FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Ms. Sarah M. Rothblatt
Red Leaf Management & Promotions, LLC.
(800) 956-3395
(407) 731-9611
info@thebbf.org
redleafpromo@gmail.com

“The Fourth Annual, Pre-Thanksgiving Family Day Celebration To Benefit Atlanta’s Needy; Hosted by NBA Forward Marvin Williams of the Atlanta Hawks and The Book Bank Foundation.”

Atlanta, Georgia (November 23, 2009) – The Book Bank Foundation (BBF), and Atlanta Hawks Forward, Marvin Williams of the NBA, will be giving thanks a little early this year. “It’s an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Atlanta”, said Williams, about the charity event. The pre-Thanksgiving Day services are to benefit impoverished children and families, within the metro Atlanta areas. Partnering in the charity event is revered philanthropist, sports/celebrity super-agent, and BBF founder, Glenn Toby. “There’s so much space and opportunity in life, for people to reach in and help others. It’s really amazing to see that there are so many hands and hearts willing to give so freely of their time and energy, for those in real need.”-Glenn Toby. A pre-event press conference with Williams and Toby is scheduled for 10am at the Atlanta Phillips Arena. The charity event following, will be held from 10:30am-3pm, during which time Williams and friends will travel to serve at the following locations: Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children, Atlanta Union Mission, and the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless.

For over a decade, the BBF has helped nearly 125,000 people across the nation. Through a proven formula of future goal setting, self-esteem building, educational empowerment, and advocacy of literacy, the BBF has battled illiteracy and poverty with an armory of motivational speakers, models of positive behavior, and stories of achievement in communities where illiteracy exists. They strive to decrease the number of illiterate and impoverished by providing sound and innovative ways of promoting learning, social awareness and individual prosperity.

Humbly carrying The BBF’s torch of hope as a champion for the cause of literacy in Atlanta, Williams is committed to making a difference. Encouraging the movement along side, will be VH1’s Dalen Spratt of “I Want to Work for Diddy2”; as well as News/Community Relations Director for Radio One’s, Majic 107.5FM, and Co-Host of the “Ricky Smiley, Steve Harvey, and Yolanda Adams Morning Shows”-Denise Dunbar. All come to serve and deliver food, clothing, blankets, pillows, toys, medicine, and holiday hope to those that need it most within the inner city areas of metro Atlanta.

“Join us as we give back to the Atlanta community, as to whom much is given, much is required!”-Glenn Toby. The Book Bank Foundation, where knowledge equals wealth, one word at a time! For more information on Glenn Toby and The BBF, visit www.thebbf.org. For more information on donation drop off, times and locations, please call 1-800-956-3395. For all media inquiries, please call (407) 731-9611.

About Book Bank Foundation – BBF is a 501-3(c) non profit organization that works to serve homeless and impoverished families and children through educational empowerment, self-esteem building, motivational speaking, spiritual guidance and overall providence for those in need, for the betterment of the world and humanity.
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Former Huskies:

Jon Brockman, Kings: MEM (1/1 FG, 2 PTS, 1 REB), ATL (0/1 FG, 0 PTS, 1 REB), @ UTH (0/0 FG, 0 PTS, 0 REB), GSW (1/1 FG, 2 PTS, 3 REB)

Spencer Hawes, Kings: MEM (9/17 FG, 21 PTS, 11 REB, 7 AST, 2 BLK), ATL (3/9 FG, 6 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST), @ UTH (3/8 FG, 7 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK), GSW (3/5 FG, 10 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK)

Nate Robinson, Knicks: Injured, no stats accumulated

Brandon Roy, Trail Blazers: @ OKC (5/17 FG, 16 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL), ATL (8/19 FG, 19 PTS, 2 REB, 6 AST), SA (9/15 FG, 24 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST), MIN (1/6 FG, 2 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL)

——————–

Seattle Players:

Aaron Brooks, Rockets: @ UTH (6/11 FG, 19 PTS, 2 REB, 9 AST), LAL (5/12 FG, 15 PTS, 1 REB, 6 AST), OKC (5/10 FG, 11 PTS, 2 REB, 6 AST, 1 BLK)

Jamal Crawford, Hawks: @ LAL (6/14 FG, 17 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST) @ POR (8/16 FG, 27 PTS, 2 REB, 7 AST), @ SAC (10/15 FG, 26 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST), @ CHA (5/14 FG, 13 PTS, 3 REB), DEN (8/15 FG, 25 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL)

