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Pardon Me For Saying This But What Happened And Who The Hell Cares ? I Might ! But Then Again I Might Not !

tophatal — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:46:45 +0000

Pardon Me For Saying This But What Happened And Who The Hell Cares ? I Might ! But Then Again I Might Not !

It’s hard not to pick up the newspaper read and a heart rendering or somewhat disturbing story and not at times be concerned. But then again the sobering thought of gleaning through the sport’s pages tends to bring me back down to earth with some alarming jocular humor and respite.

Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, left scrambles past Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons for a first down in the fourth quarter of the NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. The Raiders came from behind to win 27-24. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Keith Srakocic ......

So it’d appear that the Oakland Raiders have found themselves a quarterback who can perhaps win with regularity , more so than the chimes of a cuckoo clock ? Who knew ? Pardon me but where was Bruce Gradkowski all this time ? And how is that Raiders’ coach, Tom Cable continued to show blind and implicit faith in a completely mentally retarded oaf like, JaMarcus Russell ? The Raiders, starter’s IQ, must be somewhere, way below the MENSA national average ? And to think that the likes of ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr , Todd McShay and Chris Mortensen talked this kid up, prior to him entering the NFL Draft, as if he were ‘the hot chick’ that everyone seemingly gushes over. When last I looked, Russell possessed absolutely nothing that’d make you say, Wow ! Strong arm is one thing but having a football IQ far outweighs that and that’s something that Russell simply just doesn’t possess.

Charlotte, NC- December 6th : Josh Freeman (#5) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 6, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Streeter Lecka .......

And this’d be the one and the same Bruce Gradkowski, that many within the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ organization simply had no faith in ? But then again I digress , as the present fate of the Buccaneers seems as hopeful at present, as the fate of John McCain simply wishing for a ‘do-over’ of the Presidential elections. Plainly put, neither scenario is about to happen anytime soon ! The Buccaneers for all of their resourcefulness and the unwavering belief of the Glazer family , that in not spending money to obtain the right talent will make the Buccaneers a better team ? Well, it’s plain to see, that they’d now prefer to blow smoke up everyone’s ass in the Tampa Bay area. And it’s further plain to see that those mindless buffoons of the Pewter Report would rather cow-tow in step with whatever happens to be the mindset of the organization, at present. Their nightly radio sport’s talk show in the local area market elicits about as much intelligence and excitement, as that of a member of the US Congress talking about the failures of the US economy. What they think they know, is about as much they’d like to think they know, as to how the populace of the country now feels at present. In other words,they’re absolutely clueless ! And so too, are the players on the Buccaneers’ team who appear on the show nightly on a regular basis. To hear them talk about their travails during an NFL game, is actually comedic ! ‘We tried hard to make the play but it just didn’t happen at all’ . Well my thoughts on it all. Fu_k you , try harder ! You’re being paid to play, not to whine as an afterthought, as to what might have been, you a_sholes !

Courtesy of Associated Press and Yahoo Sports

Freeman’s mistakes help Panthers beat Bucs 16-6

By Mike Cranston, AP Sports Writer

Charlotte, N.C. (AP)—Josh Freeman kept guiding Tampa Bay inside the 20-yard line and Carolina kept taking the ball away, no matter how improbable it all seemed.

Five turnovers later, the Buccaneers’ rookie quarterback was stunned and their miserable season took another ugly twist.

In a matchup of inexperienced quarterbacks entering with a combined seven career starts, Matt Moore(notes) and the Panthers (5-7) won despite being outgained 469-309.

The difference: Tampa Bay (1-11) was inside the Carolina 30 eight times and scored six points.

“That’s just completely unacceptable,” said Freeman, the first-round pick from Kansas State who took over as the starter a month ago. “I want to play in this league a long time. Guys that throw a lot of picks usually don’t last.”

It was a role reversal with Carolina’s struggling QB Jake Delhomme sidelined with a broken finger after throwing 18 interceptions in 11 games.

Moore made his fourth start and his first since the end of the 2007 season. He threw for 161 yards and one interception, but connected on a 66-yard pass to Steve Smith that set up John Kasay’s third field goal with 7:12 left that put it away.

“I had to come into this thing and I had to be right,” Moore said. “Not perfect, but I had to be right.”

That allowed the defense to win the game. Jon Beason had two interceptions during a stretch where Tampa Bay had four trips inside the 20 and didn’t score.

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Click on the inset link to read Mike Cranston’s article in its entirety
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Given the fact that, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are (1-11) within the NFC South and is no closer to winning or being competitive. In comparison that’d be like saying, that one day Oprah Winfrey will be able to look all svelte, with a size 6 figure and a body that we guys, would like to ‘ride all night long’. Now, we all know that with Oprah’s yo-yo weight losses and gains, there’ll never be a time when we could ever say that, we were all able to witness that. And it’s the same with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at this present moment in time and perhaps for the foreseeable future. Who knows and who the hell cares at this juncture ? It’s not as if the Glazer family actually cares and they’re the god-damn owners of this team. It’s like the ghost of Hugh Culverhouse had returned to the organization and things are back to what they once were ! And one can well remember the mediocrity of those days , all too eerily can’t one ? What a damn nightmare those days had to have been ? And now for all sense and purpose the fans are having to endure and relive that all over again. Thanks , but no thanks !

