All For Three, Three 4-0

With 1.4 seconds left, and a perfect record at stake, Kevin Durant took matters into his own hands; taking the inbounds and nailing the 3-point buzzer beater to keep Thunder's record intact at 4-0, while condemning the defending champion Dallas Mavericks to a 0-3 start.

It was only seconds earlier that Vince Carter had scored what surely seemed to be the game winner for Dallas.  His joy would only last 48 seconds however, before Durant snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.  Not bad at all, considering Durant's lapse on defense allowed Carter enough room to sink the 3-pointer.

The Mavericks roster may look a little different, but the same fighting spirit that propelled them their first ever league title seems to have stuck around.  They fought till the very end and would have been deserved winners had they managed to pull through.  Alas, it was not meant to be however.

Also returning to the floor after spending sometime on the side of a milk-carton was Russell Westbrook.  He finished with 16 points, some of them at a very crucial time, helping lift the team when it seemed like Dallas was about to run away with the game.

Westbrook suffered through a 0-13 night from the field the previous night against Memphis, and it didn't help matters either when his sideline spat with Durant was blown out of proportion.  All you could hear from all the armchair coaches and certain analysts were calls to trade the point-guard. 

Forgotten in all the hoopla was the fact Westbrook went 4-4 from the charity stripe, with 2 of those points helping seal the game against a Grizzlies' team that is certain to give OKC fits for a few seasons to come.

To hear the crowd chanting Westbrook's name was a much welcome relief, making his recent struggles seem like a thing of the past.

As a parting shot, I'll leave you with the Durant's buzzer beater for your enjoyment; stuff of legend.

From Jazzy to Jersey.

As it turns out, New Jersey had another trick up its sleeve after all.  A day after failing to land Carmelo Anthony, it was announced that the Nets had acquired Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams in exchange for Devin Harris, Derek Favors, two first-round draft picks and cash.



Seriously, what's with the pose?

When it comes to NBA trades and all that good stuff, you kind of learn to expect the unexpected.  Carmelo to the Knicks was no secret.  While LeBron held us "captive" during his 1 hour special, the word had spread that he would indeed be "taking his talents" to South Beach.  By the time he announced his "decision", it was mere formality.

However, dealing Deron Williams to the Nets?  I did not see that coming.  Like I said, I "expect the unexpected", but I had no clue it would be going down, at least not like this.  It seems that there's someone out there who knows something that we don't.  How often do you hear of a team, in the midst of a playoff race, trade it's cornerstone player?  From what I understand, Williams' contract expires after this season, so you'd understand why the Jazz would not part ways with him and get nothing in return.

Trading him to the Nets though?  Even despite Carlos Boozer's departure in the off-season, Utah still remain a playoff contender with Williams on the team.  Without him on the team?  I'm not sure that I can explain it in twenty words or less.  Here goes.  Without Williams on the team, Utah will most likely go back to what they were before the "Stockton to Malone" era.  Okay, I'll admit it, so Utah had a decent run when Adrian Dantley was around, but they weren't turning heads like they did with Stockton and Malone.  I'll give Dantley his due, he helped put the franchise on the map following its relocation to Utah from New Orleans. 

Stockton-to-Malone; can't mention one without the other

Little was known about John Stockton when the Jazz drafted him out of Gonzaga in 1984.  Karl Malone who was drafted out of Louisiana Tech the following year, admitted on his own that he initially didn't even want to play for Utah (he was hoping to be drafted by Dallas) when they acquired him.  Together, they became one of the best "one-two" tandems the league has ever seen.  The lack of an NBA title does not diminish the impact they had on the league; blame that on Michael Jordan.

Following both Stockton and Malone's departure in 2003, Utah went through a rebuilding phase and it would be another three seasons before they would make the playoffs.  When Boozer and Williams teamed up (along with other key players, but that's not the point) and led the Jazz to the 2007 Conference finals, it felt like the reincarnation of Stockton and Malone; Boozer was emerging as a dominant post player, and Williams was beginning to earn a reputation as one of the better point guards (this in just his second season).  Together, they would lead Utah to the playoffs for 4 straight seasons, before Boozer joined the Bulls last July.