Adam Morrison, Lakers: ATL, @ OKC, @ HOU (No Stats Accumulated), MEM (1/1 FG, 2 PTS), NOR (2/4 FG, 5 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST)

Luke Ridnour, Bucks: @ CHI (2/4 FG, 4 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST), @ MIN (6/9 FG, 16 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL), NYK (5/12 FG, 10 PTS, 1 REB 4 AST)

Rodney Stuckey, Pistons: ORL (7/20 FG, 20 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL), @ TOR (5/18 FG, 13 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST), @ ORL (9/18 FG, 20 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL), PHI (5/15 FG, 13 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL)

Jason Terry, Mavericks: UTH (4/13 FG, 10 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL), @ NOR (12/18 FG, 35 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL), TOR (8/12 FG, 19 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL)

Martell Webster, Trail Blazers: @ OKC (4/12 FG, 10 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 4 STL) ATL (2/5, 8 PTS, 1 REB, 1 STL), SA (1/4 FG, 4 PTS, 1 REB, 1 STL), MIN (2/6 FG, 8 PTS, 1 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL)

Marvin Williams, Hawks: @ LAL (1/6 FG, 6 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST), @ POR (1/4 FG, 7 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK), @ SAC (6/9 FG, 13 PTS, 6 REB, 1 BLK), @ CHA (3/8 FG, 9 PTS, 5 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK), DEN (4/6 FG, 14 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL)

Here are some pretty sweet videos to check out when you’ve got about ten minutes to kill. Tar Heel basketball writer Adam Lucas and Jones Angell from the Tar Heel Sports Network host the videos, introducing each clip with around 50 seconds of commentary that is definitely skippable (nothing against the guys, but the videos speak for themselves).

No Tarheel fan can stand to miss “Summer Pick-Up with the Pros.” The video shows some of the best evidence for UNC being the top NBA talent producer – Brandon, Marvin, Ty, Vince, Rashad, Jawad, Raymond, Antawn – ALL on the same court. Even Hall of Famer Larry Brown is seen chatting up some players. It’s priceless to see Larry Drew II and Zeller describe their attempts at guarding Tar Heel legends. And, in an incredibly surprising and somewhat awkward moment, we see none other than Matt Dougherty clowning around with Sean May at around the 3:12 mark.

Definitely check out “The Art of Shot Blocking,” as it is the best Ed Davis highlight reel I’ve seen thus far. We here at The Rafters can’t get enough of this kid, and you should expect to see much of the same this coming season.

Now that the NBA season has tipped off, Montlake Fastbreak will be tracking all of the local players at the college level (i.e. Peyton Siva, Avery Bradley, etc.) and the NBA (i.e. Marvin Williams, Jamal Crawford, etc.). Local players include those who are former Huskies.

To the tracker!

Former Huskies:

Jon Brockman, Kings: @ OKC (2/2 FG, 4 PTS, 1 REB), @ NOR (2/4 FG, 5 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST), @ SA (1/2 FG, 2 PTS, 3 REB)

Spencer Hawes, Kings: @ OKC (4/10 FG, 8 PTS, 6 REB, 1 BLK), @ NOR (1/6 FG, 2 PTS, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK), @ SA (8/15 FG, 22 PTS, 10 REB)

Nate Robinson, Knicks: @ MIA (0/8 FG, 1 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL), @ CHA (7/16 FG, 17 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST), PHI (3/11 FG, 8 PTS, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK)

Brandon Roy, Trail Blazers: HOU (5/18 FG, 20 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK), DEN (6/16 FG, 30 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST), @ HOU (12/20 FG, 42 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL)

——————–

Seattle Players:

Aaron Brooks, Rockets: @ POR (8/17 FG, 19 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK), @ GSW (6/16 FG, 18 PTS, 4 REB, 12 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK), POR (10/16 FG, 28 PTS, 3 REB, 8 AST)

Jamal Crawford, Hawks: IND (1/3 FG, 3 PTS, 3 AST, 1 STL), WAS (5/11 FG, 16 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST)

Adam Morrison, Lakers: LAC (0/0 FG, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST), DAL (0/1 FG, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST)

Luke Ridnour, Bucks: PHI (2/5 FG, 8 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL), DET (1/4 FG, 2 PTS, 2 AST, 1 STL)

