NBA Tidbits

- Chicago offers the head coaching job to Vinny DelNegro. Talk about a guy that I haven't heard about in a while who just lucked into a good job. I remember Vinny from his days at NC State where he used to play point guard and helped NC State win a conference championship in the late 80's. He wasn't fancy but he knew the game and after playing overseas and in the NBA for years, he gets his opportunity to coach the Bulls. I will say this, I'm glad that the Bulls didn't just recycle an old coach and bring them in, but at the same time, I'm not sure if Vinny is the man for the job. Don't get me wrong, the Bulls could have done worse, but at a measly (comparably) $2M/year, they got a good deal. If it doesn't work, Vinny had a chance, and the Bulls aren't out a lot of money. Let's see if he can take what he's learned from Phoenix and implement it in Chicago, he definitely has the pieces to make it work. Grade: B-

- Terry Porter accepts the head job in Phoenix. Talk about a surprise? Porter inherits an old Nash, an old Shaq, and a young Amare. This ought to be fun. I mean where else can you get those type of personalities and hope that they don't implode. Porter will definitely bring that defensive mindset to the Suns, but one hopes that he still allows Nash to dazzle in the open court and run a little. I know Big Shaw said that he would show up in shape for the beginning of the year, so this is my team to watch since their window is closing rapidly. Grade B

- Michael Curry takes over in Detroit. I really like this move. You get a guy who was a defensive minded guy as a player and someone whom seems to be more in touch with the Pistons bench. The players have to respect this guy from day 1 and I think that he knows about some people's weaknesses and strengths because he's actually played with some players on the roster. Now with that said, their roster may be different come the fall. There's smoke around Carmelo (bad fit in Detroit if you ask me) joining that team, but what will they give up to get that deal done. I expect that Rasheed will be moved (hear that Charlotte, get your ducks in a row) and maybe another small change here or there. Finally the Team of 5 gets broken up (well again since the departure of Big Ben), and they get some new faces. All I have to say is that Stuckey and Maxiell have to get more tick next year. Grade A-.

- The Lakers are down 0-2. It's not the end of the world. No I'm not a Lakers fan, but until the home team loses a game, it's not a series. The Lakers should win Game 3, just on adrenaline alone. I expect those shots to fall for the bench and specifically for Gasol and Odom. If the Lakers lose game 3 or 4, you can go ahead and count this one in the books. I expect to see Game 5 in LA with the Celtics winning that one and taking a trip back to Boston to win the series. Subplots from the series:

- You can't inject toughness. With all of the knocks on KG and some of the other Celtics, the one thing you can't deny is their toughness. They are a physical bunch with KG and Posey leading the way. With that said, yes, there is going to be a disparity in free throws taken when you are a jump shooting team (the Lakers) and your bigs aren't taking it to the rack. They need to take Turiaf and either stretch him until he's 7 feet or do a blood/heart/soul transfusion between him and Gasol. I picked Odom as the key for the Lakers,.....he's got to step up to give them a chance.
- Overrated. Is Kobe? Is he going to be the guy that can't win despite having all those records? I don't think he's overrated because he's the best on the planet. He's probably over analyzed more than anyone else because we expect him to be THE best. This homecoming will help him hit a few more shots,...and make the Lakers even after 4 games.
- Out coached? Now when you read this question you would expect the answer to be yes, and soundly out coached, but you'd probably would have said Phil Jackson was doing the better of the coaching. Doc Rivers seems to making the right calls at the right time. Getting the most out of his players and letting some of his bench do his work. Phil seems to be testing things out a little based on his results. For now, we can say that Doc is doing a good job, will it last?
- Again? Allan Houston is on the comeback trail again. he's 37, his knees haven't gotten any better, but he can still shoot. Does a reunion in NY with D'Antoni as coach make sense? I guess we'll see. Houston has been seen in Phoenix trying to find the fountain of youth that has seemed to help Shaq and Grant Hill continue to play.