I Pity the Fool
Yesterday I was playing a game of pickup at my local gym, guarded by a friendly acquaintance named Ray. Early on, I pulled up for a mid-range jumper against his lax defense, and upon release of the ball he yelled “NOPE” with smug assurance that I would miss.
As often happens when I shoot the J, the ball splashed the net and I trotted downcourt happily hollering, “Who said no? Who said no?” Ray just shook his head and smiled in mild embarrassment. He had made a fool of himself.
In a rather unserious game of pickup, the consequences of making a fool of yourself are minimal: a few good-natured jibes, some mocking high fives, and one frustrated overcompetitive guy.
In the NBA, on the other hand, the fallout is potentially enormous, involving millions of dollars and the fates of several franchises. These playoffs have exposed several stars as fools, which will no doubt fundamentally alter the course of this momentous offseason.
After the Phoenix Suns got eviscerated by the Lakers in Game 1, Amare Stoudemire decided it was the right time to talk some trash. He called Lamar Odom’s huge performance a “lucky game” and recalled his “total domination” of Pau Gasol several postseasons ago.
Flash forward to Game 2. Pau goes for 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, Odom drops 17 and 11, and Amare’s rather underwhelming 18 points and 6 boards (accompanied by 5 turnovers) were not enough to prevent the Suns from losing 124-112. Not to mention that much of Pau and Lamar’s damage came when being defended directly by Stoudemire.
If you’re gonna talk, you better back it up, and Amare simply made himself look like a fool. He firmly turned the spotlight on himself, especially on the defensive end, and he threw up a clunker. Not only was he abused time and again, but he barely looked interested in trying to play any defense. Add to that his inability or unwillingness to consistently rebound and he suddenly does not seem like a superstar at all.
This summer Stoudemire has an opt-out option in his contract, whereby he could become an unrestricted free agent. I cannot see any way a General Manager would be willing to give him a maximum deal, particularly after this extremely exposed recent performance. He just isn’t a complete enough player to be a team’s cornerstone. Since he is going to make $17. 69 million next year if he stays with the Suns, it seems likely that he will not opt out and instead wait til the summer of 2011 to become a free agent. One less big name on the market. A little less hope for the bottom feeders with huge cap space.
Let’s talk about another fool: Joe Johnson. After five straight years of averaging about 20, 5, and 5, the Armadillo Cowboy had established himself as one of the premier perimeter players in the game. With free agency looming this summer, it was time for the Atlanta Hawks’ star to lead them on an inspired playoff run.
Instead, Atlanta almost faltered in Round 1 against an overmatched Milwaukee Bucks team and then played possum to the Orlando Magic’s big rig in the most lopsided playoff sweep in league history. Johnson was ineffective offensively, but maybe even more worrisome was his lack of leadership.
After Game 3 he was understandable frustrated, but he made the mistake of saying, “We could care less if [fans] showed up.” Disparaging the fans when you’re already disappointing them just isn’t the right move.
Furthermore, Johnson was quoted as claiming, “You almost have to play a perfect game to beat them… it’s tough to beat.” While that may have been true, you can’t say that as a team leader. Inspire your guys. Insist that you’re tough to beat. Be confident. Johnson’s leadership abilities were put to the test this postseason, and he practically failed.
So what are the implications for this summer? I don’t think Johnson can now be considered a top tier superstar, a player you can build a team around, which means he probably won’t receive max money. While unfortunate for Smooth Joe, this may be beneficial for a team looking to add a couple of new players through free agency. Could New York add LeBron, Chris Bosh, and Johnson? Perhaps.
We’ve taken a look at a couple of fools who have significantly hurt their stock this postseason, but as my college friends used to say, there’s a flip side to that coin.
Take Dwyane Wade for example. Cursed with by far the worst surrounding talent of any playoff team, Flash played his butt off this entire season, never complained, and somehow kept the Heat competitive all year long. Behavior like that is what makes Wade one of the indisputably best players in the league, completely deserving of the many millions of dollars that await him this summer.
I pity the fool. But not really. They should be smarter than that.