The End of the Bench |
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Basketball blog with takes on basketball and anything related to basketball . . . as well as a haven for jingoists everywhere - in America.
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Thursday, December 02, 2004
You Want the Good News First or the Bad News? Since I assume most of you would want to leave on a good note, I'll do the good news last. So here we go. The Bad News I'm shutting down EotB sort of. Actually I'm shutting down the blogspot site. It's been a good three year run, but it's time to move on. The site will still be here, but this will be the last new post on here for the foreseeable future. The Good News EotB will live on - over at Most Valuable Network. The name will remain the same, the template is a million times better and I get a banner. Not only that, you all should be happy because they require I post at least once a week (well at least those of you who actually enjoy reading this). Anyway, I hope you guys will all follow me over to the new site. ** Note: Those of you reading this who have sites with links here, I would greatly appreciate it if you guys owuld change the links to go to http://endofthebench.mostvaluablenetwork.com. Thanks! Monday, November 29, 2004
ESPN Insider - Yay or Nay I received an email from reader and fellow blogger Kareem asking me my opinions on ESPN Insider. Kareem works for the "Worldwide Leader" and since I'm not a subscriber wanted to know the following: "If you are not an Insider, why not? Do we need to do a better job of showing you what Insider offers? Or, is there not enough that has compelled you to buy? What content or tools would be worth it to become an Insider?" It comes down to two things for me, both of which have been gone over in the comments on Kareem's site. 1) I'm hesitant to pay for something when I'm not really sure what it is I'm getting for my money. Currently, I feel that ESPN.com doesn't do a good enough job of illustrating what you are getting by subscribing to Insider. 2) Why pay for what I can get for free? I can read newspapers, magazines and fan sites from around the world for free, so why pay for it when it isn't needed? Now this ties to #1 above because maybe Insider does provide things I can't get anywhere else and I don't know it. What do the rest of you think? Leave your opinions in the ocmments here, or at Kareem's site. You can also email me or Kareem. Any emails sent to me will be forwarded so Kareem can see him. Thanks folks. Official Excuse Post The fates conspired against me in my attempts to update this blog. First I had some health issues (still ongoing, but as the doctors have said, "nothing that will kill me imminently"). Then, our DSL modem died. We had a short term replacement, a one room setup, but my room wasn't the one room. So I had to wait til today when the new multi-room dsl modem/router arrived. Regardless, I'm back and I've posted about the events that I missed posting on as they occurred. Enjoy. Official Excuse Post The fates conspired against me in my attempts to update this blog. First I had some health issues (still ongoing, but as the doctors have said, "nothing that will kill me imminently"). Then, our DSL modem died. We had a short term replacement, a one room setup, but my room wasn't the one room. So I had to wait til today when the new multi-room dsl modem/router arrived. Regardless, I'm back and I've posted about the events that I missed posting on as they occurred. Enjoy. Official Excuse Post The fates conspired against me in my attempts to update this blog. First I had some health issues (still ongoing, but as the doctors have said, "nothing that will kill me imminently"). Then, our DSL modem died. We had a short term replacement, a one room setup, but my room wasn't the one room. So I had to wait til today when the new multi-room dsl modem/router arrived. Regardless, I'm back and I've posted about the events that I missed posting on as they occurred. Enjoy. Jazz might lose Kirilenko for a month Why the fantasy basketball gods are attacking all my teams at once I don't know. As if it weren't bad enought that my EotB fantasy league team had both Jermaine O'Neal AND Ron Artest, now comes the news that Andrei Kirilenko will miss a month. Skeletor was my first round pick in one of my leagues (Yes I took him ahead of Dirk Nowitzki and no I don't want to talk about it). Hopefully it will only be the 7-10 days initially reported, but I doubt it. Insubordination played roll in Brown retirement (reg. reqd.) Exactly four days after I heard his yelling from the upper deck of the The Arena in Oakland, Hubie Brown retired as coach of the Grizzlies for "health reasons." According the Memphis Commercial Appeal however, that's only true if fed up with work environment is a health reason. Well it's sort of true. The work environment was leading to the health reasons. In the article dated 11/28/04, Ronald Tillery states that stress caused by player insubordination and lack of management support was leading to health issues for Brown, which included recurring chest pain. Tillery names Bonzi Wells and Jason Williams as the main player problems. For fun here are some quotes from the article that epitomize the larger issues: "Sure, West hired Brown two years ago. But there were whispers that West also sat in a FedExForum suite openly second-guessing Brown's 10-man rotation -- particularly as it relates to Williams's playing time." "A situation that angered Brown involved his growing distrust of Yusuf Boyd, the assistant trainer/equipment manager. Brown believed Boyd sat on his bench operating as the eyes and ears for management. Boyd denies he was an informant. Brown would insist that he had nothing to hide, but he perceived disloyalty and deceitful behavior in a setting that coaches and players consider sacred. Brown confronted Boyd and then demanded that West terminate Boyd. When West refused to even remove Boyd from the bench, Brown seethed and his wonderment about the organization's oneness grew." "When Williams blew up at assistant coach Brendan Brown, the team's offensive play-caller, Hubie Brown demonstratively reminded Williams that the same system won 50 games. The Griz took a day off following that Nov. 6 episode at Dallas. When they returned to practice Nov. 8 and before any basketballs kissed the court, Brown gathered his troops and vehemently reminded them who was in charge. At least one player described the situation as a little mutiny in which Williams didn't act alone. While Williams and Wells both played well following the incident, Brown never believed he regained their full commitment. Just last Monday, an interesting scene played out on the bench. Williams normally re-enters games at around the seven-minute mark in the fourth quarter. With the clock winding down below six minutes and Earl Watson on the floor against San Antonio, Williams politely got Brendan Brown's attention. Williams wanted the younger Brown to remind the elder Brown that it was his time. The request fell on deaf ears because Watson was defending Tony Parker better, and Brown wanted more of what he thought would win the game. Williams got back in the game two minutes later than usual." Now don't get me wrong, I think we all saw this coming. However, I think Hubie was right. The 10 man rotation was the way to get the mos tout of that team. There's a fair amount of talent there, but it is spread over many players. Pau Gasol is the closest thing to a star, but he isn't gonna carry a team and lord knows Jason Williams can't. It's hard to carry a team when you routinely throw 2-3 passes a game into the stands. Hubie helped Williams game a ton, but Williams obviously either a) didn't realize it or b) didn't appreciate it. There is talk that the guy I've been toting now for three years, Mike Fratello, is pretty much the entire list of replacements. He fits the Hubie mold, but if the team is bristling at the discipline of Brown they probably won't like Fratello much. Although from the sound of the story, it may only take a rotation change to appease most of them. Those 1-2 guys who now grow roots on the bench may be pissed, but I doubt Fratello will care. And of course if they win, no one will rock the boat. Indy's Artest suspended for season after brawl I know I'm incredibly late to the party on this one, but the fate's conspired to keep me from accessing Blogger. Now that the suspensions have come down, it is blatantly obvious to me that the person who got off the easiest was Stephen Jackson. Now I know Ron Artest went into the stands and proceeded to attack the wrong guy and that having a beer thrown at you shouldn't be enough to get you to launch into the stands hell bent for a fight (especially after Ben Wallace went pseudo Latrell Sprewell on you and you simply laid down on the scorer's table), but Artest also got the entire season. Stephen Jackson on the other hand wasn't provoked at all, yet went into the stands and started throwing haymakers and managed only to get 30 games. This seem odd to anyone but me? As for it's effects on the Pacers season, I first thought it would be crippling. I mean, come on, they lost their three top scorers. However, they have played very well since the incident. Personally I question how long this will hold up. Can they really last 25 games starting Scott Pollard and Austin Croshere? I think no, but I've been wrong before. On a semi-related note, I thought ESPN's coverage on Sportscenter afterwards was pretty good. They did a good job of pointing out and highlighting key points in the melee. Normally I avoid ESPN except for live events, but this was an instance that made me glad I watched. Monday, November 15, 2004
