Directed by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, "Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot" follows some of the country’s young NBA stars (Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, etc.) as they prepare for a high-school exhibition game in 2006. It’s an entertaining, solid documentary that is apparently now free to watch on Hulu … as long as you’re American or know your back way around the Internets. Enjoy!

(Thanks to Avi at The Daily Snowman, who has an excellent review of the movie right here.)

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So Steve Nash didn’t
want Shaquille O’Neal on the Suns. Can you blame the guy?

But can you also see the writing on the wall? Actually,
forget that; can you see last year’s standings? The ones that left Phoenix out of the
playoff bracket?

I don’t doubt that Steve Nash conveyed a dubious tone, to
say the least, regarding Shaquille O’Neal’s potential for aiding the Phoenix
Suns in returning to the playoffs next year, in a recent meeting with Suns GM
Steve Kerr. Not for a second.

It’s too little, too late, though. Shaq’s permanence or
impermanence with the Suns, really, had little to do with this team’s
championship aspirations. Because, as great as the Suns were playing in the
days leading up to their acquisition of O’Neal in February of 2008, this still
wasn’t a championship team. And it’s not because the Suns were poor
defensively.

It’s because they weren’t a knockout team offensively. They
were still the best in the NBA, offensively, but not to a point where it made
the team’s average-to-below average defense passable.

Offense and defense win championships. Not defense, alone. Same
with offense. And if you slip below the "damned good" radar on either side,
your other side must make up for it. Phoenix,
even with the league’s best offense, still couldn’t hit enough shots to make up
for it.

With, or without O’Neal. And the same went for 2008-09. And
as well as O’Neal tried to fit in last season, and as good a teammate as he
was, the writing was on the wall. It had been there for a while. There’s a
reason Nash (and O’Neal, to a lesser extent) went through the season with a
bemused smile. He knew this team wasn’t going anywhere.

Steve Kerr, on Thursday night and in meeting the press
today, has not flashed a bemused smile. The man knows this game, I still
believe he has the GM potential to be one of the greats (Kerr inherited a goofy
owner and a great team, two things that don’t often work out to creating a dream
gig), and he seems pretty sick about being bashed around in the press.

And he seems pretty sick about losing. Losing with that
payroll, losing with that star power, losing in general. Every GM hates losing,
I’m not telling you anything new, but Kerr has always seemed a bit more aware
than most — even if he is the guy who took a chance on putting someone like
Shaquille O’Neal on the Suns.

Kerr’s implied message, both in terms of action and the tone
he’s set while giving us the typical GM-pabulum, is that he’s done with this
team. The Suns are to be blown up. He may not succeed in blowing the team up,
you never make a trade for the sake of making a trade, but the team is to be blown up. Even if Phoenix doesn’t make
another transaction between now and November.

Why? Because these guys are done. Stoudemire was white hot
to begin 2008-09, but he faded, and you can see him fading into the ranks of a
"why are you taking that shot when you can drive?"-jump shooter as his career
moves along. Even if he’s way too young for that role.

Beyond Stoudemire? No real young talent. Leandro Barbosa is
solid, but he’ll be 27 next fall. Nothing to build around, here. And nothing to
tinker with. Tinkering, sadly, won’t turn the Suns around. I wouldn’t be
shocked at all if the current roster won 50 games next year, but that doesn’t
win you a championship.

This doesn’t mean the team rebuilds this summer. Again, if a
trade that would help the team isn’t there, Kerr ain’t dealing. The rumored
deal that would send Stoudemire to the Golden State Warriors, as one-sided as a
deal like that would have been in Golden State’s favor, has been put on the
back burner by the Warriors, of all
sides. Can you believe that? And you can’t even blame them.

Golden State was shocked to have Stephen Curry drop into
their laps, last night, and though rumors abounded about the team taking the
Davidson product for Phoenix,
that can’t possibly be the case. For now, Golden State
is staying put.

That might not be the worst thing for the Suns. As much as
we respect Andris Biedrins’ production, and a chance to rebuild … you have a
6-10 guy who can score a ton. You should be in no hurry to lose that defining
aspect of your very existence, Phoenix.

Which brings us back to Nash. To most, he is the defining
aspect. But he’s also on the wrong side of his career, he as a team option for
next year that you know the cash-strapped Suns considered declining, and he’ll
be a free agent next summer. He’s everyone’s favorite player, but he’s not
leading even a pretty-good (or, even, "great") supporting cast to the playoffs.