Pardon me for saying this but who knew that Sebastian Telfair was still playing in the NBA ? And if anyone can guess what team he’s now actually playing for. Well, you would indeed be smarter than a fifth grader. Well, if in fact you were able to guess that he’s now playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, then bully for you ! Unfortunately, I’m unable to give out a prize,as there wasn’t one to begin with. My bad ! LOL,LOL,LOL !!!

Los Angeles - December 8th 2009: Sebastian Telfair (#3) of the Los Angeles Clippers goes up for a shot against J.J. Redick #7 of the Orlando Magic at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. picture appears courtesy of NBAE/ getty images/ Noah Graham .............

What a comedown in the world for the young Telfair ! Seemingly this once ‘young phenom’ was set to set the NBA alight with his flare for the spectacular, his alleged prodigious athleticism and ball-handling skills. Well, that has been about as omnipresent as a sighting of Lindsay Lohan without a drink in her hand. Which one can surmise that with Lindsay continually falling ‘off the wagon’ and her love life said to be in disarray. Telfair’s seeming transition from blacktop legend to erstwhile NBA star, has been about as interesting as watching paint dry. This kid has yet to fully learn the nuances of the NBA game , much less show that he’s got the temperament to become a legitimate star within the league. And people wonder why we’re drawn to Chris Paul, instead of Telfair ? That’s like comparing a Picasso to a painting by a five year old. OK,so some of Picasso’s work may well look as if it had been painted by a five year old ! But look at this way, with people willing to spend in excess of $60 to $100 million for one of his pieces of art. What the hell ! At least, someone’s willing to buy it, Telfair being a star in the NBA ? Well, that’s not about to happen anytime soon !

In my erstwhile forays around the blogo-sphere where I’d written within Fox’s blog community, also at Lanaslines.com ,the basketballoracle.com and now here within a site within tophatal.wordpress.com. I’ve come to appreciate the nuances and the art of writing , making my points with due diligence and relevancy, as with regard the nature of the topic. That way, I hope to elicit meaningful responses and commentary from the reader or readers of my pieces. And hopefully the content of the work is comprehended and appreciated.

My experiences at Fox, while great , I felt that the community there had become ’staid and stale’ ! Not only that ,it’d become more a place for stifling ‘free speech’ and effective communication. And even though it still had numerous followers and contributors. Its reputation , let’s just say has gone way down in my estimation and expectations as to what a sport’s blog domain site ought to be really about !

With that in mind and the fact that we’re as such I’m opining on the nature of Sebastian Telfair’s presence in the NBA. Herein, I’ll provide you to link of an earlier piece that I’d written about the player. You’ll note that a comment there concerning the player’s stature and the fact that he supposedly had a decent year with the Minnesota Timberwolves would suggest that he was a star on the rise. Well, given the fact that Telfair is no longer with the Timberwolves would suggest that his game hadn’t progressed as much as this one particular reader believed it might. Whether or not he was a fervent supporter of the player or just the mere fact
that he didn’t know what he was talking about . I’ll leave that for you to decide. Click here to read and then perhaps comment on the piece and then return here, to further respond on this article.

J.J. Redick (#7) of the Orlando Magic drives past Sebastian Telfair (#3) of the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on December 8, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. picture appears courtesy of NBAE/ getty images / Noah Graham .........

As good as some thought Telfair might be , his game has simply not progressed to where it needs to be, in order for us to call him a bona-fide star within the NBA. He’s merely become just ‘your average run of the mill player’ , who just happened to have the words ’star’ and ‘great’ assigned to him, more as a wish. Rather than it being attained by Telfair, as he builds a reputation within the NBA. That being said, he is playing for the Clippers , so that should tell you all you need to know as to where his impending future may now lay. Sorry Sebastian, but you’ve still got a hell of a long way to go before you can be mentioned in the same breath as Deron Williams, Tony Parker , Chris Paul and even Steve Nash, for that matter. Alas, you’ll just have to make do playing for those woefully inconsistent Los Angeles Clippers. And if their present (9-12) record in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference is anything to go by. Then their long sojourn as being the butt of the NBA jokes will continue for a long time into the future. So sad, too bad !

When is a gimmick not meant to be a gimmick at all ? Well, when it comes in the guise of the NASCAR’s impending announcement that IRL’s Danica Patrick will be making ‘her grand’ entrance into that particular form of automotive racing. And the mere fact that the now publicity starved genre needs all the fervent PR that it can get. Albeit, that she’ll be racing in the lower echelons of the Nationwide Series of the NASCAR discipline. Well the welcoming thought of seeing Danica go up against the wily guys of NASCAR ought to provide the purists of the sport some comfort. As for how ‘Billy Bob’ and ‘Bubba’ might feel, who knows ? Suffice to say , that unless Danica isn’t dressed in a fire retardant suit, then I’ll be watching. If she is, then all bets are off ! I’d rather see Danica dressed in nothing but a two piece bathing suit racing against the guys in the Nationwide Series ! I think that would bring a great many more viewers to the sport and most certainly larger audiences at the tracks. If nothing else, for the first time observer and the more curious amongst us that type of scenario ought to provide a great deal of joy. Well, it will for the testosterone driven males amongst us.

