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“It might extend Steve’s career five or six years if Dragić keeps playing like that.” – Greg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs Head Coach)

I remember when I used to have the time to watch almost every NBA game scheduled for the week on television.

But work, coupled with our version of an NBA channel moving into a pay-channel format, has limited my options to enjoy NBA Basketball.

But not today.

Game 3: 2009-2010 Western Conference Semi-Finals – Phoenix Suns @ San Antonio Spurs

As I tuned in, I see Suns backup point guard Goran Dragić throw up one of the most awkward three point attempts ever and it goes in!  Subsequent replays showed that Dragić had intended to initiate contact from the outstretched arm of his defender (most likely San Antonio Spurs guard George Hill) and go to the free-throw line for three shots.  But he got something better—the three-point basket and a foul—for the possibility of a rare four-point play.

The television announcers then fill me in on game.

The San Antonio Spurs were down by about nine points after the 24 year-old Dragić’s And 1 free-throw and were playing catch-up basketball.  The Spurs had given up a considerable first-half lead with the heady play of Goran Dragić —who spelled Suns starter Stephen John Nash with about two or three minutes left in the third quarter.

After a time out several possessions later, I see the Dragić masterpiece unfolding through several replays: post up-and-under moves, jump shots, drives into the lane.

The native of Ljubljana, Slovenia was certainly in the zone.

Being in “The Zone”

In their book entitled “Flow In Sports” (1999) by Susan Jackson and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describe “The Zone” as a heightened level of performance that every athlete aspires to reach.  It is a moment that cannot be attained at a whim—rather an instant that an athlete prepares for when that moment does arise.

This is one of the reasons why athletes practice.

So that they know what they have to do when they are fortunate enough to be in “the zone.”

That special moment wherein “everything seems to fall into place” and “they can do no wrong.”

All Dragić in the 4th

In less than 18 minutes, the 6’4’’ Goran Dragić was simply on fire.

He hit 9 of 11 shots on an assortment of hard drives to the basket, step-backs, post-moves, and cold-blooded three-point shots (Dragić connected on 4-4 from downtown in the 4^th).

It was a performance that allowed the Phoenix Suns to stick with their second unit—comprised of Leandrinho Barbosa, Jared Dudley, Louis Amundson, Channing Frye, and Dragić —for most of the fourth quarter.

On a night where Suns center Amar’e Stoudemire only scored 7 points.  Dragić, who coming into Game 3 had only averaged 7.9 points in the regular season and 5.6 points in the playoffs, had a perfect game (outside of those two missed foul shots and heat check jumpers) to lead his team to victory.

Here is his stat line for the game:

Goran Dragić – 17:27 minutes, 10-13 FG%, 5-5 3PFG%, 1-3 FT%, 3 (1) rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and no turnovers.

Arrival into The Valley of the Sun

Touted as the second-best point guard after Memphis’ Derrick Rose in the 2008 NBA Draft, Goran Dragić impressed Suns’ Director of Player Personnel Todd Quinter and Suns’ senior vice president of basketball operations David Griffin with his speed and quickness in a camp held in Treviso, Italy, two weeks prior to the NBA Draft.

The Arizona Republic’s Paul Coro shares that the Phoenix Suns were ready to take Dragić with the 15^th pick in the draft had Stanford center Robin Lopez not been available.  Fortunately, the Suns were still able to snag their man after working a deal with the San Antonio Spurs to trade second-round picks (An agreement that involved giving the Spurs $500,000 and a future second-round pick that turned out to be Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair).

After drafting Dragić, the Suns then bought out the point guard’s contract with his Spanish ACB club CB Murcia and rewarded him with a lucrative $7.6 million dollar contract spread over four years.

Tonight, that financial investment certainly paid off.

Playing the peacemaker

Do you recall Detroit Shock’s forward Cheryl Ford injuring her ACL a couple of years ago?

Well, it couldn’t have happened in a worst way.

She was a peacemaker.

While trying to restrain teammate Plenette Pierson during the confrontation against Candice Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks, the torn anterior cruciate ligament in Ford’s right knee finally buckled.

Here is the video of the aforementioned brawl.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament

The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of the four major and stabilizing ligaments in our knees. Studies have found that this type of injuries is common among athletes—especially women—due to a variety of reasons: hormonal, balance, posture, and genes. An ACL can be torn by way of a “sudden dislocation, torsion, or hyperextension of the knee.”

Basically, these type of injury can happen at anytime and anywhere—even outside the arena of sports—as I heard of a story wherein someone did tear their ACL after sitting down for a long time with their legs crossed.

