KG AND DIRK BEING SWAPPED May 7, 2007 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Try as they might at the NBA offices, they can't seem to get this buildup to a championship to work. Last year, it was Dallas and San Antonio, the two best teams, playing in the Western Conference semifinals because of a seeding flaw. The Mavericks won in a seven-game classic, and the conference finals were fairly dull. So the NBA tweaked the seeding formula to avoid that kind of 1-2 matchup before the conference finals, and Golden State went and messed it all up again by exposing the 67-win Mavs, though the elimination of the possibility of Commissioner David Stern handing a championship trophy to Mavs owner Mark Cuban brought relief in the NBA offices. So the belief again is that the NBA champion will come from the Western Conference semifinals, this time with the San Antonio Spurs playing the Phoenix Suns. Given the Mavs inclination to have trouble swallowing, we now understand better why it didn't work out that way last year. Reseed after every round to get a better conference finals matchup? I'm told they do that in hockey, which should be enough reason not to do it. Anyway, the Spurs feel pretty good about things, having won 22 of the last 26 games between the teams, including playoffs, and by a 4-1 margin in the 2005 Western Conference finals despite Amare Stoudemire's 37-point average. And though the Spurs figure to go on for a few more years with a competitive Tim Duncan, this could be a make-or-break-it-up series for the Suns. This is the second season in the last three in which the Suns have won at least 60 games, and they reached the conference finals in the last two seasons. Perhaps they could try, try again if they lose to the Spurs. But there has been uneasiness this season between Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and Stoudemire, though seemingly a fragile peace has been reached for the playoffs. "This is the third year of our run," coach Mike D'Antoni said in an interview on the eve of the playoffs. "We've proven we can win 60 games. When you start the playoffs, all the little stuff goes away. But chemistry is something you have to be careful with. It doesn't happen all the time, and it can be destroyed." The sense around the Suns' organization is that this playoff run will determine whether this team breaks through and stays together or whether major changes must be made. The system is not about to change, and Nash isn't going anywhere. But there has been an internal debate about how to use the big players, and if the Suns get knocked out by the Spurs again, it wouldn't be surprising if there are some shocking moves. The Suns have Atlanta's draft pick—unless it is top three—from the Joe Johnson deal. Given this is a strong draft, especially for big guys, the Suns could use that pick and perhaps package Marion or Stoudemire for another lottery pick, especially given luxury tax implications with the Suns well into the tax next season. Without a championship, owner Robert Sarver has made it clear he won't accept an inflated payroll. Of course, Nash is 33, which means they're not about to rebuild. What about the team that gets the No. 1 overall pick? Would you rather have Greg Oden or Stoudemire? The Suns aren't saying they'd do it, but if they lose in this series, everything figures to be on the table. Shaq, anyone? Yes, Shaquille O'Neal is the 800-pound elephant in the room. No one really wants to talk about it, but the Heat's main issue is the decline of O'Neal with three years left on his contract at $20 million per season. Heat coach Pat Riley in his post-series comments said he was to blame for what he called the "pervasive" attitude of the veterans that the team could turn it on at any time. Hmm, wonder whom he meant. Riley said it would have been "a mockery" if the Heat had defeated the Bulls. "It would have sent the wrong message. We didn't do anything the right way this year," Riley said. Then he added: "If he wants to give back $10 million and play half the season, fine." Wonder again whom he meant. Miami insiders said not only was O'Neal indifferent to the regular season, as usual, and this time had knee surgery, but he'd even go so far as to tell teammates not to bother with defense, apparently to not make his own indifference look bad. The Heat's options seem limited with a huge payroll, and O'Neal remains a popular figure fans pay to see. But they don't pay to see Miami lose like it did. Have they had enough? Despite O'Neal's presence and reputation, he'll turn 36 next season. Frankly, it's difficult to see many teams that would even take a chance on him. And then there is Dallas, which is where Shaq wanted to go when he was breaking up with the Lakers. In losing to the Warriors in the first round, it seemed clear what the Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki most needed was someone to take the pressure off. Could Shaq be that guy? Mavs owner Mark Cuban said they are not panicking or breaking up the team, but time will tell. Miami needs a major overhaul. Would Dallas panic and take a last shot with Shaq? Maybe for Erick Dampier, Devin Harris and a sign-and-trade with Jerry Stackhouse to give the Heat some life again? It does seem farfetched. But it has been a half-century since both finalists from the previous year went out in the first round. And it