Luis Scola: Analyzing Impact Big Man Will Have on Phoenix Suns

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Jul 152012
 

In acquiring forward Luis Scola via amnesty auction, the Phoenix Suns have already done a lot to bolster a porous frontcourt. 

Pairing Scola alongside center Marcin Gortat will give opposing defenses fits, as the Suns will look to their big men to generate most of the team’s offense. 

On a young team that is likely lottery bound, here is what Scola can provide in the Valley of the Sun.

 

Consistency on the Block 

Scola does most of his dirty work in the paint. 

He can make a short jump hook with either hand and has the footwork to get easy baskets. At just 6’9”, Scola is undersized at power forward, but he makes up for it with his clever play. 

The Argentine is also capable of knocking down the open jump shot, hitting 49.1 percent of his shots last season. With a career true shooting percentage of 54.6, Scola should be able to find his stroke in Phoenix next season. 

With a devastating drop step and sound dribbling skills, Scola could be the No. 1 option for the Suns in 2012-13. 

 

Interior Toughness 

Scola does not stuff the stat sheet on defense, but he is a hard-nosed defender who can give opposing big men trouble.

A sturdy frame of 245 pounds gives Scola the strength to push around other big guys in the trenches.

While he may struggle against lanky big men like Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge, Scola is ideal for defending shorter fours like DeMarcus Cousins on the block.

Playing with Gortat could give the Suns a formidable front line. Both are tough, strong players that are not afraid to step up and take the charge.

With solid box-out skills, Scola should be among the team’s leading rebounders next season. 

 

Someone to Defend 

If Phoenix decides to run the offense through Scola, then the Suns could surprise the league with their efficiency

Although last season’s numbers were a dip from his 2010-11 campaign, Scola still has the game to abuse opposing defenses. 

Putting him at the high post opposite Gortat could be what recently acquired point guard Goran Dragic needs to run an effective offense.

Scola is a willing passer and should also find cutting guards open for easy layups.

Most importantly, however, opposing defenses will be unable to sag off of Scola. His offensive game requires some defensive accountability from opposing teams.

All in all, Scola’s skill set could have Phoenix among the winners of this offseason’s free agency.

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Dwight Howard: Why Houston Rockets Would Be Crazy to Trade for D12

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Jul 142012
 

The Houston Rockets are one of the many teams who have entered the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, and it looks like they will go all-in to land the All-Star center.

According to Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN.com, the Rockets are currently trying to position themselves to make a run at Howard and bring him to Houston for next season and, hopefully, beyond.

The team has already used their amnesty clause on Luis Scola in order to create more cap space to potentially absorb the contracts of Glen Davis, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Chris Duhon. Also, according to the same report, the Rockets will look to hand over some of their first-round picks from this year as well as in the future.

Bottom line: the Rockets are willing to gut their entire team and its future all in the hopes that the Magic will trade Howard to them, giving them an opportunity to convince D12 to stay into the future.

This couldn’t be a worse idea.

First off, Howard has already stated he would only sign an extension with the Brooklyn Nets (per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports), making it a major uncertainty that he would even be interested in staying with Houston for the long term.

More specifically, a report from David Aldridge of NBA.com states that sources confirmed there is “not a chance” Howard signs on to stay in Houston past this season.

That means Houston now runs the risk of trading all their important pieces, both future and present, in order to acquire a player who will most likely only last one season with them.

On top of that, even if they were to acquire Howard, the Rockets are not built to win a championship now. Winning will be a major sticking point for Howard re-signing with any team.

Unless they make another major acquisition to bring in a star player to go along with Howard sometime down the road, the Rockets will be left with a very similar team to that of the one Howard was unhappy with in Orlando since they will have to absorb many players from the Magic who have bad contracts.

And we all know that team in Orlando was not exactly the recipe for success. The Rockets would basically become the Orlando Magic, just with a different name and playing in a tougher conference.