Rodney Stuckey, Pistons: @ MEM (6/10 FG, 12 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL), OKC (4/15 FG, 5 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL), @ MIL (6/19 FG, 13 PTS, 6 REB, 8 AST, 1 STL)

Jason Terry, Mavericks: WAS (4/15 FG, 12 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL), @ LAL (5/12, 16 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST), @ LAC (5/13 FG, 16 PTS, 2 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL)

Martell Webster, Trail Blazers: HOU (4/7 FG, 14 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK), DEN (4/9 FG, 10 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK), @ HOU (1/3 FG, 2 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK)

Marvin Williams, Hawks: IND (4/8 FG, 14 PTS, 4 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK), WAS (2/7 FG, 10 PTS, 9 REB, 2 STL)

Terrence Williams, Nets: @ MIN (6/14 FG, 15 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST), ORL (3/8 FG, 8 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL), @ WAS (3/12 FG, 9 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST)

Seattle Player of the Week:

Brandon Roy: When you average 30.7 PTS, 5.3 REB, 4.7 AST per game, its safe to earn you player of the week.

Sports Illustrated writer Luke Winn posted his first version of Power Rankings for the coming season last week. I’d have liked to have seen a little more analysis of the Heels than he included. Half of his post, which he admits, is just plugging the SI commemorative for 100 years of UNC basketball, (which I will be buying, but that’s not the point) and the other half is about the current recruiting battle with Duke over Harrison Barnes. Winn is usually more on his game, so I’m gonna chalk this up to preseason malaise.

The best UNC part of the rankings is in the entry about Kansas. It states that KU’s current situation is similar to UNC’s in ‘05, bringing in a major recruit to a veteran team a la the Marvin Williams effect.

Whether Xavier Henry is the next Marvin remains to be seen. We’ll know for sure when he hits a last minute jumper to win over KU’s arch rival, Missouri. Wow, that sounds as exciting as UNC-Duke doesn’t it?

Read it if you want, preseason rankings are hit or miss anyway, but if you want to know what it says in a nutshell, it’s: “Buy the SI commemorative issue. College teams wore funny uniforms in the past. Ed Davis name drop. Harrison Barnes is a big-time recruit!”

Sign we’re at the beginning of the season: Larry Brown is upset! He hates how his bigs are playing. Giving that he’s talking about Nazr Mohammed, DeSagana Diop, and Alexis Ajinca, I don’t know why he’s surprised. Anyway, watch him continue to complain about his bunch in Charlotte for the next little while until they start consistently playing good D, at which point he will gush about them.

Milwaukee is trying to decide whether to pick up Joe Alexander’s first option year. As Sham reminded me this morning, Milwaukee picked this guy over Brook Lopez and Anthony Randolph. This is a sad story. The guy is athletic (and damn well should have been in the dunk contest last season) and, I guess, he has some potential in him. Still, how is he going to realize it in Milwaukee? They’re not a great team, but I don’t see minutes for him. He’s a 3/4, just like Skiles’s defensive darling Luc Richard Mbah A Moute. Carlos Delfino is going to get minutes at the 3, too, and Michael Redd could as well if Skiles decides to go small. At the 4 spot, I find it hard to believe he’s going to get minutes unless one or two of Hakim Warrick, Kurt Thomas, and Ersan Ilyasova get injured. I’d say they should trade Jumpin’ Joe, but he has next to no value right now.

Finally! It looks like, after a summer of bickering to my friends and to random message-board people, I’ve found people (besides Kelly Dwyer) who actually agree with me about Marco Belinelli. Michael Grange of The Globe and Mail isn’t sold on him, as he thinks using possessions on Belinelli rather than other, more effective players is a bad idea. Mark Ginocchio of Nets Are Scorching points out that just about the only statistical thing he does well is shooting. This is what I’ve been saying for a while now. He’s a pretty damn good shooter, and he actually has a well above-average feel for the game. The problem is that he can’t guard anybody, he doesn’t take care of the ball, and he lacks athleticism. He’s skilled, but he’s quite a bit overmatched in the NBA. Point guard might actually be the best position for him, but then again, imagine him trying to stick Chris Paul or Rondo. Oof.