Remember that, when you consider the idea of Nash making the
move to dump O’Neal for payroll (not salary cap) relief. You’ve got the wrong
Steve.

Steve Kerr made this move. Nash may have expressed his displeasure
with the way things have been, but he was preaching to a one-man choir.

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Lost in the Shaq-to-Cavs and NBA Draft shuffle, the Nets traded Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to the Magic for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee on Wednesday. Here’s what they’re saying out in the ether about the deal …

Third Quarter Collapse: "Ultimately, it’s apparent that the Magic have re-asserted themselves as serious championship contenders. Were they content with merely appearing in the Finals, as they did last season, they would not have made this trade. They’re confident that Carter can put them over the proverbial hump, as they were only 3 wins away from a title, after all. Trading a prospect such as Lee must have been a tough decision, but New Jersey would not part with Carter otherwise. The Magic made the tough choice to jettison a promising, young player and their two most valuable trade chips. Whether or not it was the right choice remains to be seen. But based on what we know about Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson, they’re improvements over the men they’ll replace in the rotation. That’s reason enough for encouragement, even accounting for the loss of a brilliant youngster."

Nothin’ But Nets: "… there is also a somber feeling about the end of this era, flawed as it was but surely with its moments. Because it also seems to portend to something happening beyond basketball for the Nets. (It seems, as their incessant catch phrase goes) It’s about … salary dumps … and surviving. Rod Thorn seems to be making the trades that he so often was on the other end of shrewdly making. Sure, Courtney Lee is good and young and showed some things. But in earlier Nets eras, the Rafer Alstons’ and the Tony Batties’ sound a lot like the Eric Williams’ and Aaron Williams’ — and the ‘contracts’ of Alonzo Mourning. Vince was traded by the Nets the way he seemingly was brought to New Jersey. And for that, it peppers this trade with holes. His window is closing on primetime, as his contract numbers escalate, but when the Nets make a trade like this — while substantially laying off their business-side workers (and advance scouts!) and the contracts of their assistant coaches — it feels not only like a salary dump, but a dump for survival."

The Baseline: "We’ve been hearing for a while that Vince would like to play out his career in Orlando, since it’s effectively his hometown team. Putting him on the Magic certainly gives them more offense, as if they needed any, and a slasher — I mean, a guy who when he chooses to can be among the best in the league at slashing. And who isn’t getting any younger. Maybe this means they really wanted to get Alston out of town, since in the past (and possibly in the Finals) Nelson hasn’t responded well to competition. And this would seem to suggest that Courtney Lee was not, in fact, their SG of the future."

Nets Daily: "It wasn’t a straight salary dump. The Nets did get a promising shooting guard in the Carter trade, one in fact that ironically they almost took in the 2008 draft. Nets brass had to choose between Ryan Anderson and Courtney Lee at No. 21 and took Anderson. The 6′5" Lee averaged 8.4 ppg during the regular season, starting 42 out of 77 games, shooting 40.4% from deep. Lee started 16 games in the playoffs."

Orlando Magic Daily: "Carter is not shy about shooting. He’s a guy who will fire away if he has any room, even when he’s missing a lot of his shots. In the past, his tendency to attack the basket has gotten him in hot water with his coaches, teammates and fans alike. But Stan Van Gundy’s system is renowned for not penalizing players for shooting. It’s a big reason Hedo Turkoglu transformed into a playmaker when Van Gundy came aboard — he was no longer looking over his shoulder when his shots weren’t falling. I believe Carter will succeed in similar fashion. Van Gundy won’t be shy about giving Carter the ball. ‘With Vince, you can give him the ball anywhere on the floor and he can isolate and create a shot either for himself or for a teammate on his own,’ Van Gundy said. ‘Plus, if you look at the numbers like we do all the time … Vince has been, throughout his career, one of the best fourth quarter and end-of-game guys in this league, in terms of production. He’s been a guy that has always come through down the stretch in games.’"

