The King Returns
Finally, LeBron is coming back to where it all began. After four years with the Heat, where he was arguably the most hated figure in sports outside of South Beach, LeBron became one of the most liked sports figures again by returning to Cleveland. I've been saying it from the start, and I think LeBron finally realized it too, that winning a single title in Cleveland will mean more than 20 titles in Miami. He is beloved there, in a city where their sports teams have either not been very good, or been bitten with bad luck in the postseason. Bringing a title to Cleveland would be like a Chicago born pitcher bringing a World Series title to the Cubs. Winning 20 with the Yankees wouldn't compare to just one for the hometown team.
As far as basketball goes, it instantly makes the Cavs a contender in the East, if not the favorite. Certainly Chicago, Indiana, New York, and possibly Washington will have something to say about that, but just consider the team that LeBron took to the Finals back in 2007. The other starters were Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden, Sasha Pavlovic, and Larry Hughes. If that group can make it to the Finals, then the current roster with Kyrie Irving, Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, and new draft pick Andrew Wiggins have to be a shoe in for a top two seed. If Rose gets injured again (knock on every wood surface in sight), then the Cavs should be the undisputed favorite in the East. I think that with the youth of all these teams that the East could become a lot more competitive than people think with the 76ers being legitimate contenders in about three years.
The only downside I see to this move, and something that will be very interesting to see develop, is what happens if he doesn't find success. I expect them to make the playoffs every year he's there, so I'm not talking about them having a losing record (not going to happen). But what if they continuously lose in the first round or Eastern Conference Semis? What if LeBron plays out the entire rest of his career there and they don't win a ring? He already had trouble trying to get big name free agents to leave bigger markets to come to Cleveland. I just wonder how the city will react to a scenario like that. How long of a leash will he have in Cleveland before the fans turn on him? I'm guessing that they'll stick with him through thick and thin, but after winning back to back titles in Miami, the city of Cleveland will be wanting at least one ring before it's all said and done.
The Curious Case Of Chris Bosh
Bosh probably had the most puzzling free agent summer. Once the rumblings started of LeBron going back to Cleveland, and especially when it became a reality, it looked as though Bosh was headed to the Houston Rockets. It made perfect sense as Bosh was from Texas and would get to play with Dwight Howard and James Harden on a legitimate contender out West. Without LeBron, the Heat seemed destined for becoming a cellar dwelling team like they were before the Big 3 Era and after Shaq left. Instead, Bosh decided to go back to South Beach to play with Dwayne Wade minus LeBron. This is simply puzzling.
Perhaps he sees the East as easier to get through even on Miami versus the road it would take to get through the West in Houston. Maybe he's fallen so in love with the area that he would rather stay in Miami than move somewhere else. Whatever the reason, I don't think it will work out for either party. I think Bosh will be extremely disappointed in his choice as soon as a few months from now. The Rockets were really banking on Bosh joining as it looked like he was going to, so they really didn't make any other big splashes in free agency. Now they're left with the same squad that lost to the Blazers in the first round last year, and might even lose Chandler Parsons. I think the Rockets see a bit of a drop off this year and the Heat lose in the first round as a seven seed in the East.
'Melo Stays On Broadway
Similar to Bosh, I didn't really understand this decision from a basketball standpoint. Obviously if Melo were to come to the Bulls, he would have to take an extremely significant pay cut. Still, he's been getting paid since his days in Denver, but is in real danger of having a title-less career. If his legacy is above all else, then the Bulls had to have been a no brainer. The Knicks made it interesting signing the Zen Master Phil Jackson to run the team with Derrick Fisher as coach, but their current roster isn't striking fear into the heart of anyone. As it stands right now, I don't think the Knicks with Melo would beat the Cavs, Bulls, Pacers, or Wizards in a seven game series. With Melo on the Bulls, however, you could have legitimately talked about title aspirations, regardless of who would be coming out of the West.
The problem with the Bulls ever since Derrick Rose has arrived has been the lack of a proven, go-to scorer. Rose is commended for his slash and dash, aggressive style of play, but I really think it's because he doesn't trust anyone else to put up buckets in that offense. And why should he? Noah and Boozer have always been there, but no one that can drop 30 like it's nothing. Melo would have been that guy. I think it would have taken a lot of stress off of Rose, both physically and mentally, to have a shooter like Melo. He still would have been in a big market (Chicago), and he still would have had an easy road to the Finals in the East. It would have wiped the Knicks off as contenders and catapulted the Bulls ahead of the Cavs.
Unfortunately, things don't always work out the way we want them to. Melo is back in New York and should, with Jackson's guidance, take the Knicks back to the playoffs. A deep run is unlikely though. The Bulls meanwhile, must pray that Doug McDermott plays as well for the Bulls as he did for Creighton. His defense needs a lot of work, but he is an unquestioned offensive threat. Still, praying for McDermott's success is a much riskier adventure than knowing that Melo would be wearing a Bulls jersey this year.
Who Are These Lakers?