So it isn’t as if the Rockets are just one player away. They are several players away from being an elite team in the NBA. It might be well worth it for the Rockets to mortgage their future if it guaranteed a championship for next season, but the reality of the situation is that D12 doesn’t make this team a contender in the least bit.

Trading for Howard at this point is an incredibly risky proposition. Houston will have to deal numerous young players and/or future draft picks in order to bring D12 to their squad, uncertain that it will even pay off.

Unless they can get an agreement established before any deal is made, Houston should avoid trading for the Magic big man. If they go ahead and do it anyway and Howard leaves after next season, the Rockets will be right back to square one: rebuilding.

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Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets’ Deal Hits Standstill

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Jul 142012
 

The Houston Rockets‘ trade offer for Dwight Howard, which seemed too good to be true, was in fact too good to be true.  

It was first reported that the Rockets were willing to trade just about everything under the sun for the Orlando Magic‘s six-time All-Star.

The speculation was that the Rockets would take on more than one bad contract from the Magic— meaning Houston would take on Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, Glen Davis and Chris Duhon in some combination. The Rockets would also hand over all three of the team’s first-round picks from this year’s draft.

This was just the type of package that Orlando has been patiently waiting for. The Magic would shed cap space, get rid of either Turkoglu or Richardson’s contract, bring in a crop of young talent and, most importantly, ship out Duhon.  

Alas, none of that was true.

Recent reports from David Aldridge from NBA.com claim:

The Rockets, according to a league source briefed on the discussions, are willing to take one bad contract back from the Magic, not two or three, as has been speculated. And in return, Houston will give up one of the their three first-round picks in last month’s Draft– Jeremy Lamb, Royce White or Terrence Jones –but only one.

Houston would also send a future draft pick to Orlando, which is presumably the lottery-protected pick that the Rockets received from sending Kyle Lowry to the Toronto Raptors. The Rockets would also be willing to send a veteran player to the Magic in order for Orlando to clear $10-15 million of cap room.

Even though the Rockets used the amnesty provision on forward Luis Scola on Friday in order to take on the Magic’s unwanted contracts, no trade went through. In fact, both teams weren’t as close to trading as many speculated them to be.

And with that note, the Dwight saga continues until the next episode of events.

In other news, Howard likes yellow hats.

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NBA Rumors: Luis Scola Would Make the Cavaliers Legitimate Playoff Contenders

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Jul 142012
 

The Cleveland Cavaliers could soon be adding one of the league’s most underrated post players, a move that would make them surprise contenders in the Eastern Conference.

According to reports from ESPN’s Marc Stein, Cleveland has joined the bidding for recently-amnestied forward Luis Scola. Scola, who is still playing at a very high level, was made expendable when the Rockets decided to go all-in on acquiring Dwight Howard.

Scola isn’t the type of sexy, high-upside free agent whose acquisition would lead off SportsCenter, but he is a guy who can immediately transform a bad team into an average one––or an average one into a good one.

Cleveland’s record didn’t reflect it in 2011-12, but they showed a lot of promise for the future. Kyrie Irving was a giant question mark as the No. 1 overall selection, but he had a better rookie season than Cleveland could have ever imagined. Fellow lottery-selection Tristian Thompson had some moments too, progressing faster than the long-term project he was supposed to be.

The Eastern Conference is in entropic flux right now, so much so that signing like Luis Scola could put a team like Cleveland in a position of power. They wouldn’t be Finals contenders, not by a long shot, but they’d be playoff contenders for sure. Why?

 

Inside-Out Shot Creation

There’s a weird paradox in the way NBA teams are reacting to the rapidly-changing nature of the game. On the one hand, the league is becoming less reliant on set plays, and more reliant on isolations. But on the other hand, GMs seem to be more enamored with long, athletic stiffs as frontcourt prospects than they are with limited athletes who can actually score in the post.

Luis Scola is the quintessential example of the latter mode. He’s not super long and he’s not super athletic, but he is one of the best post-scorers in the league. He’s put in the requisite work, and it resulted in a myriad of advanced back-to-the-basket moves that make him tough to guard in the paint.

