Unbalanced

If there is one thing missing from the NBA these days, it’s a bitter rivalry. Not the manufactured type that is made from Kobe versus LeBron (and by proxy, Lakers versus Cavaliers) or even Carmelo versus LeBron (Nuggets/Cavaliers). What the NBA fans have clamored for are true, “we can’t stand those guys” rivalries born from seeing the same team more than two times a year and the Finals that may not materialize.

Granted, there are battles between teams that don’t get the national attention during the regular season that they should until the postseason comes around. In the West, San Antonio and Phoenix have provided some fireworks in recent years while Houston and Utah have had intense meet-ups. In the East, Washington and Cleveland traded barbs when the Wizards were a playoff participant while Boston and Chicago are likely to carry over their classic first-round series into the 2009-10 campaign.

However, the truth is that within the same geography is where sports’ greatest passions stir. Though the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings had a war of words earlier this decade, it was such a one-sided affair that it’s rarely brought up as one of the NBA’s most known rivalries. Not since the New York Knicks and Miami Heat traded fists and baskets have there been those kinds of regular season games that were hyped because of pure, unabated hatred within the division. Knicks-Heat (or Knicks against everybody in the 1990s) didn’t need to be aesthetically pleasing or be full of offensive superstars with great smiles to attract a crowd because mean mugging and hard fouls made the country ask “what else can these guys do to each other?”

The rule changes that essentially handcuffed defenses took a bit of the necessary surliness out of natural rivalries, but it does not mean that they can’t be reborn. If there’s one area that can be tweaked to bring back these kinds of games, it’s in team schedules themselves. To reemphasize division rivalries, I believe that the 82-game schedule can be modified in a similar vein of their major league peers.

They could take the slightly unbalanced schedule that baseball and the NHL use which features more games within the division, yet will retain the logistics of having visits from every team within the league. They could also rotate two interdivisional games between the other ten teams that would guarantee an equal amount of visits to every city over a five-year period in the way the NFL does in its schedule.

Sounds confusing? Let it be explained by using the Knicks’ schedule (trying to get to some games this season, so sue me for using the local team):

Current NBA Schedule: (H=home, A=away)

4 games apiece versus teams within the Atlantic Division (2H/2A) = 16 games

• Boston, New Jersey, Toronto and Philadelphia all split home and away dates evenly.

3-4 games apiece versus teams in other divisions within the conference = 36

• 3 games a apiece against two teams in the Central Division (one series of 2H/1A, one series of 1H/2A) = 6
• Cleveland visits New York once while the Knicks play there twice this year. Milwaukee comes to New York twice while the Knicks play there once.
• 4 games apiece against three teams in the Central Division (2H/2A) = 12
• Chicago, Detroit and Indiana have even splits of home and away games this season
• 3 games apiece against two teams in the Southeast Division (one series of 2H/1A, one series of 1H/2A) = 6
• Orlando visits New York once while the Knicks play there twice this year. Miami comes to New York twice while the Knicks play there once.
• 4 games apiece against three teams in the Southeast Division (2H/2A) = 12
• Charlotte, Washington and Atlanta have even splits of home and away games this season.

2 games apiece versus teams in the Western Conference (one home, one away) = 30

82 total regular season games (41 home, 41 away)

Got it? Good.

Suggested NBA Schedule:

5 games apiece versus teams within same division = 20 games

• Five games apiece against two teams (3H/2A) = 10
• Here, Boston and New Jersey would come to MSG three times and the Knicks would visit both markets twice.
• Five games apiece against two teams (2H/3A) = 10
• Here, Toronto and Philadelphia would come to MSG twice and the Knicks would visit both markets three times.

These teams will alternate the third home game every other year; the Celtics would visit New York a third time one year and host the Knicks a third time the following season.