CORRECTS TO DEBUT TO ARCA RACE, NOT NATIONWIDE RACE IndyCar driver Danica Patrick checks out her new GoDaddy.com No. 7 JR Motorsports stock car during an event announcing her intention to make her stock car racing debut in an ARCA race Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009, in Phoenix. Patrick has signed with JR Motorsports team, owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rick Hendrick, and intends to start in her first in an ARCA Series race on Feb. 6 at Daytona International Speedway. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Ross D. Franklin .....

NASCAR and the competitive automotive circuit has been hit harder than most. What with it’s preponderance upon the patronage of the ‘Big Three’ domestic automotive manufacturers and their continuing problems. We can surmise, that both NASCAR and IRL have had to make tight budgetary constraints. And this has not been lost to the teams within each of these various disciplines. They’ve seen many of their major corporate sponsors withdraw from the sport. Teams have also either folded or merged with either larger teams or one of similar size. All this has been done in order to save millions of dollars and stave off the imminence of bankruptcy and financial failure. And the bloodletting still continues.
It’s not like either of the domestic manufacturers are out of the woods yet.

GM is now flying by the seat of its pants and Chrysler even with the intervention of the Federal government and then its merger with Fiat , still isn’t out of the woods as of yet. And though Ford has shown signs of improvement on certain fronts. Without the government’s rebate policy , one sincerely doubts that a profit would’ve been shown for the last quarter. Much of that was derived from its restructuring, in terms of layoffs, the shutting down of plants and sales of certain subsidiaries. Whatever profit gained was minimal at best but they’d have you believe that it all met with the board’s and Wall Street’s expectations. What , no slight of hand trick ?

Patrick’s 2009 SI Swimsuit model shoot. What’s not to like about it all ?

With Patrick having agreed in principle and signing with Dale Earnhardt Jrs’ J R Motorsports, a company that he co-owns with his elder sister Kelly Earnhardt and Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports. Any high profiled publicity that the sport can receive at this juncture is certainly more than welcomed. Having crowned its four time Sprint Cup Champion, in Jimmie Johnson. The lack of positivity from the fans in general, has been met with an almost deafening silence and glumness. It’s as if Johnson, himself, had become persona-non-grata for merely achieving the feat of having won the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship four consecutive years running. If that’s not something that the sport and in particular the sport’s hierarchy can use to its benefit. Then I guess, having Patrick in part, race half naked would definitely be their next best option ? Not that I’d mind to begin with ! It’s just that more often than not, I find far too many of their races monotonous and way too repetitive , in terms of on again off again racing !

My thoughts and my take on ….”Pardon Me For Saying This But What Happened And Who The Hell Cares ? I Might ! But Then Again I Might Not ” ! What do you think about it all ?

Raps use another late run, roll past Clippers

Jeremy — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:28:28 +0000

Bosh takes it at Marcus Camby

I’ll be honest — I watched the first quarter and a bit of tonight’s Raptors game and saw them fall behind by about 20 before deciding I’d wasted enough time. To my relief, after I checked back at 88-88 midway through the fourth, Toronto went on a 16-1 run to finish the Clippers off, making the final 104-89. At least I’ll feel alright watching Sunday knowing I can do some good.

For the second straight game, the Raptors used a second half tear to pull away, outscoring Chris Kaman & co. 59-35 over the final 24 minutes to improve to 5-4 on the season. Again, having missed much of the game, I can’t really weigh in on what the difference was, though Jack Armstrong was hyping a huge defensive turnaround in what I saw late. Marco Belinelli was also a huge factor from the second quarter forward, scoring 15 points off the bench and finishing a +25 in 28 minutes.

Chris Bosh strung together another gutty performance, finishing with 21 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Jose Calderon continued to roll, scoring 18 on 8-of-14 and adding nine assists (and no turnovers). After getting cut by a Sebastian Telfair elbow with the Raps up two with about four minutes to go, Calderon went on a tear to close things out, finishing on a layup and dropping a three for the final dagger.

Kaman did most of the damage for the Clippers, scoring 25 and making quick work of Andrea Bargnani’s “post defense” in the first half. Bargnani had his way with Kaman on the other end though, driving and scoring a few times early and finishing with a late three to help put it away. Bargnani had 19 points on 8-of-13.

The win starts Toronto’s four-game west swing on a nice note, but it’ll get way tougher moving forward — Phoenix (8-2) is next on Sunday, followed by a back-to-back with Denver (7-3) and Utah (4-5) on Tuesday and Wednesday. I’ll be more than pleased with one of three.