"Stockton-to-Malone" Part II, never really came to fruition

If you were to say that Deron Williams is the best point guard in the NBA, there might be little disagreement, if any at all.  Of course, you'll have your Rajon Rondo fans, Tony Parker fans and your Chris Paul fans; but all will agree that Williams is an elite point guard.  And like I said earlier, as long as he was around, Utah were a playoff contender.

However, trading him to the Nets still has me scratching my head a little (probably because it hurts less).  The Nets who had enjoyed some of their best seasons with Jason Kidd running show, fell on hard times after trading him to Dallas in 2008.  New Jersey went from "perennial playoff contender" to "cellar dwellers" following the transaction.

Having Williams on board, along with a move to Brooklyn should help the Nets attract potential free agents.  We already know that they won't be making the playoffs this season, so all eyes will be shifted toward the off-season.  They key to any success however, depends on whether they'll be able to sign Williams to a longterm contract.

Utah currently sit ninth in the Western Conference standings, but this move coupled with Jerry Sloan's resignation a few weeks ago, signals that they are in rebuilding mode.  I don't see them making the playoffs, at least this season; but then again, what do I know.  I remember the Houston Rockets going on a 22 game win streak in 2008, after losing Yao Ming for the remainder of the season.  I also remember the same Rockets (sans McGrady, Mutombo and Yao Ming) pushing the L.A. Lakers to 7 games in 2009.

While I'm predicting that there may be some lean years ahead for Utah, I don't know exactly how better off New Jersey are with this trade.  We'll check back in a few years and see how things turned out.

Feeling a little 'Melo.

FINALLY, the "Carmelo Anthony Sweepstakes" are over!!  No more soap-opera style twists in the plot; one minute, he's going to the Lakers, next minute, he's going to the Nets.  No more of that, IT'S OVER!!

As a New York Knick fan myself (I also root for the OKC Thunder, so don't get any ideas), I'm glad that we got him after missing out BIG on the LeBron Sweepstakes of last summer.  Along with Melo, we got Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams (even though a lot of people would prefer that they had got Candace Parker instead). 

In return the Knicks gave up Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, a 2014 First Round draft pick, 30 chickens, 4 bulls, a combine harvester, some baseball cards, a Willis Reed throwback jersey........ basically, what I'm saying is that the Knicks went all in to pull off this deal.

Melo led Syracuse to the 2003 national title

Do I feel like the Knicks gave up a lot?  Yes.  I really wish that they could have kept Raymond Felton or at least tried to pull in Ty Lawson (in case you're following, I also root for North Carolina too).  However, with talks about trying to lure Chris Paul to the Big Apple, I'll just have to be glad with what we've got.  Chauncey Billups will be pulling the strings, and I know that he's not the same guy who tore up the Lakers during the 2004 NBA Finals, but there's a reason why he's called "Mr. Big Shot".

While I feel more confident about the Knicks chances of securing a playoff berth, I'm not going to get ahead of myself.  While in Denver, Melo went to the playoffs just about every year, but only once did he make it past the 1st round.  Even then, I'm still scratching my head wondering how come Denver wasn't able to beat the Lakers in Western Conference Finals, because they would have certainly won the NBA title that season.

This might be considered a home coming of sorts.  Even though Carmelo grew up in Baltimore, he was born in Brooklyn, his wife (La La Vasquez) is from Brooklyn.  He played college ball at Syracuse, so he's not going to get lost in New York anytime soon.  With all his past Brooklyn ties, part owner Jay Z (any guess where he's from?) and the Nets (wanna guess where they'll be moving to?) made a pitch for him; one so good that Denver was reported to have accepted. 

However, the Nets are not the Knicks (and vice versa).  I'm not trying to diss the Nets by any means, but I'm just calling it what it is.  For Carmelo, only the bright lights and stage of Madison Square Garden would do.  Broadway has a new star!!  Start spreading the news, he's leaving today; he wants to be a part of it, New York, New York!!

Now that it's over, let's move on already.  And as much as I hope that maybe Stephen A. Smith will finally SHUT UP (ever get the feeling that you're asking for too much sometimes?), I'll just settle for Melo.