NBA RUMOR MILL

The NBA Rumor Mill is hot right now with the Kobe Bryant giving the Lakers an ultimatum. So lets get to it:

-Word out of Dallas today has a monster trade floating around: KOBE for DIRK. This would be one of the biggest trades the NBA has ever seen, so I doubt it would ever happen, but that still does not stop me from taking a look at each teams starting 5 after the trade.

MAVS: Desagna Diop, Josh Howard, Kobe Bryant, Jason Terry, Devin Harris
This makes the Mavs really small, so if this trade happens, look for them to look to move Terry for a big man. Would they be interested in the Blazers Zach Randolph or Knicks forward Channing Frye? Both guys are on the trading block and the swap would work for either teams. Imagine the Mavs lineup now with Randolph or Frye instead of Terry; pretty nasty in my opinion. A lineup of Harris, Kobe, and Howard would be the fastest in the league and killer defensively. The only worry would be rebounding in the front court, but Randolph did get 10 rpg last year. This team would also be able score the ball in so many ways it would be scary.

LAKERS: Andrew Bynum, Dirk Nowitzki, Lamar Odom, Maurice Evans, Jordan Farmar
On paper this gives the Lakers a really big squad, but upon further assessment of the big guys games shows that Nowitzki and Odom are both more comfortable at the high post. Bynum is a very skilled young big guy who is going to get better every year. How Nowitzki's game would develop without the team need of him being a post scorer? Odom is versatile enough to blend his game into whatever the players around him are best at. The real weakness would be in the backcourt where Evans and Farmar are both sub par. Would the Lakers be able to trade Luke Walton for a SG or pick one up via Free Agency?

Overall this trade opens the door for 2 teams struggling for an identity to swap superstars, and in take a step forward. Both squads would be noticeably different, but still in the playoff picture. If ever there was a time for 2 superstars to be swapped straight up, it is now.

Mavs won't go quietly

With 3 minutes left and the Mavericks down 9 the sense of urgency that their fans have been looking for all playoffs finally kicked in. The Mavs outscored the Warriors 15-0 from that point on, led by Devin Harris attacking the basket and Dirk Nowitzki putting together his best stretch yet.
Dirk had been silent all series, mainly taken out of his game by the Warriors smaller & quicker defenders. If anyone knows Dirk, it is the man that coached him for most of his career, Don Nelson, and he is using that knowledge to his advantage. Dirk has made a living by using his quickness to destroy other teams big men, but this Warriors team is unique in the sense that they don't play big men. The Warriors have relied on a 7 man rotation that only has two forwards, instead going to a guard laden lineup that has been running men at Dirk every time he touches the ball.
This strategy has been tremendously effective until last night, when Dirk decided to be aggressive instead of wait for the double team. He showed last night, that he is at his best when he is looking for his shot. He is not a good passing big man, and the Warriors have cemented that, but he is good when he does not hesitate. Down the stretch last night he had a huge block, a couple threes, and some crucial free throws to keep his team from elimination. More play like this and the Mavs can defy the odds and come back from a 3-1 deficit.
As Dirk goes, so goes the fate of his team, but last night a old friend stepped up. Much like last years playoffs, Devin Harris was the real fire behind their comeback. Harris stepped up his D on Baron Davis forcing him to give up the ball at halfcourt, which took the Warriors out of their flow. Not settling for just being a defensive hero, Harris took the game upon his shoulders and started taking the ball right to the hoop. No play was bigger in getting his team going, than the three point play he got that sent Davis to the bench with his 6th foul. If Harris & Dirk continue to play inspired basketball, we will be looking at one of the greatest playoff comebacks and this series will be talked about for years to come.