Them is crazy numbers Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been dealing with some medical issues as of late and haven't really had the time to watch nor post. As the ER doc told me Saturday, I don't know what it is, but it isn't something imminently dangerous. Anyways, saw this Eric Neel article today and thought some of you would also enjoy it. He points out some absolutely ridiculous numbers that certain guys are putting up. Now grantedm we aren't even a month into the season, but a lot of these numbers are ridiculous despite the limited number of games they represent. Give it a read. Thursday, November 11, 2004
Artest asked Carlisle for time off Wow. I don't even know where to start with this. So Ron Artest asked to take as much as a month off because he's physically and mentally tired and of course, his rap album is coming out and he has to promote it. What exactly is he physically and mentally tired from. Lord knows it isn't basketball since he didn't do anything this summer and we're only about 5 games into the season. My favorite quote in the article is this one: "I've been doing a little bit too much music, just needed the rest," Artest said. "I've still got my album coming out Nov. 23. After the album comes out I'm going to make sure all of my time is focused on winning a championship." So let me get this straight. The Pacers are paying you millions upon millions to play basketball and win championships. So of course, you put that on the backburner in order to promote a rap album that is probably gonna be an utter failure given the track record of past athlete's musical endeavors. I can't even begin to understand this. Apparently Chad Ford thinks the Pacers and Kings should do a trade with Peja Stojakovic and Ron Artest. That's great Chad. And the Kings would want to do this because . . . they like headcases? Chad! Quit stealing Sam Smith's trade rumors! Nets' Mercer (knee surgery) could miss 6 weeks But don't worry Nets fans, I'm sure Rodney Buford can shoot 36% too. It'll be like Ron Mercer is still there. Wednesday, November 03, 2004
It's a Goldmine!!!!!!! Holy crap. I thought it would be a good day when I saw Bill Simmons had part 1 of his NBA "Preview" up (excellent as always), but little did I know how good. It turns out Foxsports also has a column by your favorite curmudgeon and mine, Charley Rosen. He analyzes Yao Ming's and Tracy McGrady's play together last night. Here are a few highlights from the article. "Meanwhile, the big fellow seemed hesitant. Sure, he was suffering from a slightly torn ligament in his left elbow and was wearing a brace. BUT ... injuries are indeed part of the game. By Christmas, virtually everybody in the league will be playing with bruised, strained, sprained, and/or contused body parts anyway." To which my response is this: Is he seriously trying to compare partially torn ligaments to bruises and strains? Apples and oranges my friend, apples and oranges. "In the endgame, Houston's primary strategy was to have McGrady carry the ball into the attack zone, look for another brush pick, and let him create something (usually for himself). Hey, it seems like we've all seen this movie before — an all too familiar and all too dismal re-run of how McGrady was used last season in Orlando! " While OC (old curmudgeon) spends the whole article crucifying McGrady for not getting Yao the ball enough, he conveniently forgets to mention how bad Yao looked. He wasn't shooting well at all (was anyone in that game?), and he wasn't even rebounding well. It was obvious that his elbow was significantly hindering him. And while TMac wasn't exactly going well last night, he certainly was looking better than Yao. So why would you want to rely on a guy who wasn't close to 100%. As for why TMac kept the ball himself most times, well would you want to give it up to Dikembe Mutumbo or Tyronn Lue? Let's be honest, the Rockets are pretty thin after Yao and TMac. Mo Taylor and Juwan Howard can play, but they are limited players. So in conclusion, OC needs to settle down, go drink some Ovaltine and quit his bitching. Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Opening Night Notebook Since I'm watching the Pistons and Rockets on TNT, I thought I keep a log of the random thoughts I ahve when watching a game. So away we go. -- On the Rockets first possession, Charlie Ward overthrows Yao Ming in a halfcourt set. The guy is 7-5, how do you overthrow him? -- On the ensuing Pistons possession, Ben Wallace drops a turnaround jumper on Mo Taylor and swishes it. Someone has been working on their shooting over the summer. Next time down Ben gets three the hard way. -- Rasheed Wallace's first shot is of course a three that rebounds long off the back iron. I still don't understand why he won't stay under the basket where he could dominate. -- Tracy McGrady, happy to be out of Orlando, just blew by Tayshaun Prince like he was standing still. -- 12-4 with 6:21 left in the first and Jeff Van Gundy needs a timeout. The Rockets aren't going so well right now. 2-10 shooting and Mo Taylor has as many shots as Yao. -- Steve Kerr just used the word incestuous . . . and no you don't want to know. -- 4:21 left in quarter number 1 and McGrady has his second foul. This doesn't bode well for the Rockets. -- Mike Fratello is talking about how big a loss Bobby Sura is. Only when your back up is Charlie Ward is Bob Sura a big loss. -- We have a Cookie Monster sighting!!!! Dekembe Mutumbo came in with 2:59 left in the first and scored three points in the 3 minutes he played. He and Bostjan Nachbar's 3 from the wing helped the Rockets make it 19-18 at the end of 1 -- Brrrrrrrr . . . is the shooting getting cold in here or is it just me? 3:30 into the second quarter, the only made shot I've seen is a follow-up dunk by Cookie Monster. -- Antonio McDyess, not realizing that this is a basketball game, booted the ball into the stands and earned himself an early trip to the showers. The funny part is that initially after he got called for the foul he dropped the ball and pulled his leg back like he was gonna punt it, but didn't. But after the ball bounced 2-3 times he had a change of heart and into the stands it went. In other news, McDyess received a call in the locker room from the Jets and Vikings vying for his services. -- With 5:50 left in the half, the teams are putting on a shooting exhibition . . . just kidding. They're 18-57 combined. However Deke and Bostjan Nachbar haven't missed yet. -- Uh oh, McGrady picks up his 3rd foul and then Yao gets called for one on the offensive end as well, his 2nd. -- Of course the second I post the part about the poor shooting the teams rattle off a 4-4 stretch including two long jumpers from Ben Wallace. -- 1:41 left and Yao picks up his 3rd as he slides under an airborn Ben Wallace. -- Wow. Ben Wallace just stuffed the Cookie Monster big time. Cook barely got the ball over his head as Wallace pushed it back at him. -- HALFTIME. Your first half summary can be narrowed down to a few stats. 1) Rockets Leading Scorer: Bostjan Nachbar 2) 29 fouls, 19 of which were on the Rockets (McGrady and Yao with 3 each). 3) 27-72 (.375) from the field combined (Rockets 40%, Pistons 34.4%) So basically neither team can shoot at this point. The fouls tell us that Houston is taking petty much nothing but jumpers and Detroit is going inside and not making much, but at least is getting to the line (which is the reason they are actually still in the game and leading even). -- And the teams are off and running in the second half . . . sort of. The teams have scored 12 (DET) and 8 points (HOU) about 6 minutes into the 3rd. -- I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden the two teams are exchanging threes; McGrady, then Sheed, then Ward as the shot clock expired and then Billups. -- Something I forgot to mention earlier, Jar Jar Hamilton is wearing his Zorro mask. Didn't he break that bone about 6 months ago? Are you telling me it still hasn't healed? -- So my notebook got interrupted by dinner and I missed most of the fourth quarter. I came back to the game with about 5 minutes left and the Pistons were up ten. For the Rockets, the good news was that Tracy McGrady remembered he was Tracy McGrady and finished with 18. He still didn't shoot very well, but at least he scored some in the second half. The bad news for Rocket fans is that Yao was a mess and it seems that elbow is bothering him more than he was trying to let on. As for the Pistons fans, they gotta like what they saw from Ben Wallace (15/7/4/3/3 pts/reb/ast/stl/blk). That was Kirilenko-esque. And Sheed couldn't miss down the stretch. The bad news was that Rip Hamilton missed some shots - 66% of them actually. At least he made his free throws. As for the teams as a whole, the Pistons played well in the second half raising their shooting percentage from 38% at the half to 44% by the end of the game. As for the Rockets, there was simply way too much jump shooting going on and that, combined with Yao hurting meant they had nothing going on near the basket. Monday, November 01, 2004