Den Feldman of Pistons Powered has a warning for people around the league buying into the new-coach hoopla. Very nicely done, that, although I think Pistons fans have reason to be excited about Kuester. While Curry had just a few years of assistant coaching experience since his playing days ended, Kuester has been in the coaching game since 1980 and in the NBA coaching game since 1995. This man served as Cleveland’s offensive co-ordinator last year, where he turned the NBA’s 20th-best offensive team into its 4th-best. I think Dumars chose the right guy this time.

Sekou Smith is talking about Marvin Williams’s aggressiveness in Atlanta. Here’s what I said about young Marv back in August: “Marvin Williams needs to get the ball more and he needs to be more aggressive. He’s an efficient young player, but he doesn’t assert his will on the game often enough.” It seems they’re recognizing this in Atlanta, and I really hope what they’re saying now translates into how they play in the regular season. Colour me skeptical, though, ‘cause with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, Al Horford, and now Jamal Crawford, that’s a lot of mouths to feed. If Williams is going become a bigger part of their attack, both Marvin and coach Woodson are going to have to do their parts.

Finally, if you haven’t read Adrian Wojnarowski’s excellent piece on the Warriors, you absolutely have to. This is normally where I try to add something, be it an extra piece of evidence or some criticism, but I’ve got nothin’ on this one. Just read it, he nailed it. Can’t stand seeing young talent continually wasted in Golden State.

Last night Brentford crashed out of a second cup competition in as many months by going down to a solitary Chris Martin goal against Norwich. This is not really that big a deal to be honest, but there are interesting bits and pieces to be gleamed from the match:

• Firstly, we played 4-3-3 instead of our usual 4-4-2.  Presumably Andy Scott used the opportunity to experiment a bit, seeing as the result didn’t really matter all that much, but it makes a bit of sense given some of the players available.  Bung Carl Cort up front in the middle of the three and put pacy wingers like Myles Weston and Cleveland Taylor either side of him and you should do well.  Except we played Steve Kabba up front.  Oops.
• A new central defensive pairing got a chance to play a competitive game.  Karleigh Osborne made his first start of the season and Leon Legge made his first appearance for us, with Kevin O’Connor back in his old position at right back and Danny Foster switched to left back.  This gives us different options at the back, which I will discuss later.
• Marcus Bean played ninety minutes for the first time this season.  He would give us a bit more of a goal threat from central midfield, and in theory playing three in the middle could allow you to accommodate Bean, O’Connor and David Hunt in midfield.  Would mean leaving a few others out though, so I can’t see it happening, but it’s an option I guess?

There’s a full match report on the official Brentford website, which also has interviews with Andy Scott and Karleigh Osborne. Andy’s piece is interesting as it reveals some of the thinking behind the selection for the Norwich game, but also shows up a slightly worrying defensive problem we have:

“With Dicko injured and the transfer deadline closing today if Sam had played and been injured we wouldn’t have had a left sided defender for Saturday as Ryan Blake has a niggle as well.

“It was a case of who we couldn’t risk because of these competition rules where there have to be six first team players out of the first eleven – and out of that we’ve got Alan Bennett, Ryan Dickson and Mark Phillips injured. James Wilson is away on international duty.”

Wales Under-21s are playing on Friday night, so unless they release Wilson prior to that I can’t see him playing for us against Charlton on Saturday. Bennett and Dickson are probably out for a couple of weeks or so, but there’s no clear indication on Phillips. He could have just been left out as a precaution, having picked up a knock that he’ll easily have recovered from by Saturday, or maybe he’s had both his legs broken. The former is admittedly slightly more likely, but if he’s not available we’re looking at Osborne and Legge in central defence against Charlton, assuming we don’t throw a curve ball and put O’Connor there or something. It could work?

Andy also moved to quash those naughty little rumours about him going to Barnsley:

“I’ve heard nothing. When vacancies become available at clubs then names are always banded about but I’ve heard nothing from Barnsley. I’m getting on with doing my job here and until someone tells me otherwise I’m going to continue. I’ve put a good squad together here, I think we’ve got a really good chance and I don’t want to detract from what we’re doing or take attention away from that, I’m very happy at Brentford and have assembled this squad for a reason and I want to make sure we can compete against Charlton on Saturday – it’s a big game and our concentration is fully on that.”

Not surprising really as there’s a good chance we’ll be in the same division as Barnsley next season, but they’ll be on the way down while we’re on the way up (hopefully). Plus Andy will get better offers than Barnsley if he keeps doing well at Brentford.

