NBA No-Defense Team

Plenty of usual suspects on the list like Dirk and Peja, but when I read this line, I knew I had to link:

"G Jason Richardson, Phoenix Suns: Another proud ex-Warrior. The Suns were a bad defensive team, but this time it wasn’t Nash’s fault. J-Rich helped the Suns’ offense and just ruined the defense–he never met a pick that couldn’t knock him completely off his assignment."

An odd sort of vindication for all the Bobcats fans that weren't upset with the organization when they sent J-Rich to Phoenix. The presence of Kevin Durant hurts me a little, but at least we'll get to see all the interviews about commitment to defense when he leads his team to the playoffs... you know, a new angle for a story about a star on the rise.

San Jose Mercury News (H/T SacTownRoyalty)

Continue reading...

J-Rich Arrested for Speeding, Endangering His Child

From CBSSports:

"A Scottsdale police officer first saw Richardson driving 67 mph in a 40 mph zone Sunday night and followed him, police said Monday. That's when the officer clocked him at 90 mph in a 35 mph zone and pulled him over.

Police said Richardson admitted to speeding and identified himself as a Suns player. The officer saw Richardson's son in the back seat of the car and that he was not in a child seat."

Jason was also cited in December for a possible DUI. The Bobcats have to be feeling even better about their trade both on the court and off.

Continue reading...

The J-Rich Trade: A Look Back

It’s been just over a month since the Bobcats shipped Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a second round pick to the Suns for Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary. Almost immediately, the Bobcats were being slammed by the pundits, with statements like these:

In terms of how everyone is playing right now, and how much money they make, you could make the case that of the six assets changing hands -- Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, a 2010 Charlotte second-round pick, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, and Sean Singletary -- the Suns got the three best. – Henry Abbott, ESPN’s True Hoop

Phoenix Suns GM Steve Kerr has faced a lot of questions during his short stewardship of the Suns, but the only question to ask after Wednesday's trade with Charlotte is whether he was wearing a ski mask.

This is the danger when you hire Larry -- that he'll almost immediately want to trade everyone on his roster and that the people in charge won't have enough spine or clout to wave off his requests. Clearly, the Bobcats don't qualify on the latter point. – ESPN’s John Hollinger

What a difference a month makes. There is little debate that this trade has been a success for the Queen City Cats. The team is playing .500 ball since the trade, much better than the 7-16 to start the year. All of the progress can not be attributed to the trade, but the additions have provided a tremendous lift to the team. Even with Raja suffering a strained groin and getting off to a slow start, he and Diaw have been instrumental in the recent (modest) success.

The team gave up a tremendous 3-point shooter/mediocre defender that seldom created for others. His preference to be a spot up shooter makes him a perfect fit for the defenseless Suns, but his impact on his teammates has been nowhere as palpable as the incoming duo. Both incoming starters have averaged more assists per game since the trade than Richardson and Diaw’s ability to pass from both the high post and internally have freed Emeka of ball handling and helped him produce at a higher level. The addition of a power forward capable of guarding both on the block and the perimeter has been a welcome addition and again helped Mek avoid foul trouble. The common question with J-Rich’s departure was where would the points come from, but Mek’s increased production along with the addition of Boris have almost completely covered the missing scoring and are doing so at a higher field goal percentage.

Raja’s defense has helped to shore up a shaky perimeter defense and after shooting miserably in his first four games with the team, he’s shooting just a shade under fifty percent from the field. Bell is not the scorer that Richardson is, but he’s more productive in almost every other facet of the game. Bell was instrumental in handcuffing Thunder rookie OJ Mayo, holding him to seven points and ending his double digit scoring streak at 25, just a day after Richardson and the Suns got lit up by Portland’s Brandon Roy for 52 points. One game doesn’t make the case, but it is symbolic of what the organization was thinking when they pulled the trigger on this trade.