Warriors Reach Terms with Richardson, Murphy Here's the reported details: Jason Richardson gets 70M/6 and Troy Murphy gets 60M/6. Richardson MIGHT be worth that money, and if Murphy is healthy he MIGHT be worth that money. Personally I think these are gonna end up like the Antawn Jamison contract. A lot of money for guys who aren't g0nna carry a team. Although it could be worse, the Warriors could have given Adonal Foyle 8M a year for 5 years. What is that you say? They DID give Foyle 8M per? McGrady gets Extension "McGrady, who has three years and $47.1 million left on his current deal, has been extended for an additional four years that are worth $85.7 million, ESPN Insider Chad Ford reports. McGrady will make $14.4 million this season; his salary in the last year of his contract, the 2010-11 season, is $24.1 million." If Yao gets a big extension as well, do the Rockets end up in a situation similar to what the Lakers ended up with where two guys make most of the money and your team is two stars and spare parts? I doubt the Rockets could mismanage the midlevel and low level signings like the Lakers did, but Tracy McGrady getting 24.1M in that final year . . . If the revenue levels stayed leveled off like they have the last few years, the cap would be about the same as it is now and that McGrady salary would be more than 40% of the cap. That's Jordan money and I'm not sure McGrady will be worth that in 2010 (or at any point in his career). Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Jayson Williams Works Out For Cavs -- In related news, kevlar sales in the Cleveland metro area have skyrocketed. -- Also, about this quote from the linked article: "The 6 foot 10 forward retired from the New Jersey Nets in 2000 after career ending leg and knee injuries." Are they really career ending injuries if he;s trying out for a job doing the same thing? -- Is Jayson Williams really someone you want around LeBron James? Do you really want Drew Gooden hanging out after practice with Jayson Williams? I mean . . . c'mon, he shot a guy and then tried to cover it up, threatening witnesses in the process. -- I wonder if this conversation happened in the Cavs front office this summer: Silas: We need some veteran leadership. Paxson: Okay, lets go get some. I'll go after Eric Snow. Silas: That would be great, we could use the ballhandling on the second team. Paxson: And Jayson Williams is available . . . Silas: (spits out coffee). Jeff Foster to Miss 4-6 Weeks Hmmmm . . . Maybe that free agent pick up after the NextNBA fantasy draft was as genius as I thought it was. In reality, this actually is a significant injury for the Pacers. Foster actually put up a PER of 16.33 last year and is a ridiculous offensive rebounder, grabbing 5.06 per 40 minutes. That OREB number was second only to Erick Dampier, who in all likelihood will not have a performance like that again until his next contract year. If Scott Pollard can remember how to play basketball like he did in Sacramento, the Pacers won't be too bad off. They can play Austin Croshere along-side Jermaine O'Neal. While that probably won't hurt them (and may even help them) on offense, it's on defense where it becomes an issue. Foster is a very good defender and Croshere is nowehere near the rebounder Foster is (Foster grabbed 18% of missed shots when he was on the floor last year, Croshere grabbed 13%). Pollard can help offset the loss in those areas, but again it depends on him being able to play likehe did in Sacramento. Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Go Buy This Book Now The new Pro Basketball Forecast (formerly the Prospectus)is fantastic as always. Matt from BullsBlog agrees and so will you once you go buy it. Sorry for the Bear in Winter Imitation I was kinda hibernating there, but with the preseason under way I'm back and rejuvenated. And of course with the new season comes an all new edition of the EotB fantasy basketball league. We do have a slight change from last year - no more roto, we're going with the head to head style this year. Again it will be through Yahoo and we'll be doing a live draft. The draft will be 10/30 at 9:45 am PST. Now I know that time sucks, but there weren't a whole lot of options and it's the best I could do. The league ID is 90075 and teh password is "eotb." Hope to see you all there. Tuesday, September 07, 2004
A Couple Thing to Read While the NBA Naps I apologize for the extended absence, but it's just that nothing happened that was all that interesting. The US got bronze, but I think most people saw that coming and all that could be said about that team had been said. For example, this is the lead NBA headline now on most sports websites: Mutombo says he will join Yao on NBA Rockets I mean, come on. Cookie Monster being traded is the lead story. If that doesn't mean it's slow, I don't know what does. Anyway, I do have one interesting thing for you guys to read. Shaquille O'Neal :: Unleashed in the East Shaquille O'Neal wrote his own piece talking baout how he feels about getting traded, the Lakers and other stuff. Interesting read. Monday, August 16, 2004
U.S.: 3-for-24 from 3-point range There isn't a whole lot to say about this other than to refer you all again to this Bill Simmons article. GP respects Celtics, aims fury at Lakers Does anyone care if Gary Payton doesn't feel respected at this point? Quite frankly, he probably shouldn't have let Chauncey Billups blow by him time and time again during the finals if he wanted people to care about him being respected. Regardless of that, Payton's not showing up for his physical helped the Celtics out. The trade had a clause that in case he didn't report, Marcus Banks turns into Jumaine Jones. There are some great quotes in the article: "Payton said he didn't have anything against the Celtics, but that he felt the Lakers had failed to honor their agreement with him when Payton exercised his one-year $5.4 million contract option to continue to play in Los Angeles." ""It's about respect," Payton told the Press-Enterprise. "[The Lakers] didn't respect me. Why should I respect them?" "Payton has also said he never would have re-signed with Los Angeles if he knew the Lakers didn't want him back. Payton's choices now are to either report to Boston or retire, but Ainge says he thinks Payton will wind up in Boston." One - What did the Lakers do to make Payton think they wanted him back, especially at 5.4M? Two - That part about Ainge thinking Payton will wind up in Boston is a misprint I think. The word thinks should actually be "hopes," cause Ainge is hoping like hell he gets more than some cash and a weak draft pick out of that trade. Veteran forward adds leadership If anyone is friends with Bill Simmons or knows how to get in contact with him, I suggest you go check on him because I fear this signing may have sent him into convulsions. The Celtics signed Tom Gugliotta (Tom Gugliotta!!!!!) to what is believed to be the veterans exception. Quite frankly, signing him at all and expecting anything from him is a pipedream. Just to put this in perspective, Googs went for a monstrous 3.7/5.2 in his 25 games in Utah. And that was getting 20 minutes a game. He's a shell of what he used to be and why anyone would sign him is beyond me. Trade frees up roster spot for Bobcats Here are the details of the deal: Hawks get Peja Drobnjak Cats get 2005 2nd rounder So for those of you scoring at home, the move looks something like this for the Bobcats: Outgoing: 2004 No. 4 Overall (Shaun Livingston), 2004 Bobcats second rounder (33rd Overall) Incoming: 2004 No. 2 Overall (Emeka Okafor), 2005 Hawks second rounder Now lets be honest, those second rounders probably won't be that much different. Personally, I'd prefer Okafor over Livingston too. The really money part about the whole thing is that Bernie Bickerstaff not only got the pick he needed to get the guy he wanted, but he managed to do it while then unloading the Drobber on someone else. New Jersey adds scoring threat Now before you Nets fans get excited, I should tell you the "scoring threat" is actually Ron Mercer. The deal is $3M/2. When you sign Ron Mercer, can you officially call it rock bottom? Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Fantasy Football I'm running a fantasy football league on Yahoo! and am looking for 3-4 more players. The draft will be 8/29/04 at 10AM PST and will be done via IM (or if you live near me, we could possibly do it in person). That time works best for the other people and is when we can all do it so it is non-negotiable. If you're interested or want more details, email me and I can get you the necesary info. Saturday, August 07, 2004
I've Arrived On my last post on Peja's trade demand, the first comment was this: I don't know what you mean. Randy Johnson 08.06.04 - 1:37 am # Mr Big Unit, you have no idea what an honor it is to have you reading my site:) In all seriousness though, there are few things I find funnier than celebrities contradicting themselves (Or posters impersonating celebrities). Always good fun. Thursday, August 05, 2004