Latest setback par for the course for Clippers

tbontemps1 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:22:34 +0000

For the first time in a long time, things were really looking up for the Los Angeles Clippers. Baron Davis had lost 15 pounds over the offseason after a miserable first season, and seemed re-energized. Eric Gordon had a tremendous rookie season, and had settled into the starting two-guard role. They had strengthened their bench by acquiring Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith and Rasual Butler, and they had even managed to deal away Zach Randolph for a bag of basketballs (well, it actually was for Quentin Richardson, but given he was traded several times this offseason, it might as well have been for a bag of basketballs), and eliminated a cancer from their locker room.

But all of those moves were secondary to the Clippers winning the NBA’s Draft Lottery in May and getting the chance to select the clear top talent in June’s draft, Blake Griffin. The former Oklahoma power forward scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds a game last season for the Sooners, and seemed like as close to a guarantee as one can find in the draft. Some went so far as to compare him to Karl Malone.

But, after all, this is the Clippers … so, like last offseason when they thought they were going to get both Davis and Elton Brand, only for Brand to ditch them and sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it did this week, when we learned that Griffin is going to be out for at least six weeks with a fractured kneecap.

Bill Simmons has pushed the theory that the absolute perfect situation for LeBron James to go to isn’t with the Cavaliers, and it isn’t with the Knicks or Nets. Instead, it is with the Clippers. And, on paper, you can see why he would think that. Between Davis, Gordon and Griffin, among others, he would find himself with a wealth of talent around him for the next few seasons.

But LeBron is a smart guy. Why would he submit himself to the horrors that have befallen the Clippers over the past 30 years? In that span of time, they have had two winning seasons, and have had only one playoff series win. If LeBron wants to win championships, no matter the talent around him, there’s little chance he will choose to go to the Other Team in L.A.

No, the Clippers will have to find the way out of their permanent malaise without LeBron. And maybe they will be able to do it. There is a good number of NBA teams who would trade their three best players for Davis, Gordon and Griffin, and with another smart move or two, maybe the Clippers could even become a legitimate title contender.

But, first thing’s first. They need to get Griffin healthy. Then, they need to cross their fingers and hope that, finally, after what seems like a lifetime of failure, ineptitude and misery, the Clippers may finally be headed in the right direction.

The Final Countdown

fantasyaddict — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:20:22 +0000

Blake Griffin dunking. Don’t get used to it, we won’t be seeing it for a while. W

Looking Forward: Los Angeles Clippers

Vittorio De Zen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:46:56 +0000

Going into the 2008-2009 season, the Los Angeles Clippers were seen as a team that had a shot to make the playoffs. Yeah, their best player had spurned them to go to Philadelphia, but they made a ton of moves in the off-season, most notably adding proven players Baron Davis and Marcus Camby. After a horrible 23-59 season playing without the injured Brand, it was reasonable to expect an improvement in the win column.

Unfortunately for Clips fans, the team actually ended up winning four less games than the previous year. Davis, Camby, Chris Kaman, and Zach Randolph (acquired from the Knicks in November) all had significant injuries and the team never had a chance to click. For everyone involved, it was like a bad dream. They were a pain to watch, as they didn’t play hard, didn’t play smart, and lost games in every way imaginable. Coach (and GM) Mike Dunleavy didn’t implement a game plan that suited his personnel and, to an outsider, it seemed as if he failed to gain the trust and respect of his players. And then there was this. The only real positive to be gleaned from this season is that the Clippers appeared to have a keeper in rookie 2-guard Eric Gordon.

I could go on describing last year’s disastrous season, but it’s been done to death. I will just say that I was a bit miffed that they were rewarded for that season with the #1 pick in the draft. Especially after reading this article about owner Donald Sterling.

The #1 pick, obviously, was Blake Griffin. This guy is a stud. He dominated opposing defenders in the NCAA last year and should be able to come in and start in the NBA right away. Some of us were worried, though, when we pictured the Clippers’ projected line-up for 2009-2010. In Griffin, Camby, Kaman, and Randolph, the Clips had 4 starting-calibre frontcourt players. Randolph in particular was a problem, as he is known as a ball-stopper and a volume shooter. If the Clips wanted to develop Blake Griffin, they’d need him to be on the court as much as possible and taking lots of shots. Randolph was just about the last player in the league that would fit in, here.

Shockingly, the Clippers found a taker for the much-maligned power forward. The Memphis Grizzlies agreed to take him in exchange for Quentin Richardson and his expiring contract. Later, Q-Rich was sent to Minnesota for a package of Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen. After this, they were able to acquire Rasual Butler from New Orleans for essentially nothing.

Wow.

A series of moves that make sense. A series of moves that make the Clippers a deeper, better team going into next season. We might have to stop making jokes about them. Seriously. This team has quite a bit improved on paper this off-season. We should expect much, much better than a 20-win season next year. In addition to this, with the contracts of Camby, Madsen, Smith, Ricky Davis, Mardy Collins, and Steve Novak coming off the books after the season, this franchise will have a good chance to solidify their core for the next few years.

