2010 NBA Free Agency has Begun...

It happened, as the clock clicked so delicately along the 1st hour of July, the rampage has begun. Who goes where? What teams should be the favorites to challenge the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010-11 season? And I suppose no introduction to this free agency period can be complete without the question all media channels seem to be asking... Where will LeBron James be playing??

Obviously I should start off this post by saying NO ONE knows how this free agency period will turn out... except me. I recently took a visit to a third rate gypsy shop that doubled as a bakery, the Gypsy told me her baked goods were of a special psychotropic blend. I was interesting in purchasing the cookies in particular, but since I had never tasted that flavor before, I passed (but they sound good don't they?)... Anyways back to the shop aspect, you see, this free agency ordeal has been really bothering me as of late and I simply HAD to know the truth about what's going to happen. So I sat down and Ms. Gypsy looks deep into my eyes, I got the sense that she was trapping me into her field of gypsy magic stuff. So I'm sitting there in her magic and I ask her the big question, what's going to happen with the 2010 NBA free agency? Whose going where? Where will LeBron end up?

Gypsy: LeBron James... Oh yes, I see.. I see this LeBron James going to a new team. Far away he will travel from where he has been. In this new place I smell.. I smell burning rubber and dry eggs... I see many trees and gardens lushed out over the land.

Me: I interject, are you talking about New Jersey? Is that what you see?

G: Yes, yes. I see LeBron James signing with the New Jersey Nets.

Me: Well I suppose that does make some sense. They do have by far the richest owner in the NBA, so he could certainly afford to go into the luxury tax to keep a few star players if need be. Not only that but Mikhail Prokhorov would have the global connections that could entice LeBron James. Of the league's owners, he's probably the most likely owner to be able to market LeBron into a global brand as well as possibly include LeBron in some of his business ventures outside of basketball. But that's not the only selling point that the Nets would have to offer LeBron. The other part owner just so happens to be one of LeBron's better friends, Jay Z. So the friendship angle (comfort-ability with the organization) would be there as well as the possibility for LeBron to be involved in business ventures with his buddy. If LeBron wants a clothing line, who better to help him then Jay Z? And as a Yankee fan, the Nets would provide LeBron with just as good a chance to see those Yankee games as the Knicks.

But moving back to basketball, it makes perfect sense since they are tied for 4th most cap room in free agency with 30 million. Meaning they could sign LeBron to a max deal and then also be able to offer another max contract along with all the talent they have with Brook Lopez, Devin Harris, and Derrick Favors. What do you see?

G: I see lots of action happening, it's hard to tell, but three names seem to be gravitating around me: David Lee, Anthony Morrow, and Matt Barnes.

ME: I guess I could definitely see all of that. David Lee paired with Brook Lopez would be extremely enticing for a free agent, plus with Derrick Favors coming off the bench, they'd instantly be one of the deepest front lines in the NBA, if not the most talented. Matt Barnes would bring that veteran toughness along with LeBron to a relatively young team that were losers all of last season, he'd bring the attitude they're looking for. Then Anthony Morrow would bring in a sharpshooter to take advantage of all the inside penetration that will likely come from that front line and Harris. It also wouldn't surprise me if the team were to go after a veteran backup point guard that can shoot the ball like a Luke Ridnour or a Steve Blake, since they'll need more shooters.

Okay so LeBron out of the way, where does the other guys go? You know DWade, Bosh, Amare, etc.

G: Hmm... let me focus my energies, yo-hum... hum.... I see Chris Bosh going to the Miami Heat in a sign and trade deal. I see Dwayne Wade staying with the Heat. I feel Amare in a place with lots of wind, he's there with Jesus??

Me: Do you mean Ray Allen, aka Jesus Shuttlesworth?? [she nods yes]. Yeah I could certainly see both of those options headed to the Chicago Bulls. Ray Allen makes a lot of sense because he provides them specific sets they can run into to get buckets in the half court if things stall. Also with their new head coach being Tom Thibodeau, I'm sure he'll want to bring in some veterans that understand how to play the game and what it takes to be a champion. Ray Allen would bring that champion/veteran/locker room influence that knows the coaches system to Chicago that would make him a prime addition. We know that the Bulls were highly interested in trading for Allen last season and that interest could pay dividends in making Ray feel wanted. The side benefit to the Bulls is that Allen won't likely be around for anything more than 3 years, so for an owner that's proved to be rather cheap and hasn't gone into the luxury tax since it was introduced, he could be happy with the option of bringing in a great value, that's a short term option as opposed to something longer and more costly (like a Joe Johnson).