I liked Karleigh’s interview as well. I’m not sure if it’s because he seems really enthusiastic or because I don’t recall any such interviews or anything with him before, but there you go. Bit of quotage for you:

“It was amazing, these are the places you want to come and play – look at the stadium, it’s great. It’s good to play in front of 12,000 and it’s funny as I made my debut in front of a similar figure, so it felt like it was my debut again!”

“I prefer playing centre-back, although I’ll play anywhere just as long as I’m on the pitch.”

See what I mean about the enthusiasm? I can’t see how Karleigh won’t be playing on Saturday really, and hopefully he’ll do well. He’s a good defender with a bright future ahead of him, but he has two main weaknesses. The first is his distribution, with far too many of his passes or long balls forward ending up with the opposition or in the stands. As a central defender this isn’t the biggest worry, but it gets shown up a bit more when he plays at right back. He does get it right some of the time though, so room for improvement there methinks. The other problem is that he usually makes one mistake every game. I think it was against Gillingham last season where he needlessly fouled an opponent to give away a penalty, and he nearly did the same in the Norwich league match a few weeks ago. Get rid of those types of errors and it’d really help, but then he’s young and he’ll learn as he gains more experience.

Anyway, yesterday I mentioned Marvin Williams’ departure and subsequent move to Torquay. Today there’s a nice little piece on the Brentford website from Marvin about how he left, why he’s chosen Torquay and to wish Brentford all the best. Given that he’s been frozen out this season he could so easily have sulked a bit, or even worse just hung around to pick up his pay and not do anything to warrant it, but instead he got on with it, moved on and has been very nice and courteous about the whole thing. I always thought he seemed a decent enough guy and this just happens to confirm in, and this kind of attitude will serve him well in future. Fingers crossed for a successful season for both Marvin and Torquay then!

Due to me being too busy with some music festival thing in Reading, I was unable to tell you about all the exciting news stories that happened in the wonderful world of Brentford over the weekend. This included a match at home to Oldham, which got neither a preview, a match report or anything else. For this I most humbly apologise, and can assure you it will not happen again. Until I go on holiday or am unexpectedly busy for some reason, anyway.

Now due to the sheer volume of stuff that has happened, it would be foolish and pointless of me to try and go into the usual depth on each and every story, mostly because I’d end up being constantly about a week behind, and I’m exceedingly lazy. Instead, here is the news in handy, bulletpointish format:

• Riccardo Scimeca has turned down a loan move to Brentford, according to BBC Wales. He’s old and rubbish, so I am happy he turned us down, if he did at all.
• In better defensive loan news, James Wilson’s loan from Bristol City has been extended until January, as revealed by the official Brentford website. He’s young and good, so I am happy he is staying for longer. No recall clause either, so no chance Bristol City can nick him back early. Good stuff.
• Barnsley want Andy Scott as their new manager, according to the Hounslow Chronicle. However, various radio reports and Barnsley forums and other stuff I can’t be bothered to link to all suggest that this is nonsense. Not surprising to see Andy linked with “bigger” clubs though.
• Ryan Dickson has injured his knee. What exactly he has done I am not sure, but it ruled him out of Saturday’s Oldham match, tonight’s Norwich match and would seem to be enough to keep him out for a couple of weeks at the very least. Hopefully positive news on this ASAP.
• Ross Montage has joined AFC Wimbledon, as per the official AFC Wimbledon site. Not a surprise to see Ross go really, so fingers crossed he’ll do the business for the Dons in the Blue Square Premier.
• Marvin Williams has left Brentford after his contract was terminated by mutual consent, and he has now signed for Torquay United until January. Marvin leaving was again not a massive surprise, but given that Andy Scott seemed sceptical about the chances of Marvin going soon only last week, it’s good to see that things have been sorted out. Good luck at Torquay and in the future Marvin.
• Brentford drew 1-1 with Oldham on Saturday. A Kevin O’Connor penalty was cancelled out by an excellent goal from Nick Blackman, meanign both teams came away with a point. There’s highlights of the game here, along with the rest of the Football League action on the Football League Show, and a full match report courtesy of the Brentford website here. Doesn’t sound like a classic, but sounds like a decent point nonetheless. Keeps us unbeaten in the league anyway.
• Brentford are playing Norwich in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tonight. Right now in fact. Not that many changes really, and we’re losing 1-0 at half time thanks to Coldplay’s Chris Martin scoring for the home side. More on this one later, when the match has actually finished and stuff.

