Q&A: Posey, LeBron and much more

by Charley Rosen

Updated: July 19, 2008, 11:00 AM EST 96 comments

Every title-winning team has trouble repeating, and the Celtics will be no exception. Losing Posey is particularly devastating simply because he's by far the Celtics' best wing-defender, and because defense is the name of the game in Boston. How to replace such a relentless and fearless stopper, post-whistle-fouler and clutch 3-point shooter who was so instrumental in making the champs' defensive schemes so effectively belligerent? Perhaps with Ron Artest? But what might the Celtics have to give up for Do-Ron-Ron? Probably too much.

Maggette would have added some scoring punch off the bench, but would in no way be an adequate substitute for Posey's knock-down-and-drag-'em-out defense.

Should House be exiled, he would be more easily replaced since shooters are merely a dime per several dozen in the wonderful world of the NBA. Brent Barry would have been ideal.

Still, it's only mid-July so there's plenty of time to determine what kind of a genius Danny Ainge really is.

I'm surprised that you didn't mention that the Nets made the (Richard) Jefferson trade for the sole purpose of clearing cap space in hopes of signing LeBron when he becomes a free agent in 2010. C'mon, Charley ... it was a brilliant move because LeBron has made it clear that he wants to someday be a global icon. Where do you think he'll end up — Cleveland or Brooklyn?
-- Rajeev

In my analyses of player movements I generally avoid commenting on salary cap considerations since my primary focus is what happens on the court. That said, the Nets trading of Jefferson for a journeyman player (Bobby Simmons) plus a talented, but fragile lightweight (Yi Jianlian) who may never become NBA-ready is far from being brilliant. Unless, that is, Rod Thorn "knows" without doubt that Jay-Z has enough personal influence to steer LeBron to Brooklyn.

Two years is an eternity in the NBA. With all the minutes he plays, and all the contact that he absorbs on his power-drives, is it unreasonable to anticipate LeBron's suffering some kind of significant physical damage between now and then? Also, New Jersey will be competing for LeBron's services with virtually every other franchise in the league. All of which makes the Nets' move extremely risky.

Should Jay-Z's influence be overrated, and should the Cavs somehow come up with the right combination of complimentary players to propel them back into the finals, it would be entirely conceivable for LBJ to stay put. Should the Cavs continue to wander in the wilderness, then James will be eager to change his address.

In any event, the Nets traded the wrong guy. As long as Vince Carter's less-than-meets-the-eye talents are the face of the franchise, then the Nets will continue to disappoint their fans.

What are the chances that (Stephon) Marbury gets traded out of New York? Could you see him playing for Golden State or Houston?
-- Adam, New York

The answers are: none, yes, and no.

Marbury's humongous $20 million contract makes him virtually untradeable, but making rational decisions has rarely been symptomatic of NBA execs. When combined with his me-first-last-and-always game plan, his habitual pouting, and his inane public statements and actions, exchanging a wasted, troublesome season for the expunging of his contract next year is a sucker's deal.

Indeed, the Nix would be much better off buying out Marbury and letting him go where he will.

Golden State would be a perfect fit, given that Nellie needs a physically strong combo-guard to shoot-first-and-never-ask-questions as a replacement for Baron Davis. But it's hard to imagine T-Mac and Yao peacefully coexisting with Starbury.

Anyhow, the sooner the Nix rid themselves of Marbury — at whatever the cost — the sooner the franchise can start rebuilding.

First of all, thanks for the consistently informative and interesting (and often debate-starting) articles. I'd like to know your view on tipping the ball clear in rebound situations as opposed to grabbing it. After watching Tyson Chandler have so much success in slapping the ball back to Chris Paul, this seems like a highly effective maneuver. What do you think? Also, if he does tip the ball to a teammate, does Chandler get credit for a rebound?
-- Ben, London, UK

Tipping rebounds can be a risky business, simply because the lack of firm control can easily result in interceptions, which can then result in breakaway layups. Players usually tip rather than snatch potential rebounds for several reasons: There's too much traffic in the rebounding scrum to clear sufficient space to attack the ball with two hands. Relatively weak players can get bodied out of optimum position. A player's hands might not be big or strong enough to capture a rebound one-handed. And a one-handed reach extends higher than a two-handed reach.

Also, snaring a two-handed rebound gives the rebounder an opportunity for a put-back that's generally denied to a tipper.

It's up to the official scorer whether or not Chandler would be credited with a rebound in the situation you describe. His control, or lack thereof, of the ball would be the primary consideration. Meaning that he's much more likely to tally a rebound on a recovered tip at home than he would be on the road.

And thanks for your kind words.

It seems to me that had the Lakers traded for Jermaine O'Neal instead of the Raptors, everybody would be raving about how the Lakers would be destined to be the NBA's next dynasty. Landing JO was a terrific move by Toronto. If he can stay healthy, is there a better PF-C combo in the league?
-- Ali Mohamed, Toronto, ON

It just so happens that I'm not a huge Jermaine O'Neal fan. Despite his imposing physique, he's far from being a power player. Indeed, he's repeated on several occasions his reluctance to play the low post. Also, his defense is barely adequate, which eventuates in his being in chronic foul trouble. Plus, he rarely delivers when a critical game is on the line. So don't be deceived by his numbers.

The key word in your last sentence is "if". He hasn't played in at least 70 games since 2003-04 and is rapidly approaching his 30th birthday.

Hi, Charley. You're my favorite hoops writer. I love your insight and analysis, but as a die-hard Lakers fan, it's difficult to read what you have to say about my team. This is because even when you credit the team, the coach, the management, and/or Kobe, it's always a backhanded compliment. What's up? Did Phil Jackson drop you on your head when you were an infant? Did Dr. Buss ever kick you under a bus? I don't mind honest criticism of ANY team including mine, but when the Lakers do something right, please don't be so grudging with your praise.
-- Gary Maki, Valencia, CA

Interesting. For those who are unaware of the circumstances, I've done two books with Phil Jackson ("Maverick" and "More Than a Game"), I was his assistant coach with the Albany Patroons in the CBA (1983-86), and we've been buddies for about 35 years. Which is why most comments (either blogged or e-mailed) that address my analyses of the Lakers strongly berate me for blatantly favoring both P.J. and the Lakers.

While it should be clear that I admire P.J. as a coach (I once made a fruitless effort to install the triangle offense when I was head coach of the Patroons) and value him as a friend, I try to be as objective as possible in assessing both him and his team. At the same time, I freely admit that, given my personal relationship with Phil, it is somewhat difficult for me be quite as heavily critical of him as I am elsewhere. But heavily critical of him I certainly have been.

Anyway, although I believe the point of this particular question to be way off base, it does serve to prove that bias is in the eye of the beholder.