Finding a Home For Pau Gasol

With the Pau Gasol trade rumors swirling, the drama in Los Angeles is palpable. The Lakers aren't exactly sure what they want to do, but a Gasol trade could completely retool their team both now and for the future. As John Hollinger notes in Wednesday's PER Diem, their roster so far this season has basically consisted of three stars (Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, and Gasol), one average player (Matt Barnes), and a bunch of scrubs (Derek Fisher, Metta World Peace, et al). That's what happens when you trade away Lamar Odom in what equates to a salary dump: you end up as a middle of the pack Western Conference contender with few trade assets.

Where could Pau end up?

Austin Rivers Still Haunts My Nightmares

Okay, I don't actually have nightmares, but I am still bitter about North Carolina's loss to Duke last week. I've probably seen Austin Rivers' shot somewhere between 50 and a gazillion times. On Wednesday, the Miami fans heckled Tyler Zeller with an "Aus-tin Riv-ers" chant when he shot free throws. And it worked, as he went just 1-4. Fans are so clever.

Today, I finally brought myself to read Shane Ryan's first hand recap, and it brought all the emotions back. First, the annoyance that the Blue Devils kept hitting those first half 3's, prompting the Duke fan I was watching with to cheer with exuberance. The 3 point line has been the Tar Heels' weakness all year, which is unfortunate since, you know, that's what Duke's offense revolves around. The beloved Black Falcon, Harrison Barnes, was struggling chasing around Rivers on the perimeter because of a hobbled ankle. (That ankle played a part in Barnes going 0-4 in the first half as he struggled to finish through contact and a couple jumpers rattled out.) Thus, Rivers was going off, and his face seemed even more punchable.

I hope it hurt under that pile.

Jerry West and the Art of "Tanking"

Jerry West, a recently added head consultant for the Golden State Warriors, wants the team to stop winning. At least that's what he told my source in direct contact with him. Admittedly, West said that over the phone the morning after the Warriors' thrilling 119-116 home loss to the Thunder last Tuesday, and Golden State has been playing much better of late. However, I spoke with the source today, and it was re-established that West loves Kentucky big man Anthony Davis, the odds on favorite for the #1 pick.

It's yet to be determined how The Logo will make his impact.

Now, this isn't exactly groundbreaking news because, as my source reiterated, Jerry isn't in power. As Tim Kawakami and Sam Amick have noted in recent columns, West hasn't had a huge role in decision making so far. He was an influential voice in selecting Klay Thompson in the draft (which I wasn't the biggest fan of at the time, but he's growing on me), but that's about it...or else Jeremy Lin might still be in his native Bay Area. My source wouldn't elaborate as to whether West would push for any trades at the deadline to start "tanking," but for fun, there are some things I'd like to throw out there.

Checking In With The NBA Draft Prospects

Last week, ESPN's Chad Ford debuted this year's Lottery Machine, and it is an excellent way to waste time that would otherwise be productive. As you can see there, Kentucky freshman sensation Anthony Davis pretty much has a stranglehold on the #1 spot, and here's how I would rank the rest of the lottery prospects after him:

(Here is what I said about them in the beginning of the year.)

It's a bird, it's a plain, it's...the Unibrow!

Big Week For Marvel

This space is normally reserved for sports posts, but this week was just so full of movie trailer goodness that I had to talk about them on here, Grantland style. In particular, the good people at Marvel released some awesome trailers for their upcoming superhero blockbusters. It started with a new trailer for The Avengers last week that was extended for a spot during the Super Bowl:

Patriots! Giants! Its Super Bowl XLVI on NBC!

If you can't tell, I'm pretty pumped about this Super Bowl. Even though I have the unenviable task of dealing with a midterm the day after the big game...and that Wednesday...and Thursday. How that's legal, I don't know. Anyway, that may delay the basketball posts I have cooking, but right now it's all about Super Bowl Sunday!

The pick: to save you some time, I'll say straightaway that I'm sticking with my guns from the preseason and taking New England -3.You may notice where I picked the Giants to finish; I thought their myriad of injuries would be too much to overcome. Obviously, I was wrong, and they were able to sneak into the playoffs in the last week and got hot at the right time. They're actually very reminiscent of last year's Packers.
Uh-oh.
So why exactly am I picking the Patriots? Let me explain.

Hold on, let me explain.

I don't (completely) put the loss on Kyle Williams

First, let me say that the 49ers' second year receiver Kyle Williams had a horrible day as a punt returner. Early in the game he took a huge risk when he dove to receive a punt; then he had a "muff" when he was indecisive and should have just gotten the hell out of the way instead of letting the ball graze his knee; and finally, he fumbled the ball on a punt return in over time that put the Giants in position to kick the game winning field goal.

With that being said, you can't put the loss on just one player. As much as everyone wants a scapegoat, it's always going to be a team game, and although Williams' plays might have had bigger impacts than others, there are countless other plays that could have determined the outcome. It's just like the '91 NFC Championship game against the Giants that I briefly talked about. One of my best friend's dad still hates Roger Craig for that fumble despite his prolific career as a Niners' runningback who won three titles with them. However, I would say that the defense still had the chance to stop New York from getting down the field in time for a game winning field goal. And yesterday, it was a team loss that could have gone differently if any number of players had made a better play, not just Williams.

And that's exactly how Patrick Willis put it last night when consoling his teammate. If Dashon Goldson doesn't collide with Carlos Rogers and comes up with the interception in overtime, Williams wouldn't have even been in that position to field a punt. Or if Goldson hadn't have taken out his teammate Tarrell Brown on the other near interception, then Tramaine Brock isn't in the game, and maybe the Niners don't give up that touchdown on 3rd and 15 after the muffed punt. Or if the referee doesn't blow a quick whistle for forward progress, then Brock's strip of Ahmad Bradshaw would have given the Niners the ball deep in Giants territory. Or if the Niners don't run a shotgun run for Frank Gore that loses yardage, then maybe Alex Smith's pass to Vernon Davis for 11 yards would have been a third down conversion instead of just short. Or if the offensive line gives Smith better protection on any of those final plays in the fourth quarter, maybe he could make a play down the field.

You could go on and on. You can't just say "If Williams would have actually taken care of the ball on the punt return, then the Niners wouldn't have lost" because it's a slippery slope from there. The kick still would have been a 42 yarder if the defense wouldn't have given up any yards after the fumble, and that is certainly no gimme. Just ask Billy Cundiff (another unfortunate scapegoat) after he missed his "easy" 32 yarder that would have tied the game against the Patriots. It happens. I may have lost sleep over it, but life goes on. It was still a hell of a first season under Jim Harbaugh.