In terms of Amare, the Bulls are going to need to bolster their front court with more talent if they hope to be able to compete for a championship next season, especially in an eastern conference that should feature an improved Heat team and a LeBron James led Nets team. I suspect Chicago would also bring some more talent, possibly a sharp-shooter like Kyle Korver, a wing defender like Ronnie Brewer, or possibly a combination of both with a talent like Travis Outlaw.

I guess the biggest question now is what will happen to the Knicks? They put it all out there into the 2010 free agency, yet they would essentially have nothing to show for it based on what's left.

G: Well as the saying goes, never put all of your eggs in one basket... it could fall and all the eggs break. Their future is really murky but I hear whispers of two names: Raymond Felton and Udonis Haslem.

ME: That's probably the worst possible scenario for NY fans since they've been waiting so long for this off-season, well Knicks fans. I'm sure many NY fans would become Nets fans with the addition of LeBron James and the upcoming move to Brooklyn. But I guess the Knicks could always sign players like that and then hope that next year they might be able to have a shot at Brooklyn born Carmelo Anthony. He entered the league in competition with LeBron and I'm sure he'd revel in the inner city competition. Melo' also played his college ball in the state at Syracuse and he seems to revel in the spotlight. But I guess they at least should know better than to trust that to fate once again. Maybe they'd consider going after Rudy Gay, he'd bring them at least an upcoming talent that could come rather cheap and give Knicks fans an offensive threat to cheer for.

So do you see anything else happening?

G: I see many NBA players resigning with their former teams. I see the Phoenix Suns making a push to sign Carlos Boozer to fill the hole left by Stoudamire. I also see the Orlando Magic making a push to attain Carlos Boozer with a sign and trade deal.

Me: What about the Lakers? Do you see them adding any free agents?

G: Yes, I do. I see the Lakers adding some older players. The spirits whisper to me the names of Tracy McGrady, Raja Bell, Brad Miller and Steve Blake. They tell me that 3 of these 4 will be Lakers...

Me: They couldn't be anymore specific? I wonder which one. But I think we can figure out that Miller would be the likely possibility. Having played in California before for the Kings, I could see him making a return to LA as a ring chaser at his last crack at a championship. The Lakers offense would also allow him to get easier post opportunities playing alongside an offensive post weapon like Gasol.

Then I think Steve Blake, while not a ring chaser could see that while LA may not be able to pay him as much as the Magics or other teams, what he loses in that, he would gain in the ability to play on a team that has high odds at winning a championship along with the money from the endorsement deals and exposure that the LA area provides. Blake hasn't much more time in his career and this will probably be his last contract, so coming to a Lakers team that's primed to be favorites again next season would make sense for him. When considering Blake's MMA talents, it increases the possibility that he could get money even after the NBA is over with, but being an NBA champion isn't something he can accomplish after his career.

I think the next signing sort of comes down to the both of them anyway. I'm not sure which to prefer, the high schooler in me prefers the Lakers go after Tracy McGrady, but I find it could be best to go after Raja Bell. A D and 3 option would do wonders for the Lakers and a backcourt lineup consisting of Bell, Bryant, Artest would be one of the greatest defensive backcourts ever assembled. Bell would replace Trevor Ariza from a few seasons ago with his ability to guard well and add about 12 points from knocking down open 3's during the course of the season. On the other hand, what McGrady could provide would be a player with potential. If he's able to be healthy and he comes at a cheap price than he could essentially provide Kobe more rest. The Lakers would be able to use McGrady as a facilitator as he excels at passing and creating players for others off the dribble. McGrady if healthy is also a streaky but explosive scorer that as a reserve, could be the best reserve player in the NBA. But it'd certainly take some self-sacrifice. Even Raja Bell would have to sacrifice his contempt for Kobe from all those years ago. Of these two, I think Tracy McGrady is probably the most likely to happen simply because he's stated that he's interested in playing for the club whereas Bell hasn't come out to state whether or not he thought signing with the Lakers would be a great possibility. Also a factor to consider is that Jerry Buss is looking to somehow conserve money and the possibility of McGrady to LA would make for a return on investment outside of his in-game basketball play. Being a former star player, McGrady's fans grabbing his new jerseys would likely bring a boost to the Lakers financially and that could possibly lead to him, in a way, paying for himself and indirectly being an ultimate return on investment.