With that said, there are a few key things the Clippers must do to in order to make some noise next year:

1) Get Blake Griffin touches. As I stated earlier, Zach Randolph’s departure was necessary to give Blake Griffin room to breathe next season. This guy has to be established as a primary option on the block. He’s got to be able to use his strength and quickness to become an offensive force immediately. He must be given the kind of minutes and the kind of touches that allow him to make some mistakes and figure out what works. He’s got the talent to be a big factor right now, as long as the team puts him a position to succeed.
2) Get Baron Davis healthy and in shape. Yes, I know, Baron was unhappy last season. He didn’t get along with Dunleavy and was (understandably) frustrated with the style of play in Clipperland. Sure, it’s nice that he’s been chummy with his coach recently, but this alone is not enough. Even if they were best friends last season, Baron would have been ineffective due to his conditioning alone. I don’t want to rag on the guy for being injured, but he also showed up to training camp out of shape. This wasn’t the first time he’s done this, by any stretch, and that’s why it’s inexcusable. There are rumblings coming out of L.A. that Baron has been taking this summer very seriously, but this is the kind of thing you always hear in the summer. Clips fans have to hope it’s true this time.
3) Coach this team properly. This means, in short, they have to run. With Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, Blake Griffin, and Marcus Camby, the Clippers have a starting line-up built to run. Dunleavy has to relinquish his control of the team and let Baron Davis push the ball and call a lot of the plays himself, so his star point guard doesn’t feel the constant pressure to look to the sideline. Honestly, I don’t have any insider information about last year’s squad. I don’t know exactly what the players thought of their coach, but, judging from their body language, it didn’t seem like a happy family. What I do know for sure is that these guys were playing the wrong style. There needs to be a different game plan next season.

The Clippers have the talent to make a run for the playoff spot in the West. They should be able to make a significant jump in the standings when compared to last season (although that’s what we all said a year ago). It seems foolish to bet anything on a franchise as historically bad as this, but after this summer, things seem to be looking up. I’ll be watching to see a hopefully much more exciting brand of Clipper basketball next season. Unfortunately, there will be some people watching at the same time who are just waiting for the Clipper Curse to rear its ugly head again.

Summer breeze, and to AI or not to AI

moneyb360 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 05:57:05 +0000

Los Angeles...Memphis...Miami...who has the least practices?

Greetings to my fellow Clipper fans. Sorry its been a minute since I have posted, but we do have some things to talk about, so lets get to it!

Summer League Re-Cap

The Clippers finished 2 and 3 in their Las Vegas campaign. Blake Griffin had a strong debut, with a 27 point12 rebound effort against the Lakers. Unfortunately, he injured his shoulder in a game against Memphis which has forced him to sit out for a few weeks. The good news is according to the latest reports, he will not require surgery. Let’s just hope for a quick recovery for the future of the franchise. DeAndre Jordan averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds — his high mark a 21 point and 12 rebound performance in a loss to Hornets. Fellow starter Eric Gordon averaged 21 points in two games. Unfortunately, Dionte Christmas who I was rooting to have a good summer, didn’t play his way to a roster spot with a 2.6 points and 0.6 assist average.

For those of us who couldn’t make the trip to Sin City, here are some highlights:

Clippers vs Grizzlies

Play Q off..LA

I really really hope that before Quentin Richardson started looking for beach front property, Mike Dunleavy handed him a gift certificate to Burlington Coat Factory. His Clipper career went something like this..

I’m lukewarm on this trade. Sebastian Telfair is a talent, and will help give Baron Davis get some servicable back up. But, he has had a checkered past, and this will be his forth team in his young career. If he is motivated, the trade will be worth it. Craig Smith and Mark Madsen are wild cards. They will play behind Griffin and Chris Kaman respectively, so any contributions we get from them would be gravy. Smith is a decent player and Madsen is well..a interesting dancer.

BTW..that will be the last time there is a Laker Video in this blog. Moving on.

I honestly thought Richardson was a great fit for the Clippers..someone who could come off the bench and provide a scoring threat..which the Clippers still lack. So this trade is all about Telfair. He has something to prove, considering his path in the NBA so far has been Coney Island legend, but NBA journeyman. Here’s hoping he seizes this opportunity to prove himself.

Iverson in Los Angeles

When I used to play NBA Live 04 on Playstation 2, I actually had Allen Iverson running the point for the Clippers..and Zach Randolph coming off the bench. I used to wear his kicks, I have his Georgetown and 76er jerseys..hell I even wanted his album that was supposedly banned by David Stern. Especially if it had a track with Jadakiss:

So yes, I’m a big A.I. fan. But, is this what the Clippers really need? The rumor is they have/plan to offer Iverson the mid-level exemption. The catch is they want to make sure he is fine with coming off the bench. As you may remember, his refusal to play off the bench for the Pistons led to him being vilified in the media and sent home by the team. It may have affected his free agent status, since he is still up for grabs.

Currently, it looks like it may be a two team race. Memphis just removed a qualifying offer to incumbent forward Hakim Warrick, which could give them more money to offer to A.I. Ironically, one of the reasons Warrick was expendable was the trade with the Clippers for Zach Randolph. Life is cycles, my friends.