Peja Asks Kings for Trade Maloof brothers promptly laugh at him. They pretty much said they won't trade him. Geoff Petrie, being the excellent GM he is, was noncommittal and refused to rule the possibility out. Peja said that he and the team both need a change, but word is he's pissed that the Kings didn't re-sign "Floppy" Divac. Regardless, that would have to be one hell of a trade offer for the Kings to move Peja, even if he did look like the Chris Webber of seasons passed come playoff time. The most interesting quote was this one from Peja: "You would rather have somebody [who is] happy. He [Petrie] can get something good in return for me," said Stojakovic, who averaged 24.2 points and 6.3 rebounds last season." Is it me, or is that a veiled threat? Guard comes to NY in six-player swap Here's the details: Bulls get "Cookie Monster" Mutumbo, Frank Williams, Othella Harrington, and Cezary Trybanski Knicks get Jamal Crawford and Jerome Williams The Bulls just wanted to get something for Crawford and that something apparently is salary cap space, because Lord knows it wasn't talent. That's quite a motley looking crew the Bulls got. I mean lets be honest, most of the guys there aren't worth anywhere near what they're getting paid (Yes, you Cookie Monster). Now hopefully Pax won't have the troubles that the previous regime had with getting people to take their money. If I remember correctly it resulted in Ron Mercer getting overpaid, Jalen Rose getting overpaid and who can forget the albatross that is Eddie Robinson. Pax just needs to be patient. I have a saying: Unused salary cap space is a waste, but wasted cap space is even worse. As for Crawford and the Knicks, I guess they're gonna use him as a sixth man, since I doubt he'll outplay Stephon Marbury or Allan Houston. Having said that, I predict Crawford will be the starting two guard by the end of December, mainly because Houston is just this side of Marcus Camby when it comes to staying healthy. If Allan Houston hasn't missed at least 5 games by Christmas I'll be surprised. Sixers unload Coleman on Detroit The details: Sixers get Corliss Williamson Pistons get Derrick Coleman and Amal McCaskill THANK GOD! Yes I'm aware that Williamson contract isn't pretty, but they took Derrick Coleman! At least Williamson will probably be healthy for most of the season. Hell DC, was hurt most of the time and even when he was healthy he wasn't playing any defense. If you need more evidence that DC was useless check this out. To use the Bill Simmons table test, Coleman is not only NOT bringing things to the table, but he is actually taking things off the table. I'm happy the Sixers got anything for his ass. Mavs get Terry, Henderson and pick in the deal The details: Hawks get Antoine Walker and Tony Delk Mavs get Jason Terry, Alan Henderson and a first rounder Is it me or do you look at this trade and wonder why anyone would want any of the guys involved. The trade pretty much breaks down to tradin a tall volume shooter for a shorter volume shooter. It will be interesting to see what Terry does when he can't shoot whenever he wants. As for Walker, he suffers from teh same Rasheed Wallace suffers( or is it suffered?) from - he could be good (dominant in Sheed's case) if he would just stay in the post. I know you all are saying what's the problem with that? The problem is that he refuses to play down low. Toine is a good player, but he isn't a good shooter. I just don't get why he refuses to go down low and quit l0bbing up all the bad threes. Either way, this trade is one of those why bother trades. I doubt it will make much difference for either team. The "Dream" Team There was a request for my thoughts on the USA basketball team getting trounced by Italy and then squeeking past a German team that didn't even qualify for Athens. I pretty much agree with this. The selection committee just doesn't get that they need to mix in a shooter or three. Read the Bill Simmons article (link above), cause he pretty much lays it out for everyone. Thursday, July 29, 2004
Reason Number 457 WHy I Like Shaq From a telephone interview Shaq did with the soon to be departed David Aldridge: "We're gonna be straight," O'Neal said. "I was down here the other day working out with the kid from Vanderbilt we got (second-round pick Matt Freije), and I told him, 'I'm gonna come across the block, and if I get doubled, I'm gonna pass the ball to you and you're gonna have a wide-open jumper, or (forward) Udonis Haslem is gonna come down the lane and he's gonna get a dunk, and you're all gonna get big contracts.' He said, 'What do you mean?' I said, 'Just look at the history. Travis Knight. Horace Grant. A.C. Green. ' He said, 'Shaq, you're one of the coolest guys I've met.' " How classic is that? By the way, how many steak dinners does Travis Knight owe Shaq? I mean the other two Shaq mentioned were good players before Shaq, but he's totally right about Knight. I guess Travis, Shaq and Rick Pitino can all go to dinner together, since Pitino played an important role in that incredibly poor signing too. MoPete not going anywhere So the Raptors matched the NO offer on Morris Peterson. That offer is reportedly 15M/3. Now the last year is a team option, so we really have 10M/2. I know the yearly salaries probably aren't the same each year, but it's a good estimate for what I'm about to say. How do career averages of 11.3 PPG and .414 FG% from a guard who plays little defense, translate into 5M a year? I guess the same way you can give Mehmet Okur 50M. Clippers acquire G Kittles from Nets And the Nets are having a firesale. I mean they practically gave Kittles away. Here are the details: Clippers get Kerry Kittles Nets get future second rounder and cash I know Kittles is no star, but damn, a future second rounder? In related news, the Clips won't match the Phoenix offer to Quentin Richardson. I saw a good interpretation of what really happened over at Give Me the Rock. Basically the Clips traded Q, a future second rounder and cash for Kerry Kittles. Not so appealing when you think of it that way, is it? This whole thing works out for no one. Phoenix gets a logjam with Q and Joe Johnson, the Nets get pretty much nothing and the Clips downgrade from Q to Kerry Kittles. Can someone explain why this happened at all (other than the salary cap and profits of course)? Friday, July 23, 2004
Gooden to Cavs First the details . . . Cavs get Drew Gooden, Steven Hunter and Anderson Varejao Magic get Tony Battie and two second rounders And then another hypothetical conversation . . . Gordon Gund: Damnit Jim, what are we gonna do to replace Carlos Boozer down low? Jim Paxson: Well, Orlando has this kid Drew Gooden. He has a shaved head and goatee just like Carlos did. Gordon Gund: Great! Make it happen. Will there be any interior presence for the Cavs? I mean after Zydrunas Ilgauskas gets hurt of course. Lord knows Gooden isn't gonna do anything on defense and will only really contribute on offense every third game or so. As for the Magic, Gooden wasn't part of the future once they got the first pick. At least now they have a somewhat serviceable center. At least Battie can play a little D. I mean someone on that team has to. Tuesday, July 20, 2004
And I Officially Own a Throwback Jersey Warriors and Blazers swap. Here's the details: Warriors get Dale Davis and "Disaster" Dan Dickau Blazers get Nick Van Exel You all know what this means right? Everyone be on the lookout for a NVE Blazers jersey! Now I love Nick's game, but do you really want Damon Stoudamire and Nick Van Exel tutoring your 18 year old rookie point guard? In 3 years he'll have Van Exel's cancerous attitude when they're losing and Damon's weed. Maybe if they're lucky he'll pick up Qyntel Woods' predisposition for using trading cards as ID. I figure the first time Sebastian Telfair gets pulled over will go something like this: Officer: License and registration - is that marijuana? Telfair: (hand officer trading card) Yes it is, but it's medical marijuana. I'm a cancer. Officer: What? Telfair: You watch Blazers games? I'm a cancer on the team. So like I said, the weed is medicinal. As for the Warriors end of the deal, the fans will love it. With Dickau in the game, it becomes interactive for the fans. I mean, Dan's good for at least on pass into the stands each night, so it keeps the fans alert. As for Dale Davis, you may be on the downside of your career when you are backing up Adonal Foyle. I'm just sayin . . . Snow in Cleveland . . . in July? Here are the trade details: Sixers get Kevin Ollie and Kedrick Brown Cavaliers get Eric Snow Here's how I imagine these trade talks went . . . Billy King: Hey Jim, I'm looking to move Eric Snow. How about this - I give you Snow and you give me a bag of balls and a pile of crap? Jim Paxson: Well, we have a problem here. See, I have the bag of balls. However, I don't have the pile of crap. What I do have is Kevin Ollie making $3M and Kedrick Brown who has lots of potential. Is that close enough to a pile of crap? Billy King: Absolutely!!! Send 'em my way! Just cause Snow doesn't fit into Jim O'Brien's plans doesn't mean you ahve to give him away. How exactly does a shooting guard with nothing but potential and a vastly overpaid and undertalented point guard fit in? I think I'm getting the first taste of what it must be like to have a Babcock running your team. Sunday, July 18, 2004
The Bus Is Rolling Over Someone . . . And apparently Kobe Bryant elected Mitch Kupchak, despite the fact that in his post Shaq trade press conference Kupchak lied through his teeth telling the media that he had no idea whether Kobe was gonna re-sign and keeping the tire tracks off Kobe. How did Kobe return the favor? When asked in his interview with ESPN whether he would have kept Shaquille O'Neal if it was up to him, he responded with a "Yes, I would have found a way." That thump you heard was the Mitch's impression of a speed bump. How slimey is Kobe Bryant seeming right about now? Thursday, July 15, 2004
