Courtesy of NBA.com

By Paul Gotham

The mysterious Chicago Bulls

Two years ago the Chicago Bulls seemed ready to make a run at the Eastern Conference crown. Third-year coach, Scott Skiles (he took over during the 03-04campaign) guided the Bulls to their first playoff series win in nine seasons. Led by young guns Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and Kirk Hinrich the Baby Bulls swept the reigning champs, Miami, before falling to Detroit 4-2 in a hard-fought series.

The future seemed  to favor Chicago. Gordon, Hinrich, Deng along with Andres Nocioni and Ben Wallace prepared for the 07-08 season.

Then, discontent between Wallace and Skiles surfaced. The Baby Bulls started slowly, 9-16. Management showed Skiles the door, and Chicago earned a ping pong ball for the draft lottery.

Despite injuries to Deng and Nocioni the Bulls finished 08-09 at .500. Rookie Derrick Rose led an upstart crew against a hobbled Boston Celtics in an epic first-round series. Few professionals find solace in moral victories. Taking the reigning champs to overtime in four of seven contests lends hope to the future of the United Center denizens.

Chicago added James Johnson (Wake Forest) and Taj Gibson (USC) through the draft. Gone is Gordon. Long gone is Wallace (if he was ever truly there). The East is getting stronger. Where will the Bulls fit?

Anybody have room for a 16 / 10 guy?

The Utah Jazz matched Portland’s offer for Paul Millsap. Are the Jazz ready to part ways with Carlos Boozer? Two years ago Boozer and Deron Williams seemed like the perfect pick-and-roll successors to John Stockton and Karl Malone.

Courtesy of NBA.com

Now the Jazz appear ready to window shop.

Miami looks like the best suitor. Dwyane Wade has expressed concerns over floundering through the upcoming season without another viable option in the lineup. Boozer averaged 16 points and 10 boards for the Jazz last season. Can the Alaskan native handle the near tropics?

Talkin’ ’bout PRACtice?

It’s August. The NBA season opens in two and half months. For the first time in 14 years, Allen Iverson is unsure which uniform he will put on this season.

The Clippers, Heat, and Grizzlies have all shown interest. Yet, Iverson still hasn’t found a dotted line to autograph. At 34 years old and #16 on the all-time scoring list, will Iverson consider playing in Europe?

Got some splinters to share? Post them here and let’s discuss.

www3.whig.com/whig/blogs/dobservations

As amazing happens, however, players need to remember that humility should follow. Amazing attracts the attention of the media, fans, and outsiders alike. So when amazing occurs, as it often has in the 2009 playoffs, players need not forget that doing something incredible does not require an idiotic reaction.

I’ve been more than disappointed in some of the NBA players and their “amazing” reactions. Rather than basking in the glory of a big shot with some form of ethical jubilation, they’ve often chosen words and actions bordering on self-righteousness and obscene.

Chicago’s Ben Gordon displayed histrionics more suited for a prison gang fight after some of his big shots in the first round. After hitting a big three while in Chicago, he turned to the crowd near midcourt and decided to display his excitement by grabbing himself below the equator. At home. To his home fans. Toward his team’s bench. The one’s cheering for him. Ben, rubbing your brilliance in someone else’s face is bad enough, but what sense does it make to rub it in the face of your supporters?

The boastful display of one’s superior performance hasn’t been limited to those playing in the game. Kevin Garnett seemed as visible on the bench in his designer suits as he would have been on the court in his Celtic green. Maybe someone in the Celtic’s organization forgot to tell him this. After many big shots and game-changing plays, the camera often panned to Garnett who most of the time was jawing with the opposing players’ bench using a choice of words not even acceptable in some bars.

I liked Denver’s Chris Anderson and his amazing defense until his moment of foul mouthed absurdity. After picking up his fourth foul against Dallas, he sat down on the bench and the camera caught him at the perfect time expressing his displeasure. He exclaimed the referee made a call equal to bull feces.

This normally doesn’t bother me because players often express their frustrations forgetting for a moment about the cameras capturing their every move.

But this particular one was beyond unnecessary considering “The Birdman” nearly severed a player’s arm at the shoulder in an attempt to block his shot from behind. I’d hate to see what Chris would say in the event a referee actually made a bad call. It might be a tirade that would make former Temple basketball coach John Chaney cringe and say, “Chris – watch the language.”

Eddie House seemed to hit an endless amount of big shots during these playoffs. It’s hard not to think they were big shots, since after every single one he either turned to the opponent’s bench to express his the magnitude of his magnificence or ran down the floor in what seemed like a schizophrenic shouting match. The Magic’s Rafer Alston probably did what most of us non-Celtic fans wanted to do: slap some humbleness back into House’s obviously swollen head.

