Nobody has gotten closer than Kyrie Irving from coming straight to the pros from high school since the NBA annulled that practice in 2005, requiring a year wait before applying for the draft.
Rather than do the time at college, Brandon Jennings pocketed the money and played 27 games in Italy before becoming eligible in 2009. Last night at the Prudential Center, following a mere 11-game rehearsal at Duke, Irving was the first to shake hands with David Stern.
That’s all the exposure Irving needed to convince the Cavaliers he deserved to be class valedictorian and has what it takes to lead them to a title before LeBron James gets one.
A far-fetched fantasy?
Not in Mike Krzyzewski’s learned judgment, I’m taking an educated guess. So persuaded was he by Irving’s aptitude and attitude that the Blue Devil coach did something he had never done before during his 900-win college career — he turned a team over to a freshman.
A defending NCAA champion, it needs to be underlined with a black Magic Marker. The 2010 team, mind you, that returned its two highest scorers, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, chosen by the Blazers at No. 21.
In the ’90s, Grant Hill wasn’t permitted to fully assert himself upon joining forces with Christian Laettner and Bob Hurley. In the ’80s, Danny Ferry understudied Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie before becoming the leading man.
Yes, a strong case can be made for Jason Williams being on the same privileged plateau as Irving. He didn’t have to wait his turn either, averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 assists to Kyrie’s 20.5 and 4.3. But the returning players weren’t wearing 1999 crowns and the most talented ones were fellow freshmen Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy.
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How much has the uncertainty of league’s future rules influenced trades? Not a single one was made from April 13 — when the regular season ended and teams no longer competing are permitted to deal — until last night, when each and every trade that went down was draft-choice related.
In previous years, when a new collective bargaining agreement wasn’t being bitterly negotiated, numerous transactions, some significant, took place during the playoffs.
“Teams are having a lot of dialogue, no doubt,” said a GM (yesterday afternoon) whose top players are in the midst of all sorts of speculation, none credible.
“But until we find out what the salary cap rules are going to be I don’t anticipate anything of consequence happening outside of buying or exchanging draft picks.
“The exception will be switches of players earning near equal dollars and proportional years on their contracts.”
Raymond Felton ($7.56 million) and Andre Miller ($7.807M) changing rosters is a spitting example of that formula. Denver also got a No. 1 out of it.
A three-way deal involving the Bobcats, Bucks and Kings was more of the same, accentuated by the replacement of undesirables with someone else’s undesirables.
Charlotte obtained another No. 7 and Corey Maggette ($10.26M/$10.9M) from Sacramento and sent Stephen Jackson ($9.2M/10M), Shaun Livingston ($3.5M/$3.5M) and No. 19 to the Bucks.
The Kings acquired John Salmons ($8.5M/$8.08M/$7.58M/$7.5M, only $1M guaranteed) and No. 10 from Milwaukee, balancing out the money by including Beno Udrih ($6.9M/$7.3M).
Other unwanted, overpaid players extensively shopped included Jonny Flynn. The Rockets took pointless guard’s $3.4M & $4.3M off the Timberwolves’ books in return for No. 20 and a dumping ground for Brad Miller‘s $4.7M & $5.2M; Houston kicked in a 2013 lottery-protected pick.
Marvin Williams, Richard Jefferson, Travis Outlaw and Al Harrington, whose last two years ($6.2M/$6.68M/$7.14M/$7.6M) are half guaranteed, remain at the top of that unflattering list.
The T’wolves did not offer Kevin Love for Pau Gasol, as reported; it was Michael Beasley & a No. 2. Lakers asked for Love and proposed Lamar Odom. Despite denials from GM Mitch Kupchak, L.A. presented several teams about Odom, including the Warriors (Shannon Brown was a throw-in) for Monta Ellis.
A few days ago, it appeared as if the Warriors had decided to keep Ellis despite some very attractive propositions. However, late yesterday, they were back to giving serious thought to moving him if the pitch blew them away.
Word has it Ellis’ agent, Jeff Fried, who did not return my call, informed management his client wants to be dealt.
The Dwight Howard for Joe Johnson and Josh Smith trade story is completely false. It makes as much sense as the account that had the Suns sending Steve Nash to Siberia, err, Minnesota.
Kurt Rambis has never been hotter; the T’Wolves haven’t lost a game in months. Some believe Blazers assistant Bernie Bickerstaff is a prime candidate to replace Rambis. Meanwhile, his son, J.B., is Minny’s most respected assistant. Why not just promote him?
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Talent scouts believe Jimmer Fredette will fail unless he plays for a team that’ll let him shoot as much as he wants, so he has apparently found a great nesting place in Sacramento.
“They said the same thing about Mark Price,” said one GM, noting how he fell to the second round. “That’s who Jimmer reminds of, and, I seem to recall, he didn’t do too badly.”