Excerpts from an IM conversation I found this conversation immensely funny, so I figured some of you may enjoy the highlights: We'll start with my favorite part, which isn't basketball related, but funny nonetheless Ben: haha oh shit! 36 hour cialis! oh my god Tim: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHy would you want that, let alone need it? Ben: side effects may included "delayed backache" NO SHIT Tim: HAHAHAHAHAHA Ben: i am laughing so hard right now. the tv is killing me. i am watching that commercial again Tim: hahahahahaha matasar (6:32:32 PM): not studied for multiple attempts per dose. cialis is not for everyone. muscle ache Tim: hehehehehehe Ben: erections lasting longer than four hours, though rare, require immediate medical attention Tim: HAHAHAHA Ben: delayed backache, that's so good. oh man Ben: you still there? Tim: yeah. HAd to stop laughing Tim: Delayed backache . . . Ben: http://www.dental.am/more.php?id=543_0_1_0_M Ben: The most common side effects with Cialis were headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. Tim: "Muscle ache" Ben: yes Tim: Which muscle would that be? hehehe Ben: also kind of a no brainer. My theory is you just don't notice the backache Tim: Depends who's causing it Tim: Now that Camby got his contract, where do you set the over/under for games played by him next year? Tim: And is it higher than Erick Dampier's or not? Ben: I would say camby's over/under is 40 Tim: No way. 30 tops. Ben: haha I'm taking the over then Tim: Now what about Dampier? Ben: I'm saying 50. Damp will be around Tim: If he plays, but disappears or doesn't try, does that still count as a game played? If so I think he is at 60 Ben: haha I'm saying he is in at least 50 games Tim: If those don't count, 20 tops Ben: haha mailing it in counts as a game or else he would be coming off his rookie year Ben: So what's the over/under on laker wins? I'm setting mine at 47 Tim: With Brian Grant and Slava Medvedenko as the front line? Are you kidding? Ben: haha Kobe is pretty good Tim: He's not 47 wins with no center good. Not in the West Ben: lamar odom is pretty good Tim: Again, Brian Grant is the center Ben: yeah, you're right. So you are taking the under then? Tim: We need to reset the line before we get killed by all the people taking the under. If we ran a casino, you would have just bankrupted us Ben: unfortunately randolph needs minutes. A lot of minutes. That guy wants to play every minutes. He never really gets tired. Tim: Yeah, not now. If he does that for a prolonged period of time he'll be run down at 29 Ben: Probably because he is only playing while he has the ball Tim: That too. I mean he certainly isn't playing defense Ben: playing without the ball consists of standing and waiting for the pass Tim: I think you mean "Playing" without the ball Ben: yes "standing" without the ball Ben: you know who won't win exec of the year next year? mitch kupchak Tim: hehehe Only if he hires someone to replace himself Links Update Some comings and goings: Incoming . . . Knicks Clicks BlogMaverick (Yes, I finally caved) Brendan McGovern NextNBA (The triumphant return) Outgoing . . . Basketball Rules: Last post was on Hubie Brown . . . winning CoY . . . in April . . . Hornets 24/7: Not for content reasons. Ron is taking the site down for a few months. WHen it comes back, the EotB links section will welcome it back with open arms. And of course, the obligatory Laker News Shaq to Miami is official and the next day Kobe says he's coming back. You do the math. Okay, that may be a bit too much of a conspiracy theory. We can't forget about the money. Here's what I imagine that conversation in Kobe's head went like: "Hmmmmm. I could take more money from the only team I've been with that has done everything I wanted them too over the last few months. OR, I could take less money to play for arguably the worst franchise in the history of the NBA. I just don't know what to do. Oh yes I do, take the money." While I know everyone was wishing and hoping that Kobe would skip town and leave the Lakers high and dry, but who really thought that he would take less money to play for the Clippers . . . the CLIPPERS PEOPLE! In the end, Kobe got his way and so he stayed. The Lakers are no longer title contenders because of it, but at least he got his way. Hello . . . 9-1-1 . . . I'd like to report a robbery The Nets and Nuggets worked a sign and trade. Here are the details. Nets get 3 first rounders Nuggets get Kenyon Martin Kenyon Martin gets 90M/7 It's clear who the loser in that transaction is. The Nets now have Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and no one above 6-8 who can actually play. But I'm sure those 3 draft pick that will be no where near the lottery will come in handy . . . As for the Nuggets, they can now run out the following lineup: Marcus Camby Nene Hilario Kenyon Martin Carmelo Anthony Andre Miller You do the math. And speaking of math, Kenyon will be doing his math all the way to the bank. He wanted the max last year and I pretty much scoffed at him. Oops. My bad. Battier gets 6 year extension No financial terms for this one yet. At first I cringed when I saw this. But then I remembered that this was a Jerry West move, so I'm willing to give it a pass. You just can't doubt the Logo at this point. Raptors GM says Vince trade rumors untrue This is simply GM code, just like a vote of confidence for a coach is. It means that Vince Carter is not only on the block, but has been for the past couple weeks. Fisher gets mid-level exception Apparently, the full mid-level exception is the going rate for backup point guards. And in case you were wondering - when you sign with the Warriors, you're about the money. Also of interest, does this mean either Nick Van Exel or Speedy Claxton are on their way out? I think so. I think the Warriors would love to get rid of NVE, but will anyone take that contract after last year? Troy Hudson Close to Re-Signing with Wolves The actual ESPN headline was: "Minnesota regarded as first choice" To which my response was, there are other choices? How many teams are there that are in line to get a guy who missed last year with what Lang Whitaker has dubbed the world's worst sprained ankle? Word is he'll get the full midlevel exception. Seems pricy for a guy who hasn't played in a year. Sunday, July 11, 2004
And Now For Your Regularly Scheduled Laker News Apparently a deal with Miami is imminent. The proposed deal would something like this: Lakers get Brian Grant, Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and a future first rounder Miami gets Shaquille O'Neal Just thinking about that Brian Grant deal makes me sick. However, I'm impressed the Lakers could get Butler AND a first rounder, even if it is in like 2018. Now if only the Lakers had a backup center they might not be that bad off next year. They may have no point guard though . . . since GP would push for contract buyout. How do you not take the opportunity to toss the Mitten overboard? Hell, he's asking to get tossed. Do the man and your team a favor and get rid of him before he goes all Nick Van Exel in Denver circa 2001. And of course, we can't forget the new coach. Rudy Tomjanovich is offically the head coach in LA now. If Kobe doesn't re-sign there gonna have to put Rudy in a padded cell and take his shoe laces. Honestly though, are there any non-Laker fans that aren't just praying Kobe skips town too? Wouldn't the opportunity to laugh at those annoying Laker fans be friggin' fantastic? We'll just have to see if Kobe's all about the Benjamins. Harrington heads to Atlanta in deal The details: Atlanta gets Al Harrington Indiana gets Stephen Jackson This is a good deal for Harrington and Atlanta. Harrington gets to start finally. Atlanta was gonna lose the erratic shooting Jackson anyway, so at least they got something back, and someone who can play at that. Indiana needed backcourt help and was gonna sign Jackson anyway, but the sign and trade is more cap friendly. I'd keep an eye on Harrington in fantasy drafts next season. He could be a steal. Reasons Number 256 and 257 Why It's Good to Be Tall Bucks offer Etan Thomas 39M/6 . . . and Wiz say the'll match any offer Grizz give Brian Cardinal 39M/6 In the words of Skee-Lo: "I wish I was a little bit taller. I wish I was a baller. I wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her. I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat and a 6-4 Impala." I have a girl who looks good, but the rest applies. Hawks offer K-Mart 6 year contract at the max The only problem here is that the Nuggets offered similar money and they aren't the Hawks, so I wouldn't hold my breath in the ATL waiting for that K-Mart signing. Spurs signings Spurs re-sign Ginobli for 55M/6 For the first time this summer, a seemingly reasonable contract. The Spurs were also busy inking Bruce Bowen for 9M/3 and also Brent Barry for 24M/4. Barry was offered more money by Portland, but passed. Probably a good idea. I hate to see him playing in fear of when that next beat down was coming from the Nannystopper or Zach Randolph. Denver prefers sign-and-trade option for K-Mart The logic as to why they'd want to is presented at the bottom of the article and makes perfect sense. If they could land Kenyon Martin and only give up Nikolas Tsklsduhliksh, cap filler and perhaps a pick, that would be quite the coup. We'll see if they can work it out. Thursday, July 08, 2004