While the Javale McGees and Serge Ibakas of the world are regulars on the SportsCenter Top 10, Scola is a regular in opposing coaches’ nightmares. He’s one of the few players who can catch the ball in the post, take his man one-on-one and score.

Combine that with Kyrie Irving’s ability to do the same on the perimeter, and you have a dangerous combination of players who can score once the rest of the offense has broken down.

 

Uncertainty in the Eastern Conference

The Miami LeBrons might be the league’s best team, but the East is still undoubtedly the league’s worse conference.

Here are last year’s playoff teams from out East: Chicago, Miami, Indiana, Boston, Atlanta, Orlando, New York and Philadelphia.

Out of those eight, only six would be considered safe bets to make it back to the postseason in 2013. Atlanta and Orlando, meanwhile, seem reserved to blowing up their cores and starting the rebuilding process. Thus, even if you assume Derrick Rose will be back at some point, New York won’t implode around its own egos and Indiana isn’t a one-year-wonder, there are still two playoff spots up for grabs.

You have to figure that Brooklyn, following the addition of Joe Johnson, is a safe bet to take one of them. Even without Dwight Howard, a starting five of Deron-Johnson-Wallace-Humphries-Lopez is good enough to sneak into the playoffs.

But after the Nets, who’s there to take the eighth spot? Milwaukee? Detroit? Please.

 

NBA Ready Rookies

In the 2011 NBA Draft, Cleveland augmented Kyrie Irving with Tristan Thompson, a prospect best described as “developing” and “loaded with potential.” But in 2012, the Cavs ended up with two rookies who were readily labeled “polished” and “NBA-ready.” 

Dion Waiters gives Cleveland something they’ve sorely lacked at the shooting guard position: explosion. Watching Anthony Parker plod his way through games has been a sight for sore eyes, but Waiters will be a refreshing change of pace. He loves to attack, and should be able to get to the rim right out of the gate.

Tyler Zeller, whom the Cavs acquired in a draft night trade, wasn’t the sexiest name in the draft, but he was definitely one of the safest. He’s a legit seven-footer (not one of those guys who’s 4 inches shorter without shoes), and has unbelievable hands around the basket. He’s a little slight, and may get pushed around at first, but he has the length to compensate by contesting shots.

The Cavs showed small flashes of promise in 2011-12, and they added two immediate contributors in one night.

 

Conclusion:

Before you dismiss the idea of Cleveland in the playoffs as ludicrous, take a moment to step back and really evaluate the situation. Should they sign Scola, they could march out a potential rotation that looks like this:

PG: Kyrie Irving

SG: Dion Waiters

SF: Alonzo Gee

PF: Luis Scola

C: Anderson Varejao

B: Tristan Thompson

B: Tyler Zeller

B: Daniel Gibson

B: Omri Casspi

It’s not enough to make a serious playoff run, sure, but you’re crazy if you think they can’t beat out Milwaukee and Detroit.

And if all goes according to plan, Cleveland could sneak into the 8th seed next season setting up a likely matchup with, you guessed it, LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

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NBA Trade Rumors: Dwight Howard’s Saga Could End in Houston

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Jul 142012
 

In one of the longest NBA trade dramas in recent memory, Dwight Howard has not only turned most of the world against him, he has also missed one of the biggest opportunities to get what he wanted.

He may never get it now, and his consolation prize may be a team many least expected.

The Houston Rockets.

They’re not the latest team to enter the chase, though coverage and rumors may make it seem that way. The Rockets have been there for a while, even getting close to reaching a deal during last season’s trade deadline.

While Dwight’s decision to opt-in may have stemmed from the fact that he discovered he was going to a team he had no desire to be with, there was more to it than that.

Questions emerged about his decision. Did he want to stay and give Orlando one more go? Maybe he received reassurances from their front office? That notion was quickly purged, as he demanded to be traded to the Nets once again during the summer.

By now, Howard could have been a Brooklyn Net. He could have agreed to be traded during last season’s trade deadline, signed with Brooklyn along with Deron Williams and called it a day. So why opt-in?