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries have hit a number of players over the last twenty years. During their respective careers, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing Sr., and Ron Harper are just some athletes who have been able to return from this type of injury while surgical procedures were in its infancy all those years ago.

Other instances

Probably the worst possible ACL injury occurred in February 2007 when former Los Angeles Clippers guard Shaun Livingston tore three of the four major ligaments in his knee on a breakaway drive in the first quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats. In contrast, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Minnesota Lynx point guard Lindsey Harding, the first overall pick in the 2007 WNBA draft, suffered a torn ACL in her left knee during a seemingly harmless drive against the Washington Mystics.

Just can’t get healthy

No player has suffered more ACL injuries than NBA forward Danny Manning. Manning was the top pick out of Kansas in 1988 who spent portions of his productive 15 year career with the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, and Detroit Pistons; suffered three ACL injuries: injuring his right knee during his rookie year in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks (1/4/89), another in the left knee during a team practice in Phoenix (2/7/95), and re-injuring his right knee again two years later in Sacramento (4/7/98).

While in the WNBA, Rebecca Lobo, one of the most decorated collegiate and Olympic female basketball players of this generation, was also not spared of his injury. In the New York Liberty season opener against the defunct Cleveland Rockers (6/10/99), Lobo tore her left ACL 42 seconds into the contest. Six months later, she reinjured the same leg during a rehab session (12/16/99).

Exceptions to the rule

For every injured player, there are also exceptions and two players come to mind, Karl Malone (Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers) and NBA Iron Man A.C. Green (Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat). Playing in 1,458 games in a career that spanned 19 years, Malone’s only significant injury came during his last and only year with the Los Angeles Lakers wherein he missed 39 games due to torn knee ligament. On the other hand, A.C. Green has never missed any significant time having played in 1,192 consecutive games (an NBA record).

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It’s been almost 16 months since the Boston Celtics celebrated their 17th NBA Championship against the Los Angeles Lakers in the TD Banknorth Garden.

And in all honesty, if the Celtics had a healthy Kevin “KG” Garnett going into the 2008-2009 NBA Playoffs–who knows what might have happened.

In 2009-2010, the C’s are primed (and heavily favored) to bring home yet another Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy back to Boston, Massachusetts with new off-season acquisitions Rasheed Wallace (free agent signee from the Detroit Pistons) and Marquis Daniels (free agent signee from the Indiana Pacers) ready to help out.

Till then, here is a look back to June 17, 2008.

One shot:

“Check it. You know how I be. Last week Kobe couldn’t do without me.”

- Shaquille O’Neal (Freestyle rap in a NYC nightclub [6/23/08])

The world bleeds green once again

For the unprecedented 17th time.

The Boston Celtics are the NBA (National Basketball Association) Champions.

And they made it look easy with a resounding 131-92 drubbing of their rivals—The Los Angeles Lakers—in Game six of the 2007-2008 NBA Finals.

But that wasn’t always the case.

Longtime Boston Celtics beat writer Peter May shared that at the start of the 2007-2008 NBA season, Celtics’ Head Coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers urged his stalwarts—specifically team captain Paul Pierce and newly acquired NBA All-Stars Walter Ray Allen, Jr. and Kevin “KG” Garnett—of the importance of “seizing the moment” as “the can’t afford to wait” (since they are getting up their in age and opportunities to win a championship are few and far between). Rivers added that the talented trio need to play with a sense of urgency and liken their situation to being their “one and only chance to win.”

Rivers, then 46, sold them on the concept of defense and Garnett was the first one to follow his lead—eventually ending the season as the league’s top defensive player—the first of his decorated career.

And that wasn’t all

An exodus of more than half their players from the 2006-2007 NBA season in order to acquire Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Allen from the Seattle Supersonics posed to be yet another challenged to the 24-win club.

By the time the season started, the green and white has nine new faces on board—the aforementioned Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, free agents James Posey, Eddie House, Scot Pollard, rookies Glenn “Big Baby” Davis, Gabe Pruitt, and returnees Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, Brian Scalabrine (whom some sources have said, has the same basketball IQ as the legendary Michael Jordan), Rajon Rondo, and the Captain Paul Pierce. Before the close of the regular season, The C’s added two more faces, 15-year veteran P.J. Brown and guard Sam Cassell.

Cohesion and lack of bench strength were points brought up by critics all season long and despite a 66-16 season—successfully securing home court advantage throughout the playoffs and the NBA Finals. It was the largest single season turnaround in NBA history, yet the critics still kept on talking.

It didn’t help that their journey to the NBA Finals was a rocky one.