The Clippers also seem to have a desire to get Ramon Sessions..a restricted free agent guard with the Milwaukee Bucks (another point guard..are we the Timberwolves?). According to ESPN’s Marc Stein –

The Clippers remain highly interested in Sessions. There are persistent rumblings that they prefer him to Allen Iverson in every category apart from box-office appeal. The Bucks, meanwhile, remain prepared to match offers on Sessions … to a point.

We should learn soon how far the Clips are willing to go with an offer sheet. If Sessions proves unable to land an offer that starts in midlevel territory, Milwaukee will be much more of a threat to match, and that would spare the Bucks from asking too much of Brandon Jennings in his rookie season.

From a business side, Iverson would indeed move merchandise and give Clipper fans another reason to come to games and cheer the home team. Baron Davis even referenced the rumors on his Twitter:

I remember watchin A.I. while he was at GTown & when he first got in the league… he would be a great vet for our young guys to learn from.

But for me, the issue of being a team player and not complaining about coming off the bench is the lynch pin of the deal. I’m a believer in Eric Gordon, despite my early concerns because of his size. He needs to get as much playing time as he can so he can grow as a player. I would hate for Iverson to complain about being benched for a second year player and causing a problem in the locker room. Like Telfair, Iverson has a chip on his shoulder. This year, wherever he plays, is a chance to show he still is a star so he can get one more big contract before his playing days are done.

I’d love to see Iverson in red white and blue if his mind is right. The 09-10 Clipper squad would be the most exciting the franchise has rolled out in years. But if it could create a locker-room controversy, its just not worth it.

Q-Rich Finds a Home....Maybe?

amoll34 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:45:52 +0000

Quentin Richardson has finally found a home…..I think? Various media outlets have reported that Q-Rich has once again been traded, this time from the LA Clippers to the Minnesota Timberwolves for point guard Sebastian Telfair, and forwards Craig Smith and Mark Madsen. This makes the third time that Richardson has been traded this Summer.

The shooting guard has racked up quite a few frequent flyer miles since he ended last season with the New York Knicks. The 9 year pro, out of Depaul University, is used to the change of scenery since he has played for three previous NBA teams before this Summer. He was once part of one of the many rebuilding projects of the LA Clippers back in 2000, when they selected him number 18 overall in the draft along with Darius Miles who came straight from high school, and Keyon Dooling. We all remember them putting their hands to their foreheads in a birdlike motion when scoring the rock. Richardson and Miles became such good friends, even filming the documentary The Youngest Guns, which chronicled their first three years in the league. His teaming with Miles lasted only 4 seasons since Q-Rich signed a free agent deal to play with the Phoenix Suns in 2005. The 05-06 season was a coming out party for Richardson who established himself as one of the better 3 point shooters in the league. He set Suns single season 3 point shots made and finished tied with Kyle Korver leading the league in 3 pointers made. After only one season in Phoenix, he was traded for Kurt Thomas in the off season. The Knicks took on the multi year deal thinking they had their shooting guard for the near future, but after 3 injury plagued years, and averaging a respectable 10.2 points last season, the Knicks traded him in June to Memphis for Darko Milicic. Then last week Memphis sent him back to the LA Clippers for talented big man Zach Randolph. After more than 3,000 miles in trades, we learned that the Clips sent him to the Northwest to play for Minnesota.

If he can stay healthy, Richardson can be a valuable swingman for the Wolves since he is a capable scorer with a season high of 17.2 points in 04, and a career average of 11.5 points and 5 rebounds. Richardson brings veteran leadership to a young rebuilding team since they traded Mike Miller and Randy Foye to Washington, and gives them depth at shooting guard alongside draft pick Wayne Ellington, from UNC.

The move also gives the Clippers a valuable point guard in Telfair, who averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 assists, to back up the oft injured Baron Davis. Telfair was happy about the move referencing a popular hip-hop song in his Twitter posting saying,”I’m going back to Cali, Cali.” Telfair is probably more well know for being the cousin of Stephon Marbury, and his overhyped film, Through the Fire, which told the story of his difficult decision coming out of High School of whether to go pro or play for Rick Pitino at Lousville in college than his basketball skill. The Clippers are now his 4th NBA team and has career averages of 8 points and 4 assists.

Q-Rich now has a home…….but he Summer and free agency aren’t over just yet.

Timberwolves traden Telfair zu den Clippers

trifectamag — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:14:14 +0000

Lange war es in Sachen Trades still in der NBA, doch jetzt ist endlich mal wieder was passiert. Aus der „reunion“ zwischen Q-Rich und den L.A. Clippers wird doch nichts, dafür hat Sebastian Telfair wieder mal eine neue Heimat gefunden. Die Clippers und die Timberwolves haben sich auf einen Trade geeinigt, der Bassy, Mark Madsen und Craig Smith nach Hollywood schickt. Quentin Richardson muss dafür nach Minneapolis.

Es gibt sicherlich spannendere Trades, aber hinsichtlich Ricky Rubio könnte man nun Spekulationen darüber anstellen, ob er nächste Saison vielleicht doch in der NBA spielen wird. Immerhin ist Telfair ein Point Guard und jetzt eben nicht mehr bei den Wolves. Hat David Kahn für Rubio Platz gemacht und Telfair deshalb getradet? Der GM der Wölfe hat das natürlich umgehend dementiert. Gespräche mit DKV Joventut bezüglich eines Buyouts sollen dennoch geführt werden.