3-4 games apiece versus teams in other divisions within same conference = 30 games

• 3 games a apiece against two teams in the Central Division (2H/1A) = 6
• Here, Cleveland and Milwaukee would come to New York twice and the Knicks would visit those markets once. Next season, this could switch depending on the teams.
• 3 games a apiece against two teams in the Central Division (1H/2A) = 6
• Here, Detroit and Indiana would come to New York twice and the Knicks would visit those markets once. Next season, this could switch depending on the teams.
• 4 games apiece against one team in the Central Division (2H/2A) = 12
• Chicago would have the even split of home and away games this season. This four-game series would rotate among the remaining teams in the division until all five teams in the division played this series within five years.

Repeat the Central Division plan for the Southeast Division:

• Orlando and Miami would come to New York twice and the Knicks would visit those markets once. The Knicks play Charlotte and Washington twice in those cities and host them once this season. They would have the four-game series with Atlanta. Similar to the Central Division, teams would alternate all three kinds of series over five seasons.

2 games apiece versus teams in the Western Conference (one home, one away) = 30

• This would remain unchanged.

82 total regular season games (41 home, 41 away)

Of course, there are logistical reasons for why games are scheduled in the current format that us fans and the media aren’t exactly privy to or don’t keep up with. For example, every season a few teams will go on lengthy road trips for annual events such as conference and national tournaments in college sports or local events like the famous San Antonio Stock and Rodeo Show that keeps the Spurs away from home for about two weeks in February. There is also the fact that ten cities house both NHL and NBA teams in the same arena, making scheduling an intricate dance during the offseason for both leagues. Finally, relocation and expansion have spread the pool of games a bit thin; the NBA has certainly done a great job in trying to retain the pre-Charlotte/New Orleans/Memphis/Oklahoma City schedule with respect to travel itineraries.

Yet, it’s unlikely that there will be a change in the amount of teams in the league any time soon. Despite economic uncertainties and mismanagement of some franchises, this would be the perfect time to explore changing the schedule to give a bit more meaning – literal and emotional – to crowning division champions with the added value of a properly calibrated unbalanced schedule.

Broken

And with that, here's something most, if any of us don't think about.

The body does not know how much money you make.

Yeah, that seems absurd from the first glance. It may appear to be a copout for the lack of success for some of the most talented and highly-paid professional athletes. Making such a statement in the eyes of many disillusioned sports fans is akin to saying “as long as I’m getting paid”.

However, that’s the reality; the body does not know how much money you make.

So when the news of a season-ending microfracture surgery for Houston Rockets swingman Tracy McGrady came across the wire Wednesday afternoon, the refrains of being injury-prone and beyond echoed once more.

Now, of course, there’s the manner of how the news was revealed – he posted a message on his website before his coach, Rick Adelman had discovered such through the newspapers – yet, that’s just adding fuel to a fire that doing quite enough damage on its own. Yet, to think that a player whose individual talents rival that of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James has been unable to perform at their level because of a steady stream of injuries is more than disconcerting.

It’s sad.

Now, there’s no apology if this is one of those scenarios where McGrady could have played through the remainder of the season. We hear all the time from the football world that there’s a difference between being hurt (sore or at most, having discomfort in which any correction can be put off until season’s end) and being injured (as in, you kind of need those bones, ligaments, muscles, etc. in order to walk, let alone play). Yet no matter how much his detractors try to make that case, it’s impossible and a bit unfair.

None of us are in the guy’s head.

None of us are in the locker room or on the practice court day after day with him.

None of us know his body and most of us didn’t study kinesiology.

If this was Shane Battier or Carl Landry, the latest injury would be a big deal for a day and not again until the Rockets lose either their playoff position or another first-round series. If this was even Joey Dorsey or Luther Head, it would be quite easy to dismiss their significance to the team as they are just collecting DNP-CDs and a few hundred grand.

A few seasons ago, the New York Knicks endured this with Allan Houston. In 2001, he received the biggest contract extension in franchise history; a six-year, $100 million pact for a player who was a tremendous perimeter shooter, but not heralded for much else. While the contract was an eye-opener at the time, it between 2003 and 2005 that it became an eyesore as Houston missed a combined 94 regular-season games in two seasons. Financially, the Knicks took a major hit, one bad enough that the league office allowed an amnesty tax (affectionately known as the “Allan Houston rule”, though the team never used it on him, but Jerome Williams). Yet, the truth of the matter is that the ligaments in Houston’s knees were gone.