The best part for the Bobcats is that Diaw’s numbers are not aberrations as some have suggested. His per 36 minute averages are actually below some of his past seasons. The pace of play plays a role, but there is little reason to think he cannot continue to play at this level. Boris excelled when given the chance to start in Phoenix and he’s doing it once again in Charlotte. The team has made him an integral part of the offense, a role that he relishes and thrives in. As team chemistry grows, his assist numbers should see a bump as his turnovers see a dip. It’s only been one month, but unlike the pundits, the Bobcats and their fans aren’t asking for a mulligan.

Phoenix Suns forum taking a look back, but without the consensus.
In fairness to the talking heads, here's my reaction the day after.

Continue reading...

J-Rich Departs, the Morning After

I needed a night and a lil Cuervo to full digest the big Bobcats trade. I awoke today, not upset, but optimistic.

It's been just over twelve hours since the great shakeup of '08 began for the Bobcats. The team sent leading scorer Jason Richardson and consumate glue guy Jared Dudley along with a 2nd round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, and Sean Singletary. Reactions have ranged from reserved optimism to outrage, but regardless of what some of the pundits are saying, this trade is a positive for this team. The immediate concern for the team will be scoring and who will take the big shot, but in all other aspects the team should be improved.

Phoenix fans are ecstatic that the team finally has the shooting guard they've longed for, but also because they remember Golden State J-Rich. He's no longer the high flyer and attacks the basket only in spurts. He's become more Allan Houston than a poor man's Kobe. The trade that acquired him was designed to give the Cats a go-to scorer late in games, but more importantly it was to make the team a relevant threat to make the playoffs, which it never did. Already in this young season, he's been out because of that pesky knee that has plagued him since he came to Charlotte. Jason has aged in front of our eyes, and appears to be doing so at a rate approaching Mel Gibson in Forever Young. Slight exaggerations aside, if his knee became a chronic issue, his large contract would have become the albatross on the team through 2011. His 19 points/game will be missed by a team that already struggles to score, but statistically he provided little else. By the time this team was in position to be a contender in the East, J-Rich would've been a mere shell of the electric player he once was in Golden State.

I hate to see Jared Dudley go. He made all types of plays when he was on the floor, and that's the best compliment you can pay a player, but his trade value would never be higher, nor will his minutes/game. Personal feelings aside, he's still a role player in this league. He could make the open shot, has a high basketball IQ, but will constantly be plagued by the lack of a good position for him.

On the flip side, the Bobcats gained two players who have started in the Western Conference Finals, bringing with them more playoff experience than the entire Bobcats roster. The acquisitions improve the team's defense and the loss on the offensive end should be marginal. Raja's a capable 3-point shooter and the team's offense generates spot up opportunities through which he should excel. Boris Diaw's ability to effectively score out of the pick and roll will be a welcome addition since so much of the team's offense is predicated on it. Diaw also has the ability to stretch the defense opening driving lanes for the point guards, another primary element of the Larry Brown offense. With Steve Nash, Amare, and Shaq these guys were not primary options on the offensive end, something that could change here in Charlotte. Diaw responded during the 2005-06 season, some will say because of impending free agency, but also because he was out of the shadow of Amare. Free of that shadow, Diaw should again emerge as a legitimate starter in this league. A perceived throw-in Sean Singletary could also prove to be a steal in this trade. He's young, but Larry saw something in him to specifically target him. Don't forget that it was also Larry who wanted DJ, whose had one of the brightest rookie campaigns this season.

It's tough to watch a fan favorite go, but J-Rich's deaprture should prove to be a positive in the long run for the team. He will thrive in Phoenix as a secondary option on the offensive end, but this should not be interpreted as a failure of the team's front office. The situations both teams find themselves in are dramatically different. The value of this trade must be judged solely on the incoming Bobcats performance.It's difficult to say how the remainder of the season will play out, because the team doesn't appear to be done wheeling and dealing, but the future in Charlotte is brighter, even if one of the brightest stars to ever don the uniform is departing.

As an aside, a tip of the cap and a thank you to J-Rich and Duds for everything they gave the fans on the court and off.

Quotes from many of those involved.

Continue reading...