I think that’s everything. Normal service should resume tomorrow!

I assume that Andy Scott has done some sort of press conference or interview somewhere in the last couple of days, as this would explain the amount of articles that have popped up recently with regards to his transfer targets – or lack of anyway.

First up, the Sutton Guardian, with whom Andy discussed the prospects of James Wilson staying a bit longer:

“James was someone I wanted to bring to the club irrespective of Alan [Bennett]’s injury. He plays in an area we need to strengthen and hopefully we can keep him longer.”

“We know that he recently signed a new contract with Bristol and how highly they regard him, so it is unlikely we’ll get him permanently.”

Neither parts of that really surprise me. Bristol City rate James highly so won’t be letting him leave permanently any time soon. However, he’s not going to be a first team regular for them at the moment, so him getting some experience out on loan in League One would be ideal for him, Bristol City and the club he goes on loan to (i.e. us) as they’re getting a very good player on loan. I fully expect, Bristol City defensive injury crisis permitting, James’ loan to be extended for the full three months, and maybe some sort of deal will be done to keep him here until the summer. Fingers crossed anyhow, as our squad is definitely better with James in it than without him.

How about another player to join James Wilson and the other twelve summer signings that Andy has made?

“I’m happy with the squad we now have got together. I’m not actively following someone and I don’t expect to sign anyone between now and the window closing unless we pick up any significant injuries.”

So that rules out any permanent moves. What about loan moves? The Hounslow Chronicle has another quote from Andy on this matter:

“The loans market opens up again seven days later, and we may do some more business then.”

“May” is of course particularly vague, but it at least suggests we’re looking, which is a good thing to do. If we can pick up another Jordan Rhodes on loan, a player who can make a real difference for us, then it’d be great. Going by his recent form, scoring six goals in six games for Huddersfield so far this season, it would have been good to get the original Jordan Rhodes on loan, but that’s been and gone. If someone else like him comes in we’ll have forgotten about Jordan completely. Until he scores a hat trick against us, which he inevitably will when we visit Huddersfield next month.

Anyway, we’ve covered permanent transfers, and we’ve covered loan deals. What about signing some free agents? I can’t remember exactly when we signed John Halls last season, but I’m fairly sure it was after the transfer window closed, and as he didn’t have a club following his release from Reading, he could join even though the transfer window was closed. This could be an avenue that we look into in the next month or two, as I’m sure there are a couple of players of sufficient quality who haven’t been able to find a club over the summer. I have no idea who, as I’ve not been paying enough attention, but you never know.

Andy has been looking at one free agent in particular, a former Crystal Palace winger by the name of James Dayton. James played in the first half of our reserve team’s defeat against Aldershot, but it seems that 45 minutes was enough for Mr Scott, according to the Hounslow Chronicle:

“It was a chance to have a look at James in a situation other than training. It wasn’t a trial and it isn’t something we are taking any further”

Oh well. I don’t think he set the pitch alight in his performance at Aldershot, and I can’t say it’s a surprise that he’s not being looked at further, especially given our abundance of left sided players, such as Ryan Dickson, Sam Wood, Myles Weston and Ryan Blake. I wouldn’t be shocked if we saw a couple more players turn up on loan though, and the reserve team is the ideal place to see what they’re made of.

Right, so that’s pretty much every method of transfer in covered. What about a transfer out? Marvin Williams was transfer listed over the summer, and nearly moved to SPL side Hamilton Academicals. However, that deal fell through, and Andy Scott told the Hounslow Chronicle that there’s no prospect of Marvin moving on in the future:

“Marvin wants to leave and knows he’s way down the pecking order and not in my plans, so he could depart, but there’s been no offers yet.”

Perhaps he’ll go out on loan? It’s obvious he has no future with us, which in some respects is a shame as he seems a decent enough guy, but he’s not good enough for League One. Hopefully he can find a club sooner rather than later, for both his and our sakes.

The Atlanta Hawks were pretty good last season. By pretty good, I mean they finished with a 47-35 record, which was enough to net them home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They were 10th in offensive efficiency and 11th in defensive efficiency – a solid, but not elite club. They beat the Miami Heat in the most unwatchable 7-game playoff series in NBA history and then were handily swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

We all knew they had no chance against Cleveland. The Cavs were dominant in the regular season and were the favourites to win the title. Atlanta, being a sub-elite team, shouldn’t have been expected to win a game against any of the legitimate title contenders last year. After the moves they’ve made this summer, I don’t expect things to be any different next year.