They're Officially Giving Money Away In the NBA Blount agrees to six-year, $41M deal with Celtics Skinner agrees to 5-year, $25M deal See yestedray's post for my thought on this and just substitute names. Sources: Kobe talks to Clippers, too Kobe Bryant playing for Nuggets = Work release program? Suns find second guard for about $50M That guard is Quentin Richardson. Is it me or are Q and Joe Johnson the same player? Not quite sure how they think this is a good move. I like Q and all, but him and Joe Johnson are the same player. Arroyo replaced John Stockton And the award for lamest headline for a signing goes to ESPN. Why not just say "Jazz extend Arroyo; $16M for 4 years." At least that would be related to the actual event. Cavs out after 'understanding' falls apart "Boozer to Cavs: You've Been Punk'd!" Utah offers Carlos Boozer 68M/6. Cleveland says they had an agreement that he would sign for the mid-level exception (~40M/6). While it was a nice gesture by Cleveland, how could you expect the guy to turn down and extra 30M? I mean come on. No one is that loyal to a team, especially not when that team is the Cavs. This simply reinforces what we all already new and Green Day said best: Nice Guys Finish Last. Wednesday, July 07, 2004
I Think My Head is Going to Explode I had to read these columns multiple times to make sure I had read the numbers right: Utah offers Mehmet Okur 50M/6 Golden State gives Adonal Foyle 41.6M/5 Toronto gives Rafer Alston 29M/6 Orlando offers Hedo Turkoglu 39M/6 Just to put that in perspective, Mehmet Okur, Hedo Turkoglu, Adonal Foyle and Rafer Alston have been offered a collective 160 MILLION DOLLARS!!!!! This boggles my mind. What has Adonal Foyle done to make anyone think he's worth 41/6? The correct answer is nothing. It's not like he has potential. The guy is 29. He is what he is. And don't even get me started on Hedo Turkoglu. What the hell is going on here? Maybe I'll try to examine these signings in a more analytical manner once I've calmed down. Monday, July 05, 2004
Woodson accepts Atlanta's offer This reminds me of a conversation at a press conference when the Clippers hired Alvin Gentry as their new coach: Question: Didn't you have any friends warning you not to take the job with the Clippers? Gentry: They all encouraged me to take the job. Question: You don't have any friends, do you? You don't have any friends, do you Mike? Krzyzewski rebukes lucrative Lakers offer In other news, this is one of the few articles that contains the words "Stephen A. Smith" and and conjugate of "to report" in the same sentence. Seriously though, I'm not that surprised by this. Coach Krysjkadskjdh doesn't need the money and the guy walks on water in Durham. Hell, they named the court after him. Why would you want to go to a team that's biggest name that actually wants to be there is a washed up Gary Payton, who is playing for paychecks at this point? Not only that, if you're Coach K, do you trust Kupchak to get you the talent needed to win? HELL NO! Friday, July 02, 2004
7 7 7: Nash hits jackpot Lang Whitaker described the Steve Nash pseudo-signing best: "Steve Nash met with the Mavs yesterday morning, then met with the Suns management, where they met for six hours. I imagine the meeting went something like this: SUNS: So, Steve, we want to sign you to a five-year contract worth $65 million dollars. NASH'S AGENT: Done! NASH: How much? SUNS: Five-years, $65 million. NASH: Are you serious? How much was that again? SUNS: Five-years, $65 million. And we'll make a sixth year an option, too. NASH: Really? You know I'm 30 years old, right?" Vince Carter wants out of the T-dot What a Shaq wannabe . . . just kidding. Apparently Vince doesn't have faith in the Babcock name. Can you blame him? Not exactly the best name in GMing these days after Pete's stint in the ATL. Camby gets multi-year extension I think this was an incredibly poor decision. The correct decision is to make every year after the first a team option, so that way it's always a contract year. Anyone notice how Camby missed significantly less games last year when his contract was coming up? I know that wasn't a viable option on the contract because Camby would never agree to it. But the guy is made of paper mache until proven otherwise. He gets through another two seasons playing 70 games and we can talk. Coach(ing) K(obe) $8M a year . . . Wow. Not that he really needs the money I'm guessing, but . . . $8M. I'll discuss the implications of this if he gets hired, but I question whether he'll leave Duke so I'll save it for then. Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Sam I Am . . . Your New Coach Maybe this is how Sam Mitchell will introduce himself in Toronto. No word yet from Mitchell, himself, on whether he likes green eggs and ham. The team said it had no comment on his breakfast preferences. McGrady to Magic Official After Francis Patches Up Simmering Feud With Mickey Mouse Okay so I made the Mickey part up, but it was gonna be a boring link if I didn't. If you want my take on the trade go here. Thursday, June 24, 2004
It's About That Time . . . It's the annual EotB Draft Post. So without further ado, the picks. Round One 1) Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard: Anyone else think that if there was still a chance of keeping Tracy McGrady, the Magic would have gone for the help now and picked Emeka Okafor? The way things are going in Orlando, Howard may have to wait a few months to meet the people he'll actually be playing with. 2) Charlotte Bobcats (from LA Clippers) - Emeka Okafor: Is it me or does Okafor scream Elton Brand? Just a guy who will never be a superstar, but will be a good solid player for many years. No one will argue with this pick - much . . . 3) Chicago Bulls - Ben Gordon: This one comes as a bit of a surprise. Matt over at Bulls Blog saw the future a bit here. That's the good news for him. The bad news is he doesn't want him because of the problems it creates on defense. He wanted Andre Iguodala, who averaged about 12 points a game last year. The fact that Iguodala is a lottery pick is more a commentary on this draft than him I think. 4) LA Clippers - Shaun Livingston: And this year's Clippers project is . . . Shaun s also the highest pick from this year's "Feed Me Seymour Club." By the way, is it just me or does everyone think that Livingston will never be anywhere near what he might have been had he not had the misleadership (I think I just made that word up) of the Clippers? Also, should Shaun just change his name to Keyon Dooling Jr. now, or should he wait a few years? 5) Dallas Mavericks (from Washington Wizards) - Devin Harris: The trade that got this pick to Dallas was Antawn Jamison and cash (reportedly 3M) for Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner, and Harris. Harris may want to hold off on getting a place in Big D for a while, although David Aldridge says that Marc Cuban says he's staying). Personally, I'll believe it when I see it. Also, does anyone find it odd that Washington is stockpiling former Warriors? The Warriors couldn't win with them, what makes the Wizards think they can? As for Harris, everyone's pretty high on him and Cuban is supposedly saying he's the point guard of the the future. It's just a matter of who's future . . . 6) Atlanta Hawks - Josh Childress: Again, when you watched Josh Childress in college, did anyone really think he was a lottery pick? He's good, but again, it's a commentary on this draft. And yes, I do have troubling giving any credit to a Stanford player. Moving on. 7) Chicago Bulls (from Phoenix Suns) - Luol Deng: Again, quick details on the trade. Suns get #31 and cash, Bulls get #7. Basically the Suns didn't want to pay the first rounder. Chad Ford says Deng got a bad rap as being unathletic. There was a lot of talk about Deng to the Bulls a couple weeks ago, but it was widely thought that they had cooled on him. Apparently not. 8) Toronto Raptors - Rafael Araujo: What? Ummmmm . . . I can't even begin to describe how this happened. However, I do know there was a Babcock involved. So maybe I shouldn't be surprised. This one comes straight out of the Isaiah Thomas Draft Handbook (Fred Jones at 14 anyone?). I think this quote from Ford really says it all: "He's strong, aggressive and isn't afraid to beat up people." For the record that translates to, "He will be Danny Fortson with less rebounding." 9) Philadelphia 76ers - Andre Iguodala: The good thing is he won't need to shoot to be effective according to Chad Ford. Good, cause he wasn't getting that many shots with Allen Iverson around anyway. He's a good defender as well. I don't think he's gonna be great, but a lot of people had him higher than this. Although in this draft, does that mean anything? 10) Cleveland Cavaliers - Luke Jackson: Another Pac-10 guy. Shoots well and can drive. Lots of talk, though, that he could be moved to Indy for Al Harrington so we'll see. 11) Golden State Warriors - Andris Biedrins: Do you think I could put money down now on Golden State will take a semi-obscure foreigner earlier than he should have gone in the first round, or do I have to wait to do that? Biedrins is the first Latvian draftee, and also supposedly the first Euro banger. 12) Seattle Sonics - Robert Swift: Yet another guy for Brent Barry to go clubbing with? Can I lay money on the Sonics will pick a white guy for Brent Barry's clubbing posse with too? 13) Portland Trailblazers - Sebastian Telfair: I had the following conversation about this pick with Ben, friend of the Bench and Blazers fan: BEN: FUCK TIM: Telfair BEN: FUCK FUCK BEN: WASTED PICK TIM: hahahahahahahaha That pretty much says it all. Another one straight out of the Zeke Draft Manual. 