Money.

Howard isn’t stupid or fickle, he just wants to have his cake and eat it too. If he signed with the Nets as an unrestricted free agent coming from another team, he wouldn’t get the extra year and cash he could get for re-signing with the Nets under “Bird rights.”

The Magic had worked hard to get a deal done with the Nets multiple times, but Brooklyn finally decided to move on (for now) and bring Brook Lopez back, while Howard is left in the dust.

It seemed throughout the whole process that the Magic were reluctantly dealing with the Nets, hoping to milk as much out of them as possible, since they were the only team with a guarantee from Howard on re-signing.

Then there were the Houston Rockets. A team that couldn’t care less about what Howard wants, and are all about what they want—a superstar.

They have the ability to offer the Magic exactly what they want in potential lottery picks, rights to recently drafted players, expiring contracts and most importantly, the flexibility and willingness to absorb a large amount of terrible contracts.

As it stands, the Rockets are on the hook for very little money next year, after amnestying Luis Scola, trading players like Kyle Lowry and Samuel Dalembert and letting players like Goran Dragic walk in free agency. The offer sheets to Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik have yet to be sorted out, and the 2012 draft picks have yet to be signed.

The amount of space available for next year could not only facilitate a “super-max” for Howard if he is traded to Houston, but also gives the Rockets the ability to bring in another star to put alongside him.

Even if Houston is not the market he wants to play in, that could go a long way in convincing him to stay. Where else will he go?

Most of the “destination” spots like Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles will be hard-pressed to get Howard the money he wants, while still having flexibility to retain other stars.

Atlanta and Dallas would be the two biggest contenders for Howard in free agency next year. They have the cap space to compete for Howard and put someone beside him. The common denominator between the three teams would be that they have the ability to bring a second star to play with him.

But if eventually traded to the Rockets, he would have to opportunity to sign for the extra year and money as well. Isn’t that what he wanted more than just his desire to be in Brooklyn?

Let’s not forget, he’s not a Net today because he got greedy and pushed his luck, opting-in to buy more time for a trade to Brooklyn.

So go ahead Dwight, walk away from the extra money. I dare you. 

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L.A. Lakers: Does Bynum for Howard Really Make the Lakers Better?

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Jul 142012
 

If you believe the latest rumors concerning the ongoing Dwight Howard saga, the Houston Rockets appear to be the new favorites in the chase to acquire the superstar center’s services.

The Rockets officially amnestied forward Luis Scola, which clears salary cap space to make a dedicated push to land Howard. The Rockets can offer the Magic draft picks, youth and salary cap relief, but they can’t offer Orlando general manager Rob Hennigan a player like Andrew Bynum.

According to a recent article by Ken Berger at CBSsports.com, the Magic are still very interested in acquiring Bynum since he represents their best chance at receiving equal value for Howard.

And in another recent twist, Dave Pingalore at clickorlando.com says he has learned through multiple sources that a deal that sends Howard to Los Angeles is imminent.

I’m not sure if Pingalore’s rumor can be trusted since it originated within Howard’s camp and not from the Magic organization, but for legions of Lakers fans, it’s another reason to believe that a Howard deal might be close.

But is it necessary? And does a deal for Howard really make the Lakers better than they are right now?

 

Howard is definitely superior to Bynum when it comes to strength, quickness and athleticism. But Bynum gets the edge when it comes to pure fundamental skill as a low-post center.

And who knows how much Howard’s game will be affected by his recent surgery to repair a disk in his back?

Back injuries have the potential to limit a player’s lift, lateral quickness, strength and general mobility. Or in Howard’s case, everything that makes him special.

If Howard is completely healthy, it’s easy to fantasize about how devastating the Lakers could be on the pick and roll with new point guard Steve Nash. But couldn’t Bynum be just as effective?

There might be fewer dunks with Bynum on the receiving end of Nash’s passes, but a dunk is still only two points, and I would argue that Bynum’s superior post instincts could make him a more consistent scorer.