Phil Jackson Contemplating Retirement: Will He Retire? What's his legacy?

Now that the Lakers have won their 16th franchise title and their 2nd in a row, while returning their core set of guys, they're considered to be the favorites to win the NBA title next season. But while all may seem calm along the surface of the Lakerverse, there is still the murky situation that presents itself with the possible retirement of their Hall of Fame Basketball coach, Phil Jackson.

Phil Jackson has stated that he will have made his decision whether to stay or retire within the next week or so. When asked during a post-finals presser whether winning the championship has effected his decision to return Phil stated, "It does improve my chances."

That said, my opinion isn't so optimistic... or maybe it is. I have long been a proponent to the theory that Phil Jackson has been the NBA's best GAME MANAGER ever, but not necessarily the best "coach". When it comes to the x's and o's and igniting passion into players during a time out, the true coaches of the Lakers are its veteran leaders Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, with Pau Gasol becoming more and more vocal in the ranks. This has led to Phil being "out-coached" on the occasions where he faces a team comparable in talent to his own (which hasn't been very often) as its sometimes difficult for players to understand what adjustments need to be made, when they're in the heat of a tough battle and Phil is not best at making the necessary adjustments. Also the triangle offense usually accredited to him, was introduced by one of his assistant coaches Tex Winter. When new players come to the Lakers, it is Kobe who teaches them the system, not Phil. So Phil's value could be argued to be somewhat overinflated.

But this isn't a post to bash on Phil Jackson. Slightly overrated sure, but he's still one heck of a coach. Phil councils the egos of professional athletes like non-other and is a pure winner, he succeeds in those facets EXTREMELY well. Furthermore THIS, his 11th championship has likely provided most for his legacy; Phil faced a tough and great coach, and in the end when both coaches' backs were against the wall, Phil was able to go toe to toe with Doc Rivers and make the needed adjustments and counter-adjustments in crunch time of this series. This finals coaching performance (or rather, after game 3) was the best performance I've seen from Phil and thus locking him into my top 3 coaches of the modern basketball era.

On that note, does he retire or not? I think he does, I don't see Phil coming back. He has accomplished much in his career; as both a player and a coach. He won 2 championship rings with the Knicks in the 70s as a player and added 11 more to his collection as a Hall of Fame coach. So his 13 exceeds the total of all player/coach combos in NBA history. Most importantly however, his latest championship proved to be his toughest, most earned win. He PROVED to the doubters (myself included) his absolute coaching greatness. What more does he have to accomplish now?? If Phil were to leave now, he'd be going out on top and so I can't see what could be better timing for the "Zen Master" than now, when the stars are aligned so beautifully. If that isn't enough to force his hand then factor in his multiple health concerns he faces and the possibility of him facing a pay cut due to the recession and I'd give him an 85% chance of retiring. But we haven't too long to wait, the official info should be in sooner rather than later.

So if he does retire, what's next for the Lakers? Who would fill the head coaching vacancy? Well the choice that would make the most sense, would be Byron Scott. He was a great young piece for their showtime championship teams and even was an old veteran for the team during Kobe's rookie season. He went on to have great coaching success, taking a Jason Kidd led Nets and had them overachieve by making it to the finals twice (losing to the Lakers). After being unjustly fired, he was hired by the Hornets and had that team overachieving past the level of their talent and competing with the Lakers for the best record in the Western Conference just a few seasons ago. The man knows how to coach and being a former Laker involved in the glory, completely understanding the history, and one of the few coaches available that Kobe and Laker management would trust to handle the duties, he'd be a shoe in. Not to mention, he'd come at a much more economical price tag then the 12 million dollars Phil made this past season. Scott could come in and likely be paid something more like 5 million and recession or not, 7 million dollars less is a lot of money. My prediction is that if Phil leaves, it's a 90% chance that Scott will be hired within a week of the departure. So math majors, I give it a 76.5% chance that Scott will be the coach for the Lakers next season. But while we still have Phil, how about we enjoy what he has to say following his 11th coaching ring (and let's try and avoid the titillatingly hot Hannah Storm while we're at it, key word being "try"....)