Quentin Richardson, el viajero del verano

Pistolero — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:25:01 +0000

Qué dura es la vida de los jugadores NBA. Sí, cobran sueldos multimillonarios, pero una vez firman un contrato, se convierten en meros objetos para sus equipos, que pueden mercadear con ellos como les venga en gana. Hay que tener una gran fortaleza moral para encajar bien el que tu equipo te traspase a según qué franquicias. Y si no, que se lo pregunten a Quentin Richardson, que ya ha sido traspasado tres veces en lo que llevamos de verano…

Sí, Q-Rich está siendo el jugador más viajero del verano en la NBA, y en lo que llevamos de periodo de traspasos ha formado parte nada menos que de tres movimientos, que no es moco de pavo. Todo empezó con el traspaso que mandaba a Darko Milicic a los Knicks, que llevó a “Racheado” a las filas de los Memphis Grizzlies, donde no estaba destinado a jugar ni un solo partido. Porque al parecer a los responsables de los Grizzlies no les entusiasmaba demasiado la presencia de Richardson en el equipo, y unas semanas después le mandarían con un lacito hacia Los Ángeles en el traspaso que permitiría a Memphis hacerse con los servicios de Zach Randolph.

Bueno, California no estaba del todo mal, en especial tras la perspectiva de tener que pelear por cada balón en el equipo de chupones que parece que van a ser los Grizzlies la próxima temporada. Pero cuando Richardson ya debía de estar buscando una cinta roja para el pelo que hiciera juego con la elástica de los Clippers, ha vuelto a ser protagonista de un nuevo traspaso que le ha llevado nada menos que a Minnesota. Y es que los Timberwolves acaban de llegar a un acuerdo con los Clippers por el cual Sebastian Telfair, Mark Madsen (todo un clásico) y Craig Smith jugarán en Los Ángeles el año que viene. Por su parte, los Wolves reciben únicamente a Richardson y sus más de 9 millones de sueldo de su último año de contrato.

Pues nada, a “Racheado” le toca hacer las maletas por enésima vez y prepararse para el frío de Minnesota, que no se parece en nada al sol de California. En su favor hay que decir que probablemente contará con minutos en el equipo, habida cuenta del boquete que había quedado en el juego exterior de los Timberwolves tras el traspaso de Randy Foye y Mike Miller a los Wizards. Eso sí, si uno tiene que fijarse en el calado de los equipos en los que está recalando este verano (Grizzlies, Clippers, Timberwolves…), no se puede decir que Richardson sea precisamente una pieza codiciada por las grandes potencias de la liga…

En cuanto a los Clippers, consiguen a tres hombres que les pueden venir bien: Telfair es un base que el año pasado tuvo una de sus mejores temporadas, y puede ser un buen sustituto de Baron Davis. Además, el primo de Stephon Marbury empezaba a tener poco sitio en un equipo que ya ha firmado a Jonny Flynn y que parece cada vez más empeñado en traer a Ricky Rubio a la NBA. Craig Smith es mejor jugador de lo que parece, y Mark Madsen… bueno, es Mark Madsen, y seguro que como mínimo hace equipo. Así que los Clippers ganan un poco de profundidad que les vendrá muy bien.

Por cierto que la marcha de Telfair, dejando a Flynn, un rookie, como único base puro del equipo, ha suscitado rumores inmediatos al respecto del “caso Ricky”, rumores que David Kahn, GM de los Timberwolves, se ha apresurado a desmentir: “Este traspaso no supone ningún tipo de precedente. Aún no tenemos ninguna certeza de que Ricky vaya a jugar con nosotros”. Eso sí, a estas horas Kahn está en España intentando encontrar una solución al culebrón de Ricky. Donde dije “digo”…

El traspaso Timberwolves-Clippers no es la única noticia que se ha producido en los despachos en las últimas horas. También se ha sabido que Steve Nash renovará con los Phoenix Suns por dos años más y un total de unos 20 millones de dólares (en lo que supongo que será el último contrato de su carrera), y que Jarret Jack parece a punto de aceptar la oferta de los Toronto Raptors (lo que le convertiría en el suplente natural de José Manuel Calderón).