A former teammate of both McGrady and Houston, current Phoenix Suns forward Grant Hill, endured some of the same trials. When he signed his mammoth deal with Orlando back in 2000 along with McGrady (who was traded for Steve Francis four seasons later), they were supposed to return the Magic to prominence in the post-Shaquille O’Neal/Penny Hardaway era. Yet from an ankle injury suffered in during the playoffs in his final season with Detroit to nagging shin problems to a sports hernia, Hill’s Magic days were miserable, to say the least. Unlike his former teammates, however, Hill began to give his body the proper rest as not only to properly heal, but in keeping in mind that he was entering his mid-30s with a dimmed window of championship hopes and physical ability.

There have been plenty of players – contracts big and small – whose bodies failed them in some degree, but in the case of the players with mega deals, one who slips under the radar of criticism is Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd. If there’s a player whose path thus far seems to follow that of Houston’s, Redd, unfortunately, fits the bill. Instead of signing to play in Cleveland – his hometown team – he signed a six year, $91 million contract in 2005 to remain with Milwaukee. Though he only missed two games in the first season of the deal, he missed 29 games in 2006-07, ten in 2007-08 and will sit out for the remainder of this season after tearing his ACL and MCL back in January.

Recently, we heard about an athlete who admitted that the pressures he faced after signing his nine-figure contract compelled him to make a bad decision. Before landing in Texas in 2001, Alex Rodriguez had the talent and ethic to solicit bids for the highest offer for his services. However, it wasn’t until he confessed to using performance enhancers that you could say that he placed a price tag on his physical being; no matter how large, historic or unheard of a ten-year, $252 million deal had been. In his case, it was all about justifying his contract to the masses by adding something to his body; something well in his control.

Can anyone attribute a dollar value to a body part; healthy, hurt or injured?

Paramnesia

Paramnesia is the "scientific" name for a familiar, but simultaneously unusual phenomenon, déjà vu.

And so here while there are three rematches of the 2007 postseason this spring, the one that may have a longer-lasting effect on a player's career started on Saturday in Salt Lake City.



So one year later, Tracy McGrady finds himself going against the same exact team with nearly the same exact circumstances. There is no doubt that he is one of the most talented players to ever grace an NBA court. There is no doubt that provided a lucky break here and there during the postseason, his name would be in the conversation of one of the all-time greats. Yet, with not only four prior first-round eliminations and a Game 1 loss to the same team that knocked his Houston Rockets last year - the Utah Jazz - you just might get used to seeing this clip making the rounds once again.

What do you think of T-Mac? Is he the best to have never won a playoff series? Is he not doing enough in your eyes? Is it all just hard luck?

Thoughts highly encouraged to be posted here, not on Facebook or MySpace.

Understand?

There seems to be hope that some folks get it.

Recently on this space, you were given a list of things to love about sports despite the ever-flowing wine of hate we seem to quench our thirst with.

While it's pretty much impossible to expect the big boys to have found that same list, what isn't impossible is to believe that they're listening to the message.

Diehards, moderates, casuals and non-fans are tired of sports being platforms for snide comments, unwarranted attacks and utter stupidity.

Maybe Jeff Pearlman, mostly known for his book about one Barry Lamar Bonds, gets it.

Maybe The Oklahoman's scribe, Darnell Mayberry, wants to highlight the ignorance of many so-called fans so that they'd get it.

Maybe with the revelation of the main writer's identity, The Big Lead will become more than Snark Central for many insiders and admirers who think they get it.

Maybe we can sit back and enjoy Selection Sunday (and Monday for the ladies), the Rockets' amazing 21-game win streak and baseball teams that won't spark fights during spring training.

Maybe.