Another48Minutes: "They called him Wince Carter, but in his last four full seasons, he only missed 11 games. He’s not getting any younger, he has a huge contract, but he is also capable of making huge baskets, or making the right pass when needed, as we could state that VC is one of the best passing shooting guards in the League, and maybe one of the most unselfish players in the NBA. Sure, Vince is a great actor, limping, grimacing, staying down for a while, the man has a flair for the dramatic, just ask Toronto when he killed them by scoring a reverse alley-oop in the buzzer with 18.000 people booing him. About the incoming players: I like Courtney Lee, I don’t know how Rafer Alston will fit in coming off the bench, and Tony Battie is a nice veteran addition (however, the contracts of those two are coming off the books in 2010, so that’s why there now with the Nets). But I really don’t know how the Nets are planning to score 85 points in a game next season."

Nets Are Scorching: "The thing that impressed me the most about you [Vince] this past season was how you were a professional through everything. Playing hard even though we were out of (realistically rather than mathematically) playoff contention, through the trade rumors, and through the shift in offensive philosophy. It’s going to be strange not seeing you do your pull-up on the net before the games. It is going to be strange not seeing all of the Vince Carter jerseys walking the tunnel to and in the stadium. Most of all, it is going to be strange not hearing our PA Announcer screaming ‘VC3′ after a big three-point bucket."

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It’s about time we got ourselves a new NBA soap opera. I’ve been going through withdrawals ever since "The Steph and the Restless" went off the Internet airwaves. (What? Don’t judge me. I love my stories!)

The Minnesota Timberwolves held a news conference Friday afternoon to introduce first-round draft choices Jonny Flynn of Syracuse and Wayne Ellington of North Carolina.

Just one tiny problem — No. 1 pick Ricky Rubio wasn’t in attendance.

But not to worry, not to fret — Friday morning, according to Don Seeholzer of the Pioneer Press, Wolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn cautioned not to read anything into the strange situation.

Well, I tried my best, I really did. But before I knew it my eyes had slipped and I was re-reading Spanish news that Rubio’s father said it was possible his son may stay in Spain for a few more years rather than come play in Minny. But, again, I wasn’t really reading into anything. It was probably just a coincidence Rubio wasn’t at the press conference, right? Maybe the Wolves’ staff had the air conditioning cranked too high. Kid hates the cold.

Jokes aside, Kahn made it abundantly clear that the team is prepared to play the waiting game for a player who just turned 18:

"Nobody here … will be banging his fist on the table, saying, ‘He must be here!’ It’s a very complicated matter," Kahn said Thursday night. "We need to understand that we’re not in control of the situation vis a vis the buyout. … I think it’s too early to worry about that. But I said this to the agent tonight: If any team in this league can afford to wait a year, dare I say two, it’s us. Y’know? It’s us."

Cue the Johnny Mathis!

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Not a lot of dynamic range in these rankings. On a scale of
1-to-10, most of these teams ended up closer to 10 than 1. Or "4," even.

Why is that? Well, considering the talent level in
Thursday’s NBA Draft, most GMs did quite well. Did every one of them pass on
DeJuan Blair, until the Pitt forward went 37th overall to the San Antonio
Spurs? Yes. And that’s why we won’t fawn.

But we’re also not going to criticize too much. There will
be plenty of time for that once hindsight becomes 20/20. For now, though, here are the scores …

Atlanta Hawks — Jeff Teague, Sergiy Gladyr

Atlanta
has a type, they can’t deny it. They love point guards who shoot first, and
Jeff Teague fits the profile. Can you really slam a team for being in love?

Score: 7

Boston Celtics — Lester Hudson

Taking a big NCAA scorer with one of the last picks in the
Draft hasn’t worked out … ever. But for the pittance of a second round pick,
non-guaranteed money, and a camp invite, the C’s could have done a lot worse.

Score: 7

Charlotte Bobcats — Gerald Henderson, Derrick Brown

Despite all the hype and his Duke pedigree, Henderson still feels like a reach. The
Bobcats think they found a starter at the wing, but the guy just reeks of
10th-man. So does Brown, but he wasn’t the one taken in the lottery, was he?

Score: 7

Chicago Bulls — James Johnson, Taj Gibson

Are these really two players that you want to hand
guaranteed contracts to for the next two or three years? Johnson is athletic,
no doubt, but at what point do we start to expect actual, you know,
"production" out of athleticism when you’re 22? Gibson? You don’t draft 24-year
olds. You don’t do it. Unless they’re 24 and absolutely dominating college
ball, and he wasn’t. And you hadn’t heard of Gibson, either. Both players might
make the rotation, sure, but with Blair still available?