Let’s look at these moves then, shall we? The Hawks re-signed Mike Bibby, Zaza Pachulia, and Marvin Williams; they acquired Jamal Crawford for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton; and they drafted Jeff Teague out of Wake Forest. What do I think of all of this? Blah. Blah, blah, and blah. Okay, fine – I love that they held onto Marvin Williams, but the organization really hasn’t done anything exciting here.

It’s not that they won’t improve. Joe Johnson should sustain; Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams should get better; Crawford should be a slight upgrade over Flip Murray; and Teague should be better than Law. Being a better basketball team than last year doesn’t guarantee they’ll win 47 games again, though. Orlando, Cleveland, and Boston all could win 60-plus games next season. Washington, Chicago, and Toronto could make significant leaps from where they were last season. Philadelphia, Detroit, and Indiana could make minor jumps, too. The Hawks are capable of getting that 4th seed in the East again, but they’re going to have to work for those wins.

If the Hawks are going to make a big splash next season, it’s going to be because of superior play from their young core. Marvin Williams needs to get the ball more and he needs to be more aggressive. He’s an efficient young player, but he doesn’t assert his will on the game often enough. Al Horford is also an efficient guy, but he needs to improve his post game – offensively and defensively. He did improve in his sophomore season, but didn’t make the jump some people that he would. Now is his time. As for Josh Smith, um… He needs his own paragraph.

Josh Smith is one of the most intriguing (and exciting) players in the game. He has ridiculous athleticism and displays extreme aggressiveness at times when he attacks the rim like a crazy person and blocks shots with the strength and power of a dunk. At other times, though, he settles for low-percentage jumpers on the perimeter. He does have some guard skills and he seems to like the ball in his hands, but on a team like this, surely he’s most effective on the inside. With all the ball-handlers on the roster, Mike Woodson and his coaching staff need to make a commitment to teaching Smith how to play off the ball and play the pick-and-roll game. I have no doubt that the Hawks will improve if he plays more like a young Amare Stoudemire than a Chris Bosh-type, offensively.

I’m not sure whether to bet on the Hawks improving or not. If we see some growth from within and an inspired coaching effort, then it’s possible. If not, then it’s going to be the same old story and, if I was a Hawks fan, I’d be demanding some bigger changes next summer.

Now, I’m not saying I don’t trust Horticulture Week, but even though they had quoted Carlisle’s chairman as saying Cleveland Taylor would be joining Brentford on Friday, I wanted something more concrete, something from a more tradition source. Happily my wishes were answered as the Times & Star, a Cumbrian local paper, are also carrying the story, and with a bit more detail as well, which is nice to see.

First off, Cleveland wants to leave Carlisle for personal reasons, and has been transfer listed as a result, so he is available. Secondly, Carlisle would want a fee for the winger’s services, perhaps approaching the £65,000 they paid Scunthorpe for him last year. However, if Nathan Elder is indeed off to Shrewsbury, we would have a bit of cash to play with. It seems that Carlisle would have liked to have kept Cleveland at the club, what with him winning several player of the year awards for the previous season, so he can’t be all that bad. He would provide a bit more cover/competition on the right, with only Sam Saunders currently a recognised right sided midfielder, and if he can play up front as well then all the better. If he were to sign in the next few days, his first appearance for the Bees could in fact be at Prenton Park, as we travel to Carlisle next Saturday to kick off the League One campaign. Less than seven days to go, has come round pretty quickly hasn’t it?

If Cleveland were to sign for Brentford, the outlook would seem even bleaker for Marvin Williams. Marvin was made available on a free transfer at the end of last season, but has featured in some pre-season friendlies so far, and there hadn’t been much talk of him finding a new club for the forthcoming season. However, that changed on Friday as the Hounslow Chronicle reported that Marvin was on his way to Scotland to play a match for Hamilton Academicals with a view to a permanent move. They’ve quoted Marvin as saying:

“It’s a good opportunity for me. I’d have to move my family to Scotland, but there’s the chance to play against the likes of Rangers and Celtic.”