Think about it. Howard only averaged two more points per game than Bynum as the primary offensive threat for the Magic, while Bynum had to share touches with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.

And that’s with Derek Fisher, Steve Blake and Ramon Sessions manning the lead guard position.

 

Imagine how effective Bynum could be with an elite pass-first point guard, whose perimeter shot is consistent enough to keep any defense honest?

Maybe just as good as a player coming off back surgery with a less refined post game?

I’m sure there are many people who would jettison Bynum in a heartbeat for the opportunity to acquire a once-in-a-generation player like Howard, and even I am still intrigued by the possibilities of a team that includes Bryant, Nash and Howard on the same roster.

I’m just not sure how much of an upgrade that scenario is over what the Lakers have right now. And I wonder if it’s even worth the trouble of finding out?

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NBA Rumors: Ranking the Best Rumored Landing Spots for Luis Scola

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Jul 142012
 

After the Houston Rockets’ surprising decision to use the amnesty clause and cut loose Luis Scola, a number of teams are going to be coveting the services of one of the better power forwards in the NBA. 

So far, three teams have emerged from the pack as suitors to claim Scola.

According to ProBasketballDraft.com, the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers are both interested in the 32-year-old Argentine. The website’s twitter feed also speculates that the Atlanta Hawks will be intrigued, but as that isn’t technically a sourced rumor, the Hawks will not be considered here. 

Additionally, Yahoo! Sports’ Kelly Dwyer reports that the San Antonio Spurs are interested in re-acquiring the services of Scola, who they let go of in 2007. 

So, how do these three leading contenders stack up?

 

3. Dallas Mavericks

Scola would have the opportunity to play aside Dirk Nowitzki in the Dallas Mavericks’ frontcourt, forming an incredible duo of finesse (Dirk) and physicality (Scola). To be fair, Scola is a lot more than a power player, though, because he has some of the most beautiful post moves in the game. 

Even with the recent addition of Darren Collison and the potential acquisition of Scola, the Mavericks still wouldn’t be contenders and might even struggle to make the playoffs. 

The roster continues to age, as Shawn Marion and Vince Carter still figure to play significant roles for Mark Cuban‘s team. 

Scola can both go to work on the post and spread out the floor with his jump-shooting, but it’s not going to be enough to get close to a repeat of 2010.

The Mavs have also claimed Elton Brand off the waivers, which could throw a wrench in these plans. It is still possible for them to claim Scola as well, though. 


2. Cleveland Cavaliers

During the 2012 NBA draft, I said to one of my friends, “You know, I bet the Cleveland Cavaliers finish with a better record than the Dallas Mavericks this year.” 

I stand by that prediction, especially if the Cavs can land the power forward who averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season. 

The acquisition of Scola could point toward another move for Cleveland, one that would involve shopping Anderson Varejao for a shooting guard or small forward. Even if Varejao stayed, Scola would help solidify the frontcourt. 

His presence might block the further development of Tristan Thompson, but he’d fit in nicely alongside Tyler Zeller in the paint. 

With an up-and-coming guard like Kyrie Irving to help run pick-and-(insert roll/pop here), Scola’s scoring might take a jump back up to its 2010-2011 level. 


1. San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are already a true contender for the title now that Tim Duncan is back with the team, but the addition of Scola would push them over the top and make them one of the favorites. 

Though San Antonio is normally one of the most shrewd organizations in the business, Scola represents one of the few times that Spurs management has screwed up. San Antonio drafted him in 2002 with the No. 56 pick of the draft, then allowed him to continue playing overseas. 

After a failure to buy out his contract, the Spurs traded his rights to the Houston Rockets in 2007 for Vassilis Spanoulis, some cash and a second-round draft pick. I think it’s safe to say they lost that deal. 

Bringing Scola back would not only allow the power forward to put on a Spurs jersey for the first time, but it would also allow him to form a terrifying frontcourt duo with Duncan while taking some of the stress off his older counterpart. 