Score: 4

Cleveland Cavaliers — Christian Eyenga, Danny Green,
Emir Predzlic

Green can play, but why send guaranteed money Eyenga’s way?
If he’s worth hanging onto, why not trade out of the first round to pick him?
Strange move.

Score: 6

Dallas Mavericks — Rodrigue Beaubois, Nick
Calathes, Ahmad Nivins

Again, guaranteed money for Beaubois? He might turn out to
be a fine player, that isn’t the question. It’s the idea of being forced to pay
the man guaranteed money under terms atypical for players named "Rodrigue
Beaubois." We hear good things about Calathes and Nivins, two proper second
round attempts.

Score: 7

Denver Nuggets — Ty Lawson

Lawson will be fantastic with the Nuggets. He’s hardly
lanky, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting up great numbers and winning
big games in a nasty, nasty conference. Great value for an 18th
pick.

Score: 10

Detroit Pistons — Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers,
Jonas Jerebko

Fine moves from Joe Dumars, grabbing a litany of forwards
that boast a high ceiling. There might be a chance that all three mope their
way out of the NBA, or the triptych could became huge rotation parts. Either
way, for the price of a first round pick (second round cash isn’t guaranteed),
this trio is worth a chance.

Score: 9

Golden State Warriors - Stephen Curry

Curry may or may not (rumors lean toward the latter, at this
point) be on his way to Phoenix
in a deal that would net the Warriors Amar’e Stoudemire. Doesn’t matter.
Doesn’t matter that Monta Ellis might be unhappy with Golden State
selecting a player with a frame similar to his. If Monta Ellis has enough sway
in your organization to call shots, then your organization is shot. Curry can
play. Figure the rest out later.

Score: 9

Houston Rockets — Jermaine Taylor, Sergio Llull,
Chase Budinger

All second rounders, guys you don’t have to throw guaranteed
money at, but three guys you spent a bit of dough on just to secure the rights
to. Call it a bias, but we’re inclined to believe in what Daryl Morey is doing
scouting-wise at this point.

Score: 8

Indiana Pacers — Tyler Hansbrough, A.J. Price

We can joke about Hansbrough’s pigmentation until we’re
white in the face, and make white of Larry Bird’s seeming predilection toward
players of a certain tone. What we can’t joke about is his game. He can play, ably
using up minutes, and he’s a solid pickup for a low-lottery selection.

Score: 7

Los Angeles Clippers — Blake Griffin

Listen, Griffin
has some holes. He’ll be beat defensively. He isn’t the sturdiest in the low
post, as he tends to fall to his left or right when he should be jumping
straight up for jump hooks. The same glitch hurts his jump shot. He isn’t
7-feet tall, either. And that’s about it. The guy is a stud.

Score: 10

Los Angeles Lakers — Chinemelu Elonu

Teams talk themselves into all sorts of nutty things during
the Draft. They talk themselves into thinking that a 29^th pick could
provide insurance for a 10-year starter. The talk? It’s nonsense. The Lakers
grabbed $3 million bucks to dive out of the first round, something a series of
teams should have tried on Thursday night.

Score: 9

Memphis Grizzlies — Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre
Carroll, Sam Young

Young will help right away, and that’s about it. Carroll can
play, and Thabeet will become a hell of a player. It’s become obvious that the
Grizzlies don’t know what they have in Marc Gasol, but we’ll save that
criticism for another column. For now, a solid trio of players, well worth
their picks.

Score: 10

Miami Heat — Patrick Beverley, Robert Dozier

On the surface, you’d have to think that neither of these
guys would play for the Heat, and their selections wouldn’t even be worth
discussing. But considering the way Pat Riley has put together teams since
coming to Miami
in 1995 (high class payroll guys and minimum contracts, no middle class),
Beverley might see some minutes. And apparently he’s worth some minutes.

Score: 8

Milwaukee Bucks — Brandon Jennings, Jodie Meeks

Jennings
has massive holes in his game, fundamental issues with his shooting, handle,
and approach. Meeks won’t set the world on fire. But for the 10th and 41st
picks? Huge potential.

Score: 9

Minnesota Timberwolves — Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn,
Wayne Ellington, Henk Norel

When you play basketball, and get the rock in an isolation
situation, it’s never a good idea to subscribe to your move before you even get
the ball, and stay with it no matter what your defender does. Sure, it might
pay off sometimes to know your move before you go into executing your attempt,
but by and large you want to have practiced moves and options that allow you to
think on your feet and adapt to the situation as it unfolds.