Lakers Repeat: Beating Celtics in 7

The night began with a prime dagger striking into the heart of all enemies, thrust from behind the supreme line, the warrior Derek Fisher broke his streak of eight missed three pointers to find the first points of the game. The ally and axis armies raged with a fury; slash, arrow fire, retaliation, screams, nerves colliding in the air. The ally army dominated the field, securing the pivotal locations, but with their longbows drawn and their eyes filled with tears, sight became difficult; their arrows swerved left, right, short, long... accuracy had become their nemesis. The deficiency had been taken advantage of by the axis members and the first battle was going to be theirs; their army and its snipers successfully targeted enough vital ally locations, while also avoiding too many of their own casualties.

Suddenly it hit. In that moment their came a strong wind, a hurricane, one that blew from the east to the west and claimed the lives of all those in its path, destruction was evident, attempts shot out to stop the storm were lamps attempting to light dark skies. Death prevailed and only two struggling bodies remained standing for the allies; General Artest and Colonel Odom of the Eastern lands. No hope remained for the allied army. Grey skies clutched the throat of the nation.

But no, what was that noise? A bird chirped against the calmed skies then, the clouds cleared from sight, and the great moon awakened; beaming its delicate influence onto the battle field. A starting heartbeat could be heard over the faraway cliffs, no wait, they were hoofs bearing the combined sound of renewed strength. A cavalry had come from the west, the soldiers on the battlefield had been revived by the strength of their incoming aid. The intense struggle for ultimate victory began. The allies battled back the cold intense iron slashing at them from their enemies. The axis strength would not quite, their battle bells ringing, they tried time and time again to gather their arms, to renew their ties. Winning the war was within their grasp, their advantage over the allies though dissipating, had still remained in slight. Axis leaders fueled the hearts of their subordinates with quite palms. But the ally cavalry riders were from the far off elite Lakes and their soldiers were of the best trained, specializing in attacks of close quarters. Then their longbow shooters finally came through; General Fisher and Artest amongst them. Both sides continued to clash. High General Gasol of the ally army, a Spaniard, attacked fervently with unrelenting strength and precision dwindling down the field.

The allies had established advantage. As the fighting prowled the Field Marshall finally began to shine through the night as the Twilight hour continued its movement closer to dawn light. Field Marshall Bryant was of a great family lineage and had proved on many occasions to be one of the best soldiers his country had ever seen in its storied history. While his struggles were documented in this farce, he didn't relent and with blood lining his body he continued to attack. His blood splashing and pouring. The axis would not give up however, blow after blow they would take and slash after slash they would respond. The energy in the air was palpable, the struggle trying. With it all on the line, the allied unit turned to the least likeliest weapon, the MACHINE! Two well placed wrecking balls thundered through the skies, exploded well deep into enemy territory, destroying their final infrastructure. The axis could not retreat now so they picked up their swords and rushed the middle of the field with the last of their fervor; arrows flew to their positions, the western cavalry too headed for them. This battle would be over here and now and only one side would prevail. One side would remain. Both sides rushed. The final clash, the last blood streaks, the most humbling death awaited. A fog of death encircled the shared advance....

Silence befell the battle field. Who had survived? What was the outcome? The fog began to slowly clear. Huffing and puffing were soldiers. Coughing could be heard. Tears were shed. Then the surreal had hit. As the soldiers looked around and saw the sights of their own standing strong. Rejoice hit the waves. Which side had prevailed? The colors of Purple and Gold could be seen dominating the field. It was the allies, they had won the battle! All of their hard work and diligence had finally been answered and the light of the moon greeted them as they prevailed. The Lakers had faced their demon from two years ago and prevailed in seven games! All those of the Lakers nation rejoiced in emphatic jubilance, the journey had been completed! The repeat achieved! Congratulations earned, the Los Angeles Lakers were, no ARE the 2010 NBA Champions! Check out the journey below...