Plus, the Spurs love running pick-and-rolls or passing the ball around the perimeter until there’s an option shot. Both of those half-court sets play into Scola’s hands perfectly. 

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Houston Rockets waive Luis Scola

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Jul 142012
 

In what came as a bit of a surprise Friday evening, the Houston Rockets waived forward Luis Scola to clear salary cap space for a potential blockbuster move. To dump Scola and the three-years and roughly $21 million left on his contract, the Rockets used the one-time amnesty clause in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement.
The 32-year-old Scola averaged 15.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 31.3 minutes per game last season. He started all 66 of Houston’s games, and was a huge piece of the team’s puzzle. His career averages of 14.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game are pretty good, so just releasing him is quite a risk for the Rockets to be taking.

The 6’9″ Scola is a fan-favorite in Houston so this won’t be a popular move unless the Rockets pull off a blockbuster deal, like one that brings Dwight Howard back in return. The assumption is that Houston is clearing Scola off the books in order to absorb multiple bad contracts from …

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NBA Trade Rumors: The Dwight Howard Trade That Should Have Happened

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Jul 132012
 

Have you heard the latest Dwight Howard news?  The Brooklyn Nets have withdrawn from the Howard trade talks and instead signed restricted free agent Brook Lopez to a new deal.  Howard still wants out of Orlando, and the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are rumored to be working on a blockbuster deal to land Howard in Los Angeles,  with Andrew Bynum to Houston and a collection of the Rockets’ young assets in Orlando.

But enough news and facts!  

Here is the Dwight Howard trade that should have happened this summer. It won’t, because Ryan Anderson has already been traded to New Orleans and Dwight Howard refuses to commit to resigning in Chicago, but it would have been the best outcome for all parties involved.  

The Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic should have put together a blockbuster deal landing Howard, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and spare parts to Chicago; Carlos Boozer, Ryan Anderson, Joakim Noah and several future Chicago assets to Houston; and a haul of Houston picks and prospects to Orlando.

What exactly would that trade have looked like for each team?  Let’s break it down:

Chicago would receive: 

Dwight Howard, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson

Houston would receive:

Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Ryan Anderson (resigned to a new deal) and Marquis Teague

Orlando would receive:

Terrence Jones, Patrick Patterson, C.J. Watson (team option), Ronnie Brewer (team option), Richard Hamilton, Kyle Korver, Chicago’s future first-round pick from Charlotte and three future first-round picks from Chicago.

So, why would each team do this deal?  

And why is this trade better than whatever Houston, Los Angeles or even Atlanta can come up with?

For Chicago, this deal is a no-brainer.

They pair Derrick Rose with Howard, keep Luol Deng and add the sharpshooting Kevin Martin and skilled forward Luis Scola—both capable players Houston would like to trade.  Chicago would have the best contending core of any NBA roster and be set for both the present and the future.

For Houston, this trade gives them two all-star level players, another capable starter and a talented point guard of the future.  

The Rockets would get Noah and Anderson—an all-star frontcourt—to lead them back to the playoffs.

Anderson thrives playing off a defensive center, so pairing him with Noah is the perfect match.  And Boozer, though he is much-maligned, posted a 19.8 Player Efficiency Rating last season and is flexible enough to play in many different lineups.  Houston would have been free to re-sign rising star Goran Dragic (while nurturing the talented Teague) and field a strong lineup of Dragic, Jeremy Lamb, Chandler Parsons, Anderson, Boozer and Noah.  

For Orlando, the deal would give them the right mix of expiring contracts and intriguing future assets to rebuild.  

Watson, Korver, Hamilton (who has a team option in 2013) and Brewer are only signed through 2012. The Magic would have significant cap room as early as 2013 and be poised to rebuild with potential star Terrence Jones and several future picks.  Armed with all that cap space and draft firepower, the Magic would have been able to rebuild faster than most expected.

But, sadly for everyone, this trade was not to be.  

Instead of teaming with Rose and winning championships in the NBA’s largest single market, Howard might end up trudging through seasons in (gasp!) Atlanta, or who knows where else.

Ouch.  

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