As all of the NBA Alerts hit my inbox and time ticks away on the clock, I'm actually starting to get pumped about this whole Free Agency thing. I'm surprised to say that I haven't been following it as much I thought I would. It's partly because I think a lot of the info that's shared by the media is bullsh*t. I believe none of what I hear or read until it's officially official. I think most of these NBA analysts are opportunists and are just making up information to get more media attention. None of these NBA insiders have Lebron James, D-Wade or any other free agents' ear like that. Everyone wants to be the first to break the BIG story, but the enormous amount of conflicting reports exposes everyone for simply speculating as much as the next man.
BUT, I can't help but admit that I'm starting to ooze with excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead for the NBA and its fans. Starting tonight at midnight, the NBA will be front and center of the sports world. A league shakeup is less than 3 hours away. What a treat for the fans! We all think we can do a better job than a team owner or GM, if given the opportunity. That's what fantasy sports is all about. Organizations finally have the opportunity to get top notch talent. It'll be very interesting to see how the NBA capitalizes on their time in the spotlight. The amount of talent eligible for free agency, in the same year, will probably never happen again. This is historic, people.
Once the players have swapped jerseys and changed area codes, I'm hoping three things will happen as a result of the free agency moves.
1. BEAT LA!!!
As you know, I'm not a Lakers fan. I practically stopped watching the NBA Playoffs after Game 5 of the Celtics/Cavs series because it was pretty obvious that we were on our way to a rematch of the 2008 Finals. Been there. Done that. Wasn't interested in doing it again. I dislike the Lakers and Celtics equally so it made it difficult to cheer for either team. As much as it pained me, I sat out most of the NBA Playoffs and Finals. I watched Game 6 and 7 of the Finals, but that was it. And, once the game was over, I didn't feel any type of way. I just turned the channel as if it was any other game. Moral of the story is, I'm tired of The Lake Show starring Phil Jackson as the "Zen Master" and Kobe Bryant as "Snitch".
With that said, I want all teams in contention of landing a major free agent to understand that their purpose is to build a team that has a serious chance to BEAT LA !! If their roster doesn't stack up well against the Lakers, then they've failed.
Not only will that be a fail for all of the teams, but it will also be a fail for the NBA because this year's free agency period is allowing a lot of teams to hit the reset button and get a do over. If one team can't manage to deliver a championship team and wipe out the Lakers, then this was all for naught. Which leads me to #2.
2. NBA: WHICH ORGANIZATION WILL EMERGE A WINNER?
I touched on this a little earlier, but I want to go slightly deeper. This year's free agency period is bigger than Lebron James. He's only one man, and he can't do it on his own. He proved that in Cleveland. This year's free agency is about acquiring the right pool of talent to create a championship squad.
The NBA and team management must recognize that they're under a microscope. Everyone will judge, critique and scrutinize every move made. The organizations are all being graded. It's similar to teams being graded after the Draft. No different. Each team/owner/GM must impress and show how innovative and business savvy they are. How good they are at assessing the needs of their team and implementing a plan to fill the holes. How creative they can be with eliminating the dead weight to come under the cap. How well each organization will sell or market its team to a player. How well they will convince the player that poor decisions of the past are exactly that, in the past and won't impact the future. A pitch deck or 3-minute video about what the team and city can offer isn't going to get the job done. The business of basketball is what I'm interested in. The organization that's most successful at all of the above will emerge the winner.
This leads me to #3.
3. NY KNICKS: DON'T EFF THIS UP!
It's no secret that the Knicks organizations has destroyed its reputation. Players no longer jump at the opportunity to play at the World's Most Famous Arena. How embarrassing. Knicks fans have suffered long enough. It's finally time to close the chapter on the past and return to the Glory Days of the 90s. The time is now.
Knicks fans have been waiting for July 7, 2010 longer than anyone. We've had this date circled on our calendars for years. All of the bad moves that were made over the years and presented as strategic decisions to get us under the cap are excused. The slate has been wiped clean. I, along with ALL Knicks fans, know that it was BS, but all is forgiven as long as the Knicks don't eff this up!
The best way for James Dolan and Donnie Walsh to restore our trust in the organization is to make something happen! We're not asking for a Miracle on 34th Street, but we'd like something close to it. I think most of us have realistic expectations. We don't expect to land Lebron. After all, we're Knicks fans. We're very accustomed to getting the short end of the stick. But, on the other hand, we're Knicks fans!! We don't expect to be straight disrespected by everyone either. So, we better be #1 on someones list...Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudamire, Joe Johnson, somebody!
It would be a catastrophic disaster for the city if we weren't able to land one or two of the Big Boys, especially after you consider all that we've been through. Despite being the laughing stock of the league for the past decade, Knicks fans are ride or die. Through it all...Frederic Weis, Allan Houston's $100 million contract, Isiah Thomas, Stephon Marbury, Jerome James, Eddy Curry, Lenny Wilkins, Larry Brown, Tim Thomas, Steve Francis, and the list goes on and on and on, we remain naively optimistic that something good will happen for us. As long as we're saved the embarrassment of being the last kid picked on the playground, I'll be grateful. I hope that's not too much to ask.