Y en un ratico, si tengo tiempo, una actualización del “caso Ricky”, aprovechando que, como decía, David Kahn se ha venido a España dispuesto a reducir esa cláusula de rescisión que tanto se está atragantando a todos los implicados en el caso…

Ricky Don't Lose That Number ...More To The Point More NBA Teams Are Said To Be Beguiled With Ricky Rubio

tophatal — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:31:20 +0000

Things are now said to be reaching fever pitch. As a number of teams are said to be making overtures

Team Needs: Northwest Division

Richard — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:48:52 +0000

Denver Nuggets – 54-28, 1st in Northwest, eliminated in Western Conference Finals
Nuggets salaries at HoopsHype

The Denver Nuggets had a spirited playoff run, and while Chauncey Billups is often credited for leading the charge, the supporting cast was just as important. Chris Andersen, Dahntay Jones and Anthony Carter are all unrestricted free agents and should be wanted back by the organization (Sonny Weems and Jason Hart are likely gone). SF Linas Kleiza was a forgotten man in Denver for a huge chunk of the season, but his playoff performances may have earned him another stint with the team. However, I feel that he is low on the priority list for Denver, below money management. Linas’ reduced role makes him expendable, so the Nuggets could opt not to extend a qualifying offer to him. However, if Jones walks, keeping Kleiza becomes more important. Expiring deals of Steven Hunter, Antonio McDyess and Renaldo Balkman can be used to fill any voids, though Denver seems to like Balkman’s energy. The Nuggets’ only draft pick is at #34, and an additional swingman or PF could be targeted. With the uncertainty of the SF spot on the team, look for a player like DaJuan Summers (Georgetown) or Danny Green (North Carolina) that can hit an open shot and defend.

Portland Trailblazers – 54-28, 2nd in Northwest, eliminated in First Round
Blazers salaries at HoopsHype

The Trailblazers crashed the playoff party this year, and gave us a glimpse at what they can become very soon. They are in an enviable position, with tons of cap room and young superstars in Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge that don’t make much money yet. Plus, they have a $9M expiring deal from the departed Darius Miles to deal, along with expiring players Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw that can contribute to a team looking for a role player. I’ve heard the Blazers linked to several free agents, including David Lee, Trevor Ariza and Andre Miller. A good team with a young core and no glaring holes should be a popular player in the market this offseason. With the #24, #33, #38, #55 and #56 selections in the draft, they are poised to pull the trigger on a big trade before or during the draft. For the picks they choose to keep, look for them to take the best player available.

Utah Jazz – 48-34, 3rd in Northwest, eliminated in First Round
Jazz salaries at HoopsHype

The Utah Jazz battled injuries all season and never seemed to reach their full potential. Now, the franchise is going to have to make some tough calls moving forward. PF Carlos Boozer has made it clear that he will explore his options this offseason, although he has not officially declined his player option. However, the Jazz may decide that they’d rather keep restricted free agent Paul Millsap instead. Millsap filled in well while Boozer was hurt, and it will be difficult financially to keep both. I think the better option is signing Millsap, who will be cheaper, plays better defense, and is far less injury-prone, and letting Boozer walk. C Mehmet Okur and SF Kyle Korver also have early termination options, so they could be faced with signing these important pieces as well. Ronnie Price, Jarron Collins, Brevin Knight and Morris Almond are all unrestricted free agents. After already exercising a team option on C Kyrylo Fesenko, PG Ronnie Price seems to be the only sure keeper in the bunch, serving as an energetic backup for Deron Williams. Money under the cap is getting tight, so replacing players lost to free agency in the draft is a focus. If North Carolina PF Tyler Hansbrough or Ohio State C BJ Mullens are there at #20, I see the Jazz jumping on one of those two.

Minnesota Timberwolves – 24-58, 4th in Northwest, missed playoffs
Timberwolves salaries at HoopsHype

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in a state of disarray right now, perhaps even more than when actually on the court. They let the firing of coach Kevin McHale linger until last week, and Kevin Love and Al Jefferson aren’t too happy. There have been rumors of trading one or both players, but they are likely untrue. The Timberwolves do have over $25M in expiring deals to ship out (the only possible keeper I see is SF Rodney Carney), and five picks in the draft, including three first-rounders (6, 18, 28). Sebastian Telfair plays well at times, but pairing a young PG with combo guard Randy Foye would give them a young backcourt to keep around. I see Minnesota going with a PG at #6, with Jonny Flynn (Syracuse), Stephen Curry (Davidson), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), and Brandon Jennings (Italy) all possibilities. If there, I think Flynn will be the best fit of this bunch, being a true point guard.

Oklahoma City Thunder – 23-59, 5th in Northwest, missed playoffs
Thunder salaries at HoopsHype

The Thunder are a young team, and not much is expected of them right now. but they’ve been drinking their milk, and are growing big and strong and could give some teams some trouble in a year or two. Kevin Durant is turning into a superstar, and he’s paired with young studs in Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green. The Thunder have good role players, but they could definitely use a good shooter at SG and a hulking presence in the middle; though nice players, Nenad Krstic and Nick Collison aren’t going to cut it. With lots of cap space, I see the Thunder going hard after SG Ben Gordon. He’d be a perfect fit with this team, and would be able to start. PG Shaun Livingston could get a look in the backcourt with Westbrook. He played well last season, and seemed to be gaining some quickness back after the chicken leg incident (NOT for the squeamish).
With their #3 pick, the Thunder have plenty of options. While the conventional choice will be Georgetown C Hasheem Thabeet, I don’t think that’s a good pick. I’m not sold on Thabeet, and the Thunder apparently really like BJ Mullens, so much so that they could trade a lower first-round pick to Detroit to move up and snag him and Amir Johnson in the process. I think the best talent available at #3 is Arizona State’s James Harden, and he’s