Thanks to Eddie House, the theatrics after shots can come at any time during a game now apparently. I thought usually such celebrations and superfluous screaming came after game winning shots. Denver’s J.R. Smith proved to me otherwise.

The other night in game three of the Western Conference Finals, Smith hit a three point shot against the Lakers to beat the third quarter horn. He commenced to yelling at the Laker’s Sasha Vujacic as if Vujacic just hit on his girlfriend. Smith was promptly assessed a technical foul as he skipped away like Reggie Miller in Madison Square Garden. Trash-talking at the end of the third quarter didn’t do much good as the Lakers won game three and seized the series lead on the Nugget’s home court.

Please don’t take any of this the wrong way: players should express their exhilaration after amazing moments in the playoffs. I enjoyed watching Boston’s Glen Davis run a 4.2 forty after making the game winning shot against Orlando in the first round. I loved seeing the NBA’s MVP, LeBron James, hit a three-pointer to win it against Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals as his Cavs teammate Sasha Pavolic hung on for the ride afterwards.

All that I ask is that players realize the influence they have and to display a celebratory decorum that all fans can appreciate and watch over and over again. I want amazing to happen in every game. That shouldn’t have to mean that the decay of anything ethical in the NBA occurs with it.

By Paul Casey Gotham

Survey question: Who are the three best shooting guards currently playing in the NBA?

Take your time in answering – there is nor rush.

While you are thinking it over, here are a couple of ideas to consider.

There are guys who can hit shots, and there are shooters.

Guys like Brad Miller can knock down shots from time to time – one cannot question that fact.  Of course the rarity of this occurring touches off an awkward neanderthal-like celebration that lies somewhere between – I have never been in a spot like this before; I don’t know how to act.   And – I am not sure I will ever pull that one off again, so I better enjoy this  while I can.

Chris Mullin and Reggie Miller provide  examples of a shooting guard.  Mullin showed true bravado.  After releasing his shot, he displayed so much confidence in its result that he would return to defense while the ball floated in mid-air toward its target.  This head start in defensive transition helped the St. John’s alum make up for his lack of foot speed.

Despite his gangly and awkward appearance opposing defenses had to account for Miller on every possession.

Shooting guards play a specific and important role to the success of any championship-contending team.  They are the guys moving off the ball.  Often times they can be seen creating an arc as they glide along the baseline moving from one side of the floor to the other.

Their’s is a life lived moving off screens shoulder-to-shoulder and hip-to-hip – doing whatever it takes to create space between them and the defender.  Then as he moves in the direction of the ball, the shooting guard must make that quintessential finesse move of catching the ball, maintaining balance with feet underneath torso, square to the basket, and gently release the sphere toward the rim.

Shooting guards can create their own shot.  But that is not a shooting guard’s role though.  A shooting guard must ready himself when opportunity comes.

Like Steve Kerr and John Paxson a shooting guard must provide a compliment to the team.  Working as geometricians Kerr and Paxson deftly opened the floor and made lanes while MJ drove to the basket.  Yes, Jordan hit shots from the outside.  That just wasn’t his primary role.

When a team trails by three with only one possession remaining, the shooting guard is the one teammates work to get open.  In the huddle coaches draw up plays for the shooting guard.  Sure the coach will discuss a second and third option; that is a requirement.

But the shooting guard is the first option.

In the opposing huddle, players scheme to keep the ball out of the shooting guard’s hand.

Still thinking?

Irony exists to this answer.

The three best shooting guards in the NBA come from a college known more for its defensive prowess.  Jim Calhoun’s reputation is one of rebounding and defense.  Despite playing one of the tougher schedules, year after year Calhoun’s Huskies rank high in defensive statistical categories shuch as rebounding margin, field goal percentage defense, and points allowed.

But when it comes down to a final possession, and a team needs to hit a three, who is more prepared in the NBA to take that shot than former UConn Huskies Ray Allen, Ben Gordon, and Richard Hamilton.

In game 4 of their opening-round series Allen and Gordon made NBA fans giddy as they traded punches like world-class middleweights.  Shot after shot the Husky alums knocked down.

The Celtics and Bulls treated all to the finest of first-round playoff matchups.  Allen and Gordon showed why they are shooting guards as Eastern Conference semi-final series required seven overtimes periods.

Meanwhile Hamilton’s Piston’s limped from the playoffs.  After an impressive run of six consecutive conference championships Detroit exited after the first round.  It was Hamilton who played the role of shooting guard for those Piston teams of the last decade.

Now Hamilton might find himself playing the role of hired gun as Joe Dumars may need to dismantle his team.

Gordon figures to wear a new uniform next year.  Hamilton’s future is unclear.  Allen seems to have found a home in Boston.  Whereever they play, it matters not.  They are three best shooting guards in the NBA.