The Timberwovles, I’m sorry, but I think they picked a move
heading into the Draft, and stuck with it even as the defender beat them to the
spot.

I can’t blame them. I begged every team to take Rubio to use
as trade bait, and insist that every team take the best player available
regardless of roster makeup. And the Wolves got two very good players, and two
guys worth looking at. They just haven’t looked good in the process. Rubio
and/or Flynn are obviously trade bait, but nobody’s biting. A transparent move,
even if the telegraphed shot goes in, and Rubio/Flynn are brilliant together.

We really shouldn’t rank them (or any other team) until 2012
or so, but for now …

Score: 8

New Jersey Nets — Terrence Williams

Williams can play in this league. And for an 11th pick in a
crummy Draft, I should accept that a rotation part taken at that spot is worth
our time. Just not a fan.

Score: 7

New Orleans Hornets — Darren Collison, Marcus Thornton

The Hornets have holes in the rotation up front, and in the
back court. So they were in full "best player available" mode (or should have
been), even if they took two guards. As it always is, time will tell if they
actually took the best player available. Cop-out analysis, always worth your
time!

Score: 7

New York Knicks — Jordan Hill, Toney Douglas

Listen, the Knicks have holes, everywhere. They are starting
from scratch. Guys like Nate Robinson and David Lee can play, but the team’s
brass wouldn’t care if any of the 2008-09 roster is on board for a 50-win team
in 2011-12. So New York
went for the best players available. Hill doesn’t quite look like a BPA at 8th,
but Douglas does.

Score: 6

Oklahoma City Thunder — James Harden, B.J. Mullens,
Robert Vaden

Harden can play, Mullens has lottery-level talent, and Vaden
can make a team. In a weak Draft like this, even if Harden was taken third
overall, this is still a fine haul. Now it’s up to Scott Brooks to work things
out. We’re OK with that result.

Score: 8

Orlando Magic — No selections

Picked up Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson for expiring
contracts and Courtney Lee. A fine Thursday.

Philadelphia 76ers — Jrue Holiday

I mocked the pick initially, but Holiday
is a lottery talent that the 76ers selected at 17. That’s a good night out.

Score: 9

Phoenix Suns — Earl Clark, Taylor Griffin

Griffin’s
probably not going to make the team, so let’s just dump that idea. Clark can play, but he can also float. Huge talent, but a
bit of a floater. Still, for the 14th pick (and, if Griffin does improve, the 48th pick?)? A workable
turn for Steve Kerr.

Score: 9

Portland Trail
Blazers — Victor Claver, Dante Cunningham, Jeff Pendergraph, Patrick Mills

The Trail Blazers didn’t disappoint by not putting together
12 Draft-night trades, so let’s just lose that idea. I don’t like dumping
Sergio Rodriguez, not at his age, and am not sold on any of the players
Pritchard picked up. But that’s because I don’t know much about them, and each
of the guys (save for Mills) had gotten good marks entering Thursday’s Draft.
And only one (Claver) will get a guaranteed deal.

Score: 8

Sacramento Kings — Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, John
Brockman

There’s nothing actually wrong with any of these selections,
but on a team that can’t rebound to save its life, Blair would have helped.

Evans has huge upside, Casspi can play and was much-bandied
about heading into the Draft, and even Brockman might contribute given a good
summer, but you’re still left wanting with this team. Wanting, maybe, Ricky
Rubio and DeJuan Blair. Time will tell.

Score: 7

San Antonio Spurs — DeJuan Blair, Jack McClinton,
Nando De Colo

Two guys (one a lottery-level talent) that can help right
away? And a man named "Nando De Colo?" Big, productive night for the Spurs, who
didn’t even have a first-rounder to work with.

Score: 10

Toronto Raptors — DeMar DeRozan

There’s a good chance DeRozan could fall on his face, or
never develop. Then again, there’s also a chance he could turn into an All-Star.
And for the ninth pick in an awful Draft, that’s a chance worth taking.

Score: 9

Utah Jazz — Eric Maynor, Goron Suton

Two useful talents that will see minutes, eventually. In a
Draft low on talent, this is a fine night considering Utah entered the evening with the 20th and
50th picks.

Score: 9

Washington Wizards — No selections

Picked up Mike Miller and Randy Foye for a load of bad
contracts and the selection that turned out to be Ricky Rubio. Time will tell.

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