14) Utah Jazz - Kris Humphries: I MUST find someone to take a parlay of Utah will pick a big white stiff and the Seattle and Godlen State bets. Humphries is rumored to be a selfish player, which makes him an odd fit for Utah. I hope he is, just so I can have a year of quotes from Jerry Sloan like the bombs he kept dropping on Deshawn Stevenson. 15) Boston Celtics - Al Jefferson: I got an idea. We have no one that can legitimately play center, so let's take an undersized power forward. What is this, the Knicks? Memo to Paul Pierce, the future isn't now it's in 3 years for the Celtics, so run quickly. 16) Utah Jazz (from New York Knicks from Phoenix Suns) - Kirk Snyder: I think this is a good pick since Raul Lopez has no knees and Juan Stockton is still pretty inconsistent. Can't hurt to have a good backup who could develop into the starter fairly soon. 17) Atlanta Hawks (from Detroit from Denver from Milwaukee) - Josh Smith: Ummmmm . . . yeah. Chad Ford says he's athletic, which is code for doesn't know how to play the game. 18) New Orleans Hornets - J.R. Smith: Big, good shooter and touted as perhaps the most NBA ready of all the high schoolers, which of course explains why he went 18th. I think "NBA readiness" is inversely proportional to "potential" in the minds of NBA people. At least now New Orleans may be able to get David Wesley out of the lineup. He's good, but he shouldn't be starting. 19) Miami Heat - 20) Denver Nuggets - Jameer Nelson: Nelson got traded to Orlando for a future first rounder. I kind of questioned this when it was done cause the Nuggets have two good PGs already. But the Magic have zero (no Tyronn Lue doesn't count). So Nelson should be able to help immediately. A good situation for Jameer and especially his son. What three year old doesn't want to live that close to Disneyland? 21) Utah Jazz (from Houston) - 22) Portland Trailblazers (from New Jersey) - Viktor Khgefgdlkajsgd: The winner of this year's draft spelling bee award goes to Viktor. Chad Ford doesn't know if he's an NBA type player. Now if he said this about an American player, I'd question it. However, the one thing Chad does know is Euros. If Chad doesn't predict you in the lottery and you're a Euro, you aren't that good. 23) Portland Trailblazers (from Memphis) - Sergey Monya: I admit, I know nothing about him, but his pick did provide me with a laugh solely because of the ESPN studio staff who provided this gem: "He platooned with Khgakjsdgakj at CSKA Moscow, and they split time . . . " 24) Boston Celtics (from Dallas) - Delonte West: Is it me or is West basically Ringo Starr with a little more talent. By that I mean very, very lucky. Ringo had the luck of very talented friends. West has played with a great point guard who got him easy shots and took pressure off him and turned it into a 3 year guaranteed contract. He's good, but he's another one who I watched and never really thought of as a first rounder. Although you could say that about pretty much this entire draft. 25) Boston Celtics (from Detroit) - Tony Allen: The Celtics are saying that West and Allen are the second best SG and PG in the draft respectively. Sure they are . . . maybe if you add the word undersized before the positions in that sentence. Even then it may be a stretch. 26) Sacramento Kings - Kevin Martin: Hearing the descriptions it sounds like they redrafted Gerald Wallace. 27) LA Lakers - Sasha Vujacic: If you're a Lakers fan, has Slava Medvedenko made you fear acquiring Euros? I hope no one tells Sasha he's a year or two late for the dynasty. He might go back to Europe. Sasha's supposed to be a good shooter, but it doesn't matter cause Kobe won't pass him the ball anyway. Normally a pick this far down doesn't matter, but in this draft who knows? 28) San Antonio Spurs - Beno Udrih: I have no idea who this guy is. Next. 29) Indiana Pacers - David Harrison: Well, Harrison is tall. There were questions about his focus. Hey I got an idea. Let's stick the guy with the questionable attitude near Ron Artest. I'm sure that will work out fine. That concludes the first round. This year there will be no second round post, mainly because I barely knew half the guys in the first round. Instead you get Tim's fun thoughts of the draft to take you out. --- I was disappointed by the low turnout in this year's draft for the "Mix in a Steak" club. Shaun Livingston was the only member from this class. --- If a Jim Gray talks in a forrest, does everyone still not believe him? --- Me and Ben were discussing how we hate Dick Vitale and wonder whether he is a racist for hatin on the Euros so badly or simply incredibly overzealous advocate for the college game, and then he mentions he's going to a race seminar over the weekend. --- 8 high schoolers and 6 Euros . . . in the first round - guess the backlash is coming next year Dickie V. --- Here is a score card for the trades so you can keep track at home. --- Who thought that new Memphis logo was a good idea? Hey, we got this intimidating name. Let's make our logo the most unintimidating anime looking bear face ever created. You got The Logo as your GM. Why not make the team logo Jerry West sitting a desk on the phone? At least then you'd intimidate other team's front office. At least it's someone. --- When did Seattle become the Sonics and not the Supersonics? I didn't even know til the David Stern robot had a glitch in his program, called them the Supersonics and then corrected himself. --- Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Shaq a Clipper? Peter Vescey says they are the front runner right now with an offer of Elton Brand, Corey Maggette and Melvin Ely. Note that if a trade is done before July 16th, Brand has to okay it and if it is before the 29th of July, Maggette must give his okay. Now this by itself wouldn't work. There would need to be some cap filler, but that is something both teams have. It's an interesting idea, but I'll believe it when I see it. Rocket Man Here's the details: Rockets get: Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gaines Magic get: Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato Now here's the deal with the trade. It is dependent on none of the involved getting taken in the expansion draft (which happened). I also was under the impression that it had to wait until Steve Francis' base year compensation status was up (I think around July 1st), but the trade checker on RealGM disagrees. As for the on the court aspects, this is a steal for Houston. Orlando gets a bunch of guys who shoot a lot from the outside and a guy who is Ben Wallace lite. Francis and Mobley are good, but still. Reece Gaines may have some value, but him and Lue are really cap filler (as is Mobley to some extent). The keys in the deal are Francis and McGrady. The Rockets end up without a good point guard, but whether Stevie Franchise is really a point guard is a debatable. Here is how the PER works out. The guys Houston got have a combined PER of 53.4. The guys Orlando got have a combined 43.2 PER. Hell, Reece Gaines PER wasn't even counted because I couldn't find it (he was not one of the top 50 PER PGs, which is probably a bad thing). Now granted adding PER isn't a great measure. I mean would you really want to add an 8 PER to your team? But it was the best I could do with ten minutes left before dinner. Anyway, it appears that Houston got the better end both before and after my PER math is used. Thanks, but no thanks 82 games and 4 playoff series were enough basketball for Ben Wallace and Rip Hamilton apparently. Michael Redd is now supposedly the next on the list to be asked. Nevermind that he should have already been on the team - yes, I'm looking at you Richard Jefferson. Simmons' Annual Trade Value Ratings Part I I'll reserve comment on this til I see the rest of the list, but this is a good, funny Simmons' column. Expansion Draft The Cats drafted 14 players, some of which have already departed. Jahidi White - Phoenix gave the Cats $3M and a future first rounder to take on White's contract which is up at the end of the year. Marcus Fizer - Fizer wanted to get taken and the Bulls aren't crying to see him go. He didn't really fit into the Bulls' plans. The real reason Fizer probably wanted to get picked is because he is an restricted free agent and by getting picked becomes an unrestricted free agent. Peja Drobnak - The Clips gave up the #2 pick in this year's draft for the #4 and the Cats taking the Drobber off their hands. Aleksander Pavlovic - Taken solely so he could be traded to Cleveland for another future first rounder. Primoz Brezec - Young and cheap. Jamal Sampson - See Brizoc, Primoz. Zaza Pachulia - See Jamal Sampson. Brandon Hunter - See Zaza Pachulia. The following 8 guys were restricted free agents and are now unrestricted since they were chosen. I doubt many if any will play a game in Charlotte. Richie Frahm, Loren Woods, Tamar Slay, Jeff Trepagnier, Lonnie Baxter, JR Bremer, Maurice Carter and Desmond Ferguson Before the draft there was a rumor that the Cats were gonna draft either Malik Rose or Aaron McKie for the Knicks. However this didn't materialize. Before I would have bet that Rose would have been the Knicks guy. I mean they only have 3 or 4 undersized power forwards and Rose could be that one more that got them over the hump, ya know? Saturday, June 19, 2004