The young 8th seed Atlanta Hawks (37-45) brought the Celtics to 7 games in the first round. LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers (45-37) also pushed the Celtics to the distance in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals (and if it were not for Paul Pierce’s 41 points—who knows how that may have turned out). As for the Eastern Conference Finals, well, that series went six grueling games against the cohesive Detroit Pistons (59-23).

The Celtics went 10-1 at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts and 2-8 on the road for the duration of the playoffs. Doc Rivers put it best when he said, “that’s why the regular season is so important. We fought for it all year” (Pertaining to home court advantage).

Onward to the NBA Finals

After winning the first two games at home and stealing one of the next three at the Staples Center—The Boston Celtics were on the cusp of greatness—an unprecedented 17th World Championship.

By halftime of Game 6, the outcome had already been decided as the Lakers seemingly lost the fight in them.

58-35 at the end of two—A twenty three-point deficit.

The Celtics were running on all cylinders, led by their injured point guard Rajon Rondo, who finished with a stat line that Jason Kidd would be envious off (21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, six steals, and only a single turnover in just under 32 minutes of action).

Ray Allen also recovered from a first-half eye injury to finish with 26 points (7-9 from downtown). Associated Press Sports Writer Howard Ulman added that Allen also set a record “for most 3-pointers made in a finals series with 22. The previous mark of 17 was set by Dan Majerle with the Phoenix Suns in 1993 and matched by Derek Harper with the New York Knicks in 1994. Allen’s seven 3-pointers also tied the finals record shared by Houston Rockets Kenny Smith and the Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen.”

The Celtics juggernaut didn’t end there as Kevin Garnett tied Allen for game high honors with 26 points and 14 rebounds. James Posey (whom Pierce considers “invaluable” during his brief time with the Celtics) finished with 11 points (perfect from the field, including 3-3 from downtown) three steals, and a block. And who can forget the performance of Paul Pierce (17 points and 10 assists) thought the series.

In the end, it was only fitting that that Pierce, the Celtics Captain, be named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Finals as he had certainly endured a lot of heartaches over the last 10 years in a Celtics uniform.

With a title now safely under his belt, those days are certainly over.

17 banners. Jersey Numbers #1, #2, #3, #6, #10, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #31, #32, #33, #35 and #00 also hang from the rafters.

Could #34 be that far behind?

Addendum:

- The Celtics played an NBA record 26th post-season game when they stepped on the Red Auerbach Parquet Floor for Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Associated Press Sports Writer Howard Ulman wrote:

- The Celtics’ 39-point margin in the championship clinching Game 6 win is the largest in a decisive NBA finals game.

- In fact, Boston now has four of the six biggest margins in games that clinched titles. The Lakers have the other two in championships won while they were in Minneapolis. The previous biggest winning margin in such games was 33 points by Boston on April 25, 1965, when it beat the Los Angeles Lakers 129-96.

- Boston’s 52 baskets from 3-point range erased the finals mark of 51 set by San Antonio in 2005.

- The Celtics also put on a record-setting defensive performance Tuesday with 18 steals, eclipsing the single-game finals mark set by Golden State against Washington in 1975.

- The Lakers put their own stamp on the record book, despite being crushed in the decisive game. League MVP Kobe Bryant’s 16 steals in the series tied the mark held by some pretty special players—Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Dwyane Wade.

- And Boston broke its own NBA record for most championships with 17. The Lakers are second with 14.

Associated Press Sports Writer Jimmy Golen added:

- The Celtics joined the 1975 Golden State Warriors and the ‘77 Trail Blazers as the only teams to win it all a year after missing the playoffs.

The Champs on Letterman

The following evening on The David Letterman Show, guests Walter Ray Allen, Jr. and Kevin Garnett shared:

“How you feeling, champ?” Ray Allen asked KG.

“I feel good,” Garnett replied. “How you feeling, champ?”

Said Allen, “Oh, I’m doing good.”

And with that, the world is right again…

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Annually, the NBA Draft brings together the best crop of collegiate and international talent into Madison Square Garden in New York City. Prior to this momentous occasion wherein young aspirants take their first step to earning millions of dollars, NBA teams spend months and sometimes years scouting and assessing talent across the United States, Europe, and even Asia.

Some teams have a knack for assessing good talent like the Golden State Warriors (Latrell Sprewell 24th pick in 92’; Gilbert Arenas 30th overall and 1st in the second round of 01’; and Monta Ellis 40th selection in 05’) and San Antonio Spurs (Manu Ginobili 57th 2nd round pick in 99’ and Tony Parker 29th selection in 01’).

