]

A previous comment about the dunk contest got me wondering...if Moon had simply missed the basket after taking off past his tape marker on the floor, wouldn't he have been able to use the rest of the timer and try again?

[yertu damkule]

Zack - according to whose standards? Statistically, he's putting up some of the best PG #s in the league (really, behind only Paul), & his team's one of the best (& hottest) in the league. What more do you want? And it's not like he's coming out of nowhere, this is his third season, and each one has been very good-great, and improving each year. Who, in your opinion, is a 'top tier' PG, if DWill isn't?

Doug - I don't argue that based on a career's worth of work, Kidd was one of the best ever - but what he did five years ago doesn't have much bearing on what he's capable of doing right now. He's a leader, and his experience is important, and I don't discount that for a second. I just don't think he's playing at a top-tier level any longer. I will give you that, based on lifetime achievement, he's one of the best ever (even if he never could shoot a lick).

[DougG]

I hope someone takes the very negative remarks Barkley had for Bargnani and pastes them on the front of his locker.

There was no way Howard was loosing that contest even if his dunks were not very good. You could tell he was going to win it no matter what from the comments that were made.

[MARK M]

Deron WIlliams has a very short way to go to be the best point guard!

[Jimmie]

Ditto on the dunk "controversy". Moon's 1st dunk was really nice, and the 2nd one was pretty damn impressive as well, despite taking off inside the foul line as opposed to at the tape. Even Green's Birthday Cake dunk, while creative, wasn't really that impressive from a difficulty standpoint. I also read that Moon didn't know the partner dunk had to be in the 1st round, and that he had planned to do that one last, when he was "warmed up". I'm mostly disappointed for 2 reasons: 1. Would have been nice to see the other 2 he had planned, 'cause he's truly one of the elite jumpers out there today, and 2. Green has absolutely zero charisma and Jamario would have put on a better show.

'Superman' still wins, though. No doubt.

[Mike Troskot]

Doug... hope you had a fun & safe time in N.O. I was at the NBA All star festivities last year in Vegas and came across some unsafe gatherings at some of NBA functions/parties and even in our hotel (The Mirage). Did any of the well documented safety/security issues from last year crawl into Nawlins this year?

Blogger's note: No, not really; think it was just a run of the mill Big Easy weekend.

[Rosco]

Williams is definetly a Tier 1(PG) the Kid is 23 years old. He averages 20points 10assists a game. Now if that is not tops,than what is..... Keep watching more basketball, that,s my idea.....

[GM]

I'm not a Jason Kidd fan by any stretch, but I think his addition improves Dallas a lot. Forget about the big guys. They help, but there's still room in the league, and the playoffs, for teams like Golden State, Dallas and Phoenix (if Shaq is injured).

[Antonio]

Hey Doug,

To qualify this, I'm a big Bosh fan. But, was it me, or did Bosh almost single-handedly cost the East the game last night in the fourth? From missed lay-ups, to turn-overs, to missed shots. After Doc took him out of the game, the East got rolling again. Did you catch that, or am I just being hard on Blane?

Blogger's note: Too hard. Way too hard. Waaaaaaay toooooo hard.

[Dave]

Doug:

I was interested in your comments about safety in New Orleans and the Police on every corner.

My wife and I were thinking about driving to New Orleans in about a month. Do you think the city is unsafe or was in just that way for the All Star Weekend?

We wanted to drive somewhere we can take the top down and enjoy some sun. We also wanted to see New Orleans. Your feedback would be appreciated.

Dave (sick of winter)
Cornwall, ON

Blogger's note: It's a great city and, like all major cities, it's got some areas where tourists shouldn't tread. The French Quarter-Bourbon Street, however, is full of officers, or at least it was New Year's when we were there with the Raptors and last weekend. It's a great eating city, too. Very great

[Mike]

I know Raptor fans are disappointed that the 2nd coming of VC didn't quite happen, but the best man won. I do have one question about the dunk-off though. If Howard's superman dunk is considered a dunk, shouldn't Jamario's first attempt with Kapono have counted? I mean, he did tap the ball into the net. Or is this too far away from being considered a dunk while Howard's was a little closer to the definition.

Blogger's note: I would presume that's how the judges felt, yes. Although I also imagine they didn't think Howard's move was anything but a dunk.

[Remy]

I think that if you put JKidd on a team like NO, Utah or Phoenix (as damkule suggested) one's negative opinion of him changes. Also, the teams that damkule's "second tier" PG's play on (Detroit, GS, San Antonio and the Raps) are all better teams than NJ. JKidd is still a spectacular player, evidenced by his leadership of Team USA this past Summer after some disappointing tournaments by the American squad. Him (and Kobe) turned that team around and it shows what kind of leader and player Jkidd is when he has some players around him. This trade will help Dallas; even if he is slower, he brings leadership, experience, pass-first play, rebounding and a good outside shot to the Mavs.

[Dagomar Degroot]

What a great all-star weekend.

The dunk contest was terrific, with Howard deservedly winning. His performance was one for the archives. Unfortunately, on his second dunk Moon did that one thing you can't get away with in a dunk competition: raising expectations, then falling short. Still, his first dunk was something to see, and it seemed like he was having fun.

Yes, that all-star game was one of the best I can remember, at least since a 40-year-old Jordan and Kobe went back and forth in overtime. I was happy to see Bosh looking great out there with the rest of the East's best. In my books, he's right up there with Howard as the best young big man in the game.

And Lebron certainly is something else. I'd hope the Raptors don't face him in the playoffs . . . if he wasn't so fun to watch.

[yertu damkule]

Remy - uh, I hate to belabor a point, but Kidd is, if not the worst, then one of the worst shooting PGs of all time. That's simply a fact, and claiming that he'll bring 'a good outside shot to Dallas' is simply incorrect. He's always been a good rebounder, but Dallas' frontcourt is much better than Jersey's, even w/o Diop, so that part of his game will be less impactfull in big D. He's also nowhere near the defensive player he was 5 years ago (MF Sx took a toll). They may have more experience now at PG, but who guards Gasol/Shaq/TD when Damp needs a rest or gets fouled out? And if they were so concerned about Harris' lack of experience come playoff time, isn't that what Terry is for? I just don't see how adding Kidd to the Mavs makes them a stronger contender than they were prior to the trade - and if this move doesn't put them in a position to win it all, they've basically mortgaged their future for a declining, $20M/yr PG. They have to be thinking of making another trade for a post guy to replace Diop, or they have no realistic chance of coming out of the West.

[Remy]

damkule - I said he has a good outside shot, not a great one. It was on the tail end of what I think he brings to Dallas, however, he's proven he can hit a jumper if there's a few seconds left on the clock and he can't make the pass. He'll be open more often for jumpers in Dallas since the opponent's D will be a little more concerned with Dirk, Terry and co. and not Wince Carter, RJ and the rest of the mess that NJ had out there. He knows not to take ill-advised jumpers, especially in Dallas. But if one is available and he's forced to take it, he can hit it.