Exodus Part II So my first Exodus post got this response from reader Platocave: "Sorry to kind of troll, but it looks like Charley Rosen was right about Kobe after all, huh? Looking at the "incompetent Kupchak" post you linked to, I've got to respond to one your comments and say that yes, in fact, Kobe can be selfish while taking too few shots - it's a question of motivation more than the particular action he takes. That's what passive/aggressiveness is all about. And I'm surprised that you didn't link to this article: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=1824721, which would be another columnist (besides Rosen) and and another player (perhaps the most important player) slamming Kobe's team play, maybe unfairly, but not untruthfully. Yes, Kobe is skilled - Rosen admitted that he'd take him in a pinch anyway - but you have to admit that Kobe's not all there up there." You have no idea how much this pains me, but maybe Rosen was right. Mind you, this doesn't mean I trust Rosen's judgement. I mean this is the same guy who said that LeBronn was doomed to fail after seeing exactly one of his games. But I'm adult enough to admit that in this case, the old codger does appear to have been right. As for the Shaquille O'Neal interview with Tom Friend - good god, Diesel was spittin' fire. You all really gotta read it. It took a mere week for Kobe to become the official scapegoat of the 2004 NBA Playoffs. The funny thing is that it won't hurt his contract value one bit. As Bob Marley Said . . . In LA we have an exodus. Karl Malone already said he is gone and the list of those leaving keeps growing. It's no secret that Kobe would probably opt out of his contract this summer. He has now confirmed it. Phil Jackson has stepped down as Lakers coach. Shaquille O'Neal wants to be traded because he doesn't have faith in Mitch Kupchak's master plan. I could have told him Kupchak was incompetent a while ago. Derek Fisher and Gary Payton also can opt out of their deals. Fisher must decide by Thursday. As for Payton, no one is gonna give his ass $5M, which is what he is due if he stays. So if it's about money, he should definitely stay. If he is about winning, then LA probably isn't the place to be. So just for fun, say everyone that can get out does. Here is your new Laker starting lineup: G Kareem Rush G Bryon Russell F Luke Walton F Brian Cook C Slava Medvedenko Now granted, there would obviously be some new signings and draft picks and whoever the Lakers got for Shaq, but isn't that sad even for a second unit? Friday, June 18, 2004
Yet another apology "We plead guilty your honor, but with a really good excuse . . ." You can take my picture off the milk cartons now. It's been a busy two weeks. I've gotten a new job, my sister graduated, and I've been living in the living room for the last week or so while my relatives stayed in my room. Needless to say, my computer access was severely restricted. But you knew I couldn't stay away during draft time . . . Draft Week!!!! It is just under a week til both the expansion and entry drafts which means one thing here at EotB - MOCK DRAFTS!!!! Here are a couple to get you started. CollegeHoops.net Mock Draft Dwight Howard first and Okafor second . . . interesting. NBA Draft.net Mock Draft Okafor then Howard. Get the feeling there really isn't a concensus? Also have Josh Childress going to the Sixers at 9. Not sure my Cal roots would let me root for a former Stanford player. And the results are in . . . And in the KnickerBlogger pick your playoffs contest, I came in tied for second after losing the tie breaker. I'll take it. Hey it could have been worse, I could have been Matt from BullsBlog :) Albert and MSG Network part ways How do you give ultimatums like that to your announcer of three decades? Much like RadioShack, the Knicks seem to be very well mismanaged. Pistons 4, Lakers 1 Wow. I can believe that the Lakers lost (even though I did pick them to win it all), but the way that they lost - well that's another thing. They completely rolled over in an elimination game. You wanna know what the stat of Game 5 was? Darko Milicic - 2 minutes played You know the game is out of hand when Darko gets in. Also, didn't it seem wrong to name an MVP from the Pistons? To single out one guy on a team that is pretty much based around everyone, just seemed wrong. Particularly when it was Chauncey Billups. Don't get me wrong, he played well. But personally, I probably would have picked Ben Wallace. That was a Herculian effort in Game 5 and he was strong the whole series on the boards and on D. Other related stories from the recently concluded Finals: NBA Finals ratings highest in 3 years Nothing people love more than Goliath falling down. The David Stern robot must be enjoying this. Injury could keep Milicic from Olympics I couldn't make this stuff up. This is a close second on the unintentional comedy scale to Darko's bandaged ears. Malone declines $1.65M option That flight out of LA couldn't have left fast enough for Karl. The only way he could have gotten out of town faster was with two good knees. Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Pistons 69, Pacers 65 Wow. The side inbound with about 10 seconds left to play was one of the most egregious defensive lapses I've ever seen with a game on the line. No one, and I mean NO ONE, covered Ben Wallace. He was just sitting under the basket and there wasn't a Piston within 10 feet of him. I saw him curl around the fence and head for the basket and no one followed him. He was sitting under the basket for a second or two before the inbounder even noticed. I mean, wow. Other notes: Tayshaun Prince came up with another big block. Al Harington tried to go right over him and Prince simply stopped the dunk attempt cold. And last but not least, Ron Artest displayed his usual sound judgement by giving Rip Hamilton a forearm shiver to the face after he thought Hamilton took a cheap shot at him with a butt bump. So everyone who picked 5 minutes left in Game 6 of the Conference Finals in the when will Ron Artest go upside someone's dome pool, you can come down to collect your prizes. Monday, May 31, 2004
Lakers Move On to Finals If he wasn't still on his rookie contract, Kareem Rush (aka Dominique Wilkens' illegitimate son) might be the front runner for the annual Tyronn Lue Award. My picks have been pretty good so far outside of my temporary insanity in the first round. All I need is Detroit to finish off Indiana and then I will have picked all the series right except for New Orleans and Memphis in the first round. By the way, how sad was it to watch Minnesota fall apart in the last 5 minutes. Bad fouls, bad turnovers . . . just ugly. The Lakers defense was tight, and Minnesota just didn't know what to do about it. I feel bad for Kevin Garnett. He tried to carry his guys to victory, but with Mark Madsen bouncing passes to camera guys along the base line he just couldn't do it. It actually looked like Minnesota was gonna make a run with about five minutes left, but then Rush hits a three and you could just feel the wind go right out of the T-Wolves sails. I picked the Lakers, but I would have liked to see KG stay alive. But alas, twas not to be. Who am I kidding? I'd rather have my picks be right. Thursday, May 27, 2004
New Look for Bulls Blog Matt has given the Bulls Blog an overhaul. I like the new look, but I still miss the old banner. It's a shame it got lost. Either way check it out. Wallaces help Lead Balanced Effort I don't know what has gotten into Ben Wallace, but if he can keep doing this he's gonna be a huge help to the Pistons. Soon people are gonna have to start covering him and it won't be 4 on 5 when he's on the offensive end anymore. The other Wallace also gave a strong effort on the offensive end, going for a team high 20 points (Rip Hamilton also scored 20). The other story of the game was the hideous shooting by the Pacers. They shot .347 as a team and went 5-19 from behind the arc. With shooting like that it's amazing that the game was as close as it was. And in other McGrady news . . . "Tracy McGrady will not play for the U.S. men's basketball team at the Olympics, U.S. coach Larry Brown said Wednesday." He's getting married, so he can't play. Can't knock a guy for that. Orlando Wins Draft Lottery Your first three picks will be made by Orlando, the Clippers and Chicago. Apparently the guy the Magic spent as a representative has won 4 lotteries counting yesterday. Rather impressive. Also, the Sixers had a Smarty Jones horse shoe and won nothing. Is this a bad omen for the horse in the future? The other intriguing aspect of this is will this affect whether Tracy McGrady will stay or go. I don't think there's anyone in this draft that's gonna make a huge impact in their first year or two, so if I'm McGrady this doesn't make much of a difference. Unless they manage to trade the pick of course . . . Stern: Expand NBDL to Help Youngsters "Stern proposed expanding the National Basketball Development League from its current six- or seven-team structure to 15 franchises, allowing each NBA team to farm out one young player on its roster." I think this would be a definite step in the right direction. I know the NCAA cringes at the thought of this, but if Stern can turn the NBDL into a full out farm league along the lines of what baseball has it could be very helpful to the league. I guess we'll just have to see of a) Stern can make this happen and b) if he can, how well it works. Reggie Miller has not ruled out playing in Athens We can't find anyone better than Reggie Miller to send? Seriously, Reggie is pretty much done. |