Another team with what I would like to call, “a great draft sense” (along with superior scouting and assessment skills) is the Phoenix Suns. They were able to draft a number of solid NBA players over the last 20 years (“Thunder” Dan Majerle (1st rd; 14th overall in 88’); Steve Kerr (2nd rd; 50th overall in 88’); Former New Jersey Nets’ All-Star F/C Jayson Williams (1st rd; 21st overall in 90’); Cedric Ceballos (2nd round; 48th overall in 90’); Michael Finley (1st rd; 21st overall in 95’); 2-time MVP Stephen John Nash (1st rd; 15th overall in 96’); their lone choice the following year named Stephen Jackson (2nd rd; 42nd overall in 97’); Shawn Marion (1st rd; 9th overall in 99’); Amar’e Stoudemire (1st rd; 9th overall in 02’); traded for San Antonio Spurs draft choice Brazil’s Leandrino Barbosa (1st rd; 28th pick in 03’).

Not bad right?

Well, with “new” Phoenix Suns’ owner Robert Sarver’s mandate to tighten his squads spending, several first round draft picks from 04′ to 07′ were traded elsewhere in order to avoid paying them since 1st round picks are guaranteed a two-year rookie deal under the current NBA collective bargaining agreement.

From 2004-2007, there are the players that the Suns virtually gave away. Luol Deng (1st rd; 7th overall in 04’) was sent to the Chicago Bulls in a prearranged deal. Two-time Slam Dunk Champion Lil’ Nate Robinson (1st rd; 21st overall in 05’) was traded to the New York Knicks along with guard/forward Quentin Richardson for F/C Kurt Thomas and the right to 2nd round pick Dijon Thompson (2nd rd; 54th overall in 05’).

2006 didn’t shine any brighter for the Suns who owned two 1st round draft selections (#21 & #27). The Suns drafted Rajon Rondo (1st rd; 21st overall in 06’) and traded him, along with Brian Grant to the Boston Celtics for their 2007 1st round draft (a picked conveyed to the C’s by the Cleveland Cavaliers who got guard Jiri Welsch in a prior deal) and cash considerations. With the 27th selection, the Suns drafted promising Spanish guard Sergio Rodriguez (1st rd; 27th overall in 06’) but traded his rights to the Portland Trailblazers for cash considerations.

The 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers 1st round selection turned out to be Spanish sensation Rudy Fernandez (1st rd; 24th overall in 07’) who was subsequently dealt again to the Portland Trailblazers along with shooting forward James Jones for cash.

Ouch.

Can you imagine if the Suns kept half those guys instead of deciding on personnel moves like signing Marcus Banks to a five-year $21 million dollar contract in 06’ or absorbing Shaquille O’Neal’s contract in 08′?

In both cases, the Suns did “rectified” their “mistakes” by trading both of the aforementioned players in separate deals by 2009.

But at the end of the day, what do the Phoenix Suns have to show for it? They are certainly a shadow of the team that made the Western Conference Finals in 2005.

The window to win any kind of championship involves so many factors: talent, a blend of youth and experience, teamwork, and most of all, that unquantifiable element called “luck.”

But at this point, with their current talent “getting on” in years and their youth movement nowhere what it would have been had they kept their picks…

How much do the Suns have left?

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Category: Books
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Author: Jack McCallum

Over the last 17 years that I’ve been watching, reading, writing, and playing everything and anything that is related to the NBA, I’ve never come across a book which has truly captured the very essence of the league and the game of professional basketball until I read Jack McCallum’s “:07 Seconds or Less [My Season on the Bench with the Runnin’ and Gunnin’ Phoenix Suns]. ”

Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated chief NBA writer, had the unique privilege “come aboard” and take part as a member of the Phoenix Suns staff during the 2005-2006 NBA season. McCallum made the most of the opportunity and in the process penning an undaunted and realistic look at what goes on behind the closed doors of Phoenix Suns Basketball—from the coaches, players, trainers, broadcasting, management, and even the eccentric owner’s perspective to the colorful metaphors (profanity laced statements) that they use as a means of self-expression from time-to-time.

McCallum captures classic moments (Gentry’s Anthony Mason and B.J. Armstrong story (pp. 129); The sounds of a “jungle bird” in the Suns shower story (pp.180); The Eddie House story (pp. 74; 94); and McCallum’s definition of coaching (pp.144); among others) and also meticulously explains several of the Suns basketball terminologies such as “dribble-ats” – “terms used to described when “the ball handler dribbles toward his teammate and either uses him as a screener or, more typically, hands off to him to keep the offense moving;” “Gold” – “term for fronting an offensive player, thus discouraging a pass from even being thrown;” and my favorite, “clickety” – Steve Nash’s word for the “clock that clicks off the time until tip-off .”

Overall, it’s one book that you can’t put down. An amazing ride from start to finish and if you’re not yet a Phoenix Suns fan, you will be after this book.

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