However, it doesn’t seem like this is happening after all, as instead of playing for Hamilton on Saturday, Marvin was on the bench at Hayes & Yeading. Whether the move up to Scotland put him off, whether Hamilton changed their minds, or whether someone else has come in for Marvin is currently unclear, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t here by the start of the season. Can’t say I’ll miss him terribly, he had lots of pace but not much else, but seemed a nice enough guy and at least tried, which means he’s way off being the worst right winger we’ve had in recent years (for worst, I’m looking at you Mr Brooker). We can definitely do a lot better though, and I can’t see him flourishing in League One, so best for all parties if he moves on I think.

In other news, trialist keeper Simon Moore looks to be in with a chance of getting a contract at Griffin Park. Andy Scott told the Hounslow Chronicle:

“Simon has been impressive and fits the bill for a third-choice keeper.”

OK, so it’s not the most concrete of quotes, but Andy obviously likes him, and he does fit the bill for a third-choice keeper, so it wouldn’t be a surprise whatsoever. Simon was on the bench at Hayes & Yeading on Saturday, as was fellow long time trialist Bentley Graham, which obviously suggests that both are still being looked at by Andy, but there’s no further news on whether Bentley will also sign a permanent deal with the Bees. He did speak to Your Local Guardian during the week, where he said the following:

“Playing football is all I want to do and it has gone well. I’ve learnt so many things. Training every day is really hard, but I love doing it full-time. I’ve got a lot fitter and working with better players has really helped my game.”

“There is always room for improvement, but working with the professionals really brings it home. Even if I go back to Sutton it has been a brilliant opportunity for me. Either way I’ll definitely be a better player for it.”

It also turns out that he’s named after the car manufacturer Bentley. Who’d have thought?

Useful free agents:

Zaza Pachulia – Big men will always earn a paycheck
Ronald Murray – ask Lebron how valuable a shooter is
Stephon Marbury – should come cheap and will be more valuable than you think
Mikki Moore – big man
Sean May – young big guy who was too injury prone in Charlotte. If he can get an opprotunity and make something of it, he will take it to the bank
Joe Smith – veteran big man that every team covets
Wally Szczerbiak – first year in a while he wont be making 10 + million. He will give you solid minutes. Makes sense to return to cleveland, or orlando
Anderson Varejao – every team in the league wants a young energetic big man
Brandon Bass – young journeyman, if he was smart he would return to Mavs
Chris Andersen – probably wont get as much action as you think due to his past drug problems
Anthony Carter – aging point guard who means more to denver than anyone else, he can probably twist their arm and make some money. has never made any money in his career and now is the time
Allen Iverson – he should file a slander lawsuit against the pistons
Antonio McDyess – see joe smith
Rasheed Wallace – see above, add that he is a solid shooter and spreads the court, chemistry killer at times so proceed with caution
Marquis Daniels – solid small forward who I would want on my team
Rasho Nesterovic – big man with a ring, who doesnt need someone like that
Lamar Odom – the only available superstar left, next to Marion
Chris Mihm – solid big who is streaky
Quinton Ross – Shane Battier light
Shelden Williams – deserves a chance
Rodney Carney – I cant believe the sixers gave up on him so quick
Jason Collins and Jarron Collins – solid big men who wont get anything close to their last contracts
Chris Wilcox – young big guy
Robert Swift – young big guy who needs to get away from the OKC organization
Donyell Marshall – see Joe Smith
Andre Miller – one of the few players who should make more than the midlevel.
Matt Barnes – shooter but where is the defense. maybe ny will be interested if he signs a one year deal
Grant Hill – remember him?
Channing Frye – how the mighty have fallen, from future franchise knick to not even being offered a restricted tender
Bobby Jackson – sacromento loves him but if denver doesnt resign carter, he will fit their
Drew Gooden – joe smith
Shawn Marion – you already know what i think of him
Anthony Parker – point guard who can start in a pinch
Jake Voskuhl – big man, he will find a job whether it is here or overseas
The best restricted:
Marvin Williams – hawks wont let him go, he would be smart to sign the restricted tender and take his chances next year when a team that doesnt get lebron will throw money at him instead
Glen Davis
Leon Powe
Raymond Felton – Bobcats soured on him, but I their are a lot of worse point guards. In my opinion he is in the upper half of the leagues best pgs
Linas Kleiza – nuggets will keep this streaky scorer
Jarrett Jack – solid pg who deserves more credit than he gets
Shannon Brown – an easy steal but I think he needs the Lakers more than they need him.
David Lee – deserves his money but will he get it
Nate Robinson
Hakim Warrick
Jamario Moon
Ramon Sessions
Paul Millsap