Lakers. Yankees. Cowboys. Some teams just have histories and reputations that will not die. The Yankees can pretty much pick and choose their players in free agency, as they are an international brand. The Cowboys are America's Team and are publicly relevant even when they have a down year. The Lakers have experienced sustained success for years and years in a flashy, big market with legends upon legends, and championships upon championships. So what has happened recently that they're not even the premier team in LA anymore? Give credit to the Clippers as they finally started making smart draft picks and personnel moves to build what they have now. The Lakers, however, seem to have lost their way.
You're telling me that in this stacked free agency pool that the Lakers couldn't get anybody?! They got Jeremy Lin in a trade with the Rockets, but Lin has cooled off since Linsanity in New York, and even lost his starting job last year to Patrick Beverley. Then, to make it look like they did something significant, they resigned Nick Young to a new contract. This is the same Nick Young who has already been on four NBA teams and is the architect of some of the dumbest plays I've ever seen. His 17.9 point per game average may have led the Lakers, but someone had to score the ball with Kobe out, and his 43.5% shooting percentage was good for 89th among qualified players. Even giving him the benefit of the doubt, is Young who you want to bank the future of the Lakers on?
Despite the nice draft pick of Julius Randle out of Kentucky, they also lost long time Laker Pau Gasol. It seems like the Lakers are rebuilding at a time when Kobe Bryant is entering the final stages of his career. Bryant is competitive enough that he doesn't want to spend the next several years trying to build up young players, he wants to win now. Supposedly they were the favorites to land Melo for a day or two, but something happened that completely ruined that prospect as Melo narrowed it down to Chicago and New York. They also swung and missed on Phil Jackson before hiring Mike D'Antoni. That worked out real well. Whatever is going on in Laker Land, they better get it fixed. Kobe clearly wants to stay a Laker and it would be good for the NBA, and a longtime veteran like Kobe if the Lakers were contenders once again.
No TV Special For These Guys, But They Still Can Help
As the big names in free agency picked teams, there were a few others that went unnoticed, but could wind up helping their team. The first one was Paul Pierce going to Washington. At age 36, Pierce is obviously not the player he once was, but add him to an improving Washington squad who pushed the Pacers to six in the Eastern Conference Semis, and you have a nice offensive piece. He'll be a good veteran presence to have around youngsters John Wall and Bradley Beal. This was just a small blip now, but I think this will help them perform better in the postseason.
Luol Deng was a two time All-Star with the Chicago Bulls and, after a partial season in Cleveland, is taking his talents to South Beach. Obviously he's not going to replace LeBron, but he can certainly help to provide some of the scoring left by King James. Without him, the Heat are a borderline playoff team, but with him, I think they will definitely get in. Miami fans won't be pleased that he is the consolation prize after LeBron left, but he should give them decent production.
In a move that flew really under the radar because of the teams involved, the Suns were able to get Isaiah Thomas in a sign and trade with Sacramento. This was an outstanding trade for Phoenix as Thomas averaged 20.3 points per game and 6.3 assists per game last season with the Kings. He now joins a back court with Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe to try and get the Suns into the playoffs. They really deserved to be in last year, but unfortunately are a part of the Western Conference. Had they been in the East, they would have finished tied for third. The West is stacked from top to bottom, but I think with the Suns roster, they should be playoff bound and might even upset a team or two along the way.
Da Bulls
I'm not sure if I'm happier about getting Pau Gasol or getting rid of Carlos Boozer. Obviously Melo would have been the best of the bunch to come to Chicago, but you can't win 'em all. In all honesty, for all the hate Boozer has gotten the past couple years, he's actually done a pretty nice job with the Bulls. He brings a big body who can score, and plays with heart and emotion which is what the rallying cry of the Bulls is. Still, his defensive game is lacking and Taj Gibson has overtaken him in that regard. Boozer would be pulled in the fourth quarter if the game was close in favor of Gibson. That won't be an issue with Gasol.
Gasol not only plays better defense than Boozer, he's also a better passer. He's probably a better passer than anyone on the Bulls outside of Rose. He's got a great mid range game, and can still finish close to the bucket. It might seem like overkill at the position with Gibson and Noah there already, but Gasol is more of a complimentary piece. Gasol hasn't played a full season since the 2010-11 season and, at age 34, is starting to show signs of age. That is perfectly fine. Similar to what the Spurs do with Tim Duncan nowadays, the Bulls will be able to get away with playing Gasol sparingly in the regular season, then unleashing him in the playoffs. The Bulls made the playoffs sans Rose and Gasol this past year, so rest for both of them wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. His passing makes everyone around him better and he should make for a significant piece in the postseason.
One concern that is bothering me about the Bulls, similar to the Lakers, is their inability to draw in the big ones. Gasol is nice and all, but he wasn't the big prize. Even going back to "The Decision" with LeBron. Up until that special, the Bulls were still in the mix for LeBron. Chicago is a big market, and if the Big 3 were to set up shop in Chicago, then Wade would be back home as well. This year, we were once again in the running for a big name free agent in Carmelo Anthony. Once again, we let him slip away. The circumstances this time around were much more difficult on the Bulls' end due to salary cap concerns, but players do drastic things to win championships. I like the talent the Bulls have now and think they've done a great job building up this team. Still, the Bulls will once again go through this season without a proven, knock it down shooter. McBuckets has potential, but that doesn't mean anything until you put the ball in the basket.
Matty O
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