If you missed out last week, "The Sharpest Point" is the newest weekly feature here at Spectrum Sports. It works sort of like "Around the Horn" on ESPN, except it won't leave that McDonalds-like stank on your hands that Max Kellerman is known to secrete.
Each week there is a special guest judge who awards one point to the editor who made the best point, and another point is awarded to whoever receives the most votes in the online fan vote. Last week, John Norman took the judge's vote while Jim Byrne took home the fan vote. You can vote by going on the Spectrum's website at spectrum.buffalo.edu. The editors' points are next to their names in parenthesis.
This Week's Question: Which NBA team had the best off season?
Corey Griswold: You can't go home again. I'm sure someone tried to tell Scottie Pippen this when he signed his two-year $10 million contract with the Chicago Bulls. However, if he is looking for a last hurrah, Chicago may be his best bet. The town is desperate for a winner again, after being spoiled with eight billion championships in the 90's, and there's nothing like a little nostalgia to warm the heart.
Jay Williams learned not to ride motorcycles when you make huge money. His loss will effect how the Bulls perform this year without a doubt, and may be catastrophic to his career. Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry, and Tyson Chandler will have to pick up the pace in his place.
Jerry Krause is out, which ought to please Bulls fans. I would advise caution. Although the portly fellow often got on the wrong side of everyone, he was still responsible for the grand strategy that got you those eight billion championships. After all, players don't win championships, organizations do.
Maybe not, but Krause has something that no one else will probably ever get again; Six titles in eight years.
So what you have here is a team in a holding pattern. Get the kids to learn some new tricks from some veterans, while getting more people into the seats. The Bulls may not be contenders yet, but you can see the plane pulling out of the nosedive. If you can rebuild, still get people in the seats and provide a little excitement, then that has to mean something.
Jim Byrne (1): Easy question, easy answer. Forget the Los Angeles Lakers, who picked up Karl Malone and Gary Payton to add to their already prominent duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Payton, Malone and O'Neal are all past their primes, and Kobe is going to be dealing with his off the court woes all season long.
So who is the team? Why, it's the Minnesota Timberwolves of course. The T'Wolves made the boldest moves this off season, in an attempt to keep their superstar, and the best player in the NBA, Kevin Garnett happy. Bringing in Latrell Sprewell, Michael Olowokandi, and Sam Cassell while jettisoning the dead weight of Terrell Brandon and Joe Smith, was undoubtedly the best move by any team in the NBA over the summer.
To go along with Garnett, Minnesota now has three starters entering their prime with Olowokandi and Wally Sczerbiak. Add to that, the veteran leadership of Cassell, who has the title rings, and Sprewell, who should benefit from moving back to the shooting guard position, and Minnesota has built quite the team.
There is no reason this team should fail to escape the first round this season, and if they stay healthy, they will go deep into the NBA postseason, with an NBA championship not out of the question.
John Norman (1): It's obvious that the NBA's best off season moves were made by the Lakers. The addition of Gary Payton and Karl Malone, two future hall of famers, makes the Lakers the closest thing there is to a sure bet. Sure, the Kobe Bryant mess screwed things up, but Shaq, the Glove and the Mailman will be fine even if Kobe is watching his backside in a state penitentiary.
Malone averaged 20.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game last year, at the age of 39. At this point one more year is not going to slow him down too much.
At 34, all Payton did was average 20.4 points, 8.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds a game last year. Good numbers for someone who is "over the hill."
Think about it: Shaq will take the pressure off of these two and only make them better. And they will help Shaq as well.
As if those two weren't enough, they added Horace Grant, the real reason behind all the Bulls' championships. It had nothing to do with Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen, it was Horace and his goggles.
Darren Riethmiller: We all know the New Jersey Nets got owned by Tim Duncan and company in the NBA Finals but the Nets might have picked up the best off season acquisition of all the NBA teams. Wait, make that the best two acquisitions in the NBA
Ladies and Gents, I present to you Alonzo Mourning and Jason Kidd. Sure, sure Kidd was on the team last year and is the heart and soul of that team, BUT if you have forgotten already, there was an intense period over the summer where it was unknown as to who was going to actually sign Kidd. Thank god he stayed with the Nets giving the East a somewhat legit competition to the more dominant Western Conference.
Alonzo Mourning, who was sidelined last season with a kidney ailment, seems to be healthy and will bolster an already explosive team. Zo brings to the table quite a repertoire: 20 points per game, 9.8 boards per game and three blocks per game. Mourning is going to bring that dominant inside force that the Nets have been lacking in their last two NBA Finals runs.
Oh and Kidd, he only averages 20 ppg, eight boards, and eight assists a game in the post season. He is the heart and the soul of the Nets and although he was calling for Byron Scott's head in the off season, he got what he wanted - a monster in the middle in Alonzo Mourning.
The Verdict: (By Special Guest Judge, Buffalo Bulls point guard Turner Battle)
As far as the Bulls go, I think that they are the dumbest organization ever.
Jerry Krause is terrible, I am glad he is out of there. In my opinion I think it will take the Bulls a decade to have a winning season again.
The Lakers I think have done a little too much, and I think that they have too many super stars and they will not be able to mesh this season. They are going to have a good season but when it comes down to the playoffs, the Spurs, Kings, and Mavericks will be on top of the west.
I think That 'Zo was a good move for the Nets only if he can be healthy, but I do not think that a team from the east will win the title until they can compete with the size and depth of the west.
I agree with Jim Byrne who said the Timberwolves will be a force in the west now. They are going to be a lot better, but they will not be able to contend with the teams I named, although they did make some great moves by helping Garnett.
This week's victor: Jim Byrne