didn't look like either could win. Nowitzki's fold against the Warriors brought to mind David Robinson in 1995. He was the MVP that season and accepted his award as he was being dominated in the conference finals by Hakeem Olajuwon. The Spurs began to fade after that with Robinson a year older than Nowitzki is now. The label of being soft and unable to come up big and finish began to stick to Robinson until Duncan came along and Robinson settled into an ancillary role and got two championships. You figure Nowitzki needs someone like that. Shaq? Remember Garnett? Or what about my deal from two years ago? I thought I was way ahead of the curve on this one, and if the Mavs could have closed Game 3 of the Finals last year we'd never be talking about it. Seeing the Mavs then as an offensive team that couldn't win, I suggested a Nowitzki-for-Kevin Garnett swap. Nowitzki soon will be named the league's MVP. The general sentiment in Dallas is he has to go. The Dallas Morning News reported there were two fans at the airport when the Mavs' plane arrived from Oakland. The general consensus is that the Lakers, with Kobe Bryant apoplectic about change (and I can't blame him), will make a big-time play for Garnett, who lives in Malibu and is friendly with Bryant. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak seemed to concede prospect Andrew Bynum and everyone else but Bryant is available, though friends of Garnett insist he won't seek a trade and the Timberwolves, losing millions, will keep him and then save his salary if he leaves. "Do something and do it now," said Bryant, who is an old 28, having come in as a teenager and having played in 131 playoff games (Michael Jordan had played in 70 playoff games at the same age). "We are going on three years of still being on ground zero. When I re-signed here, they promised they would build a contender and build a contender now. I don't want to have to wait anymore." Option B is said to be Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal. But sources say O'Neal already has told the Pacers he wants to be traded to the Knicks and former Pacers coach and close friend Isiah Thomas. Would the Pacers take Stephon Marbury or maybe a package with Steve Francis, Jared Jeffries and Channing Frye and the Bulls' first-round pick, which the Knicks own in the swap? And would Minnesota now swap Garnett for Nowitzki? That would give Dallas the tough guy they feel they need after shriveling up for the Warriors, and it would give the Timberwolves a star and a good guy. If the Lakers fail, Bryant has an opt-out after the 2008-09 season and the Bulls could be well under the salary cap by then. Bryant told me he was serious about going to the Bulls before he re-signed with the Lakers, and highly regards the Bulls' organization and the way the team is being built. He's one player who has no fear of stepping into the Jordan legacy. In fact, he'd likely embrace it. "I hate to even think about me going someplace else," Bryant said. But he could, if all else fails. In the circular file I liked best Richard Jefferson's response to that divisive study by two guys from Cornell and Penn. "What if you are half-black, half-white?" Jefferson asked. "Because there is some mix in my family. I wonder how that works. Am I going to be in foul trouble more?" I have heard NBA players curse out referees in shocking language, and accuse them of holding grudges. Never—not once—have I ever heard a player complain a referee was racially biased. Or heard anyone even so much as suggest it. It's a shame two respected schools could willingly contribute to the racial rhetoric that embarrasses our nation. Heck, even the methodology was a joke if you read the thing—Wolfers and Price looked at box scores from the regular season from 1991-92 through 2003-04, about 600,000 calls. But the academics did not know the racial identity of officials making the calls. To answer Jefferson's question, his teammate Jason Kidd was counted as black. Yao Ming, though, was counted as white. More evidence of how ridiculous this study is. Layups HBO's "The Sopranos" devoted a large part of last week's episode to character Tony Soprano gambling and a Stackhouse shot costing him. After the Nets beat the Raptors on Friday, actor James Gandolfini, who plays Soprano, was in the Nets' locker room. No action by the commissioner yet. … Lots of old Michael Jordan connections in the Charlotte coaching search with Reggie Theus in last week (though he and Jordan weren't close), and Mavs assistant Sam Vincent (Jordan's point guard in 1988 and 1989) due in this week after the Mavs' playoff exit. Mario Elie and Paul Silas are generally regarded as front-runners. … With guards Gilbert Arenas, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade likely out with injuries for USA Basketball this summer, Kirk Hinrich could be a major player for the team. … It wasn't exactly his best motivational speech, but Phil Jackson said after the Lakers' disappointing Game 4 loss to the Suns, "I did tell them that they have the brain power of slugs or earthworms." Finally So what was that animated conversation near the end of Game 4 between Bryant and Nash? Said Nash: "Boxers or briefs. He said he's briefs, but I don't believe him." source http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-070506smithinside,1,1284708,print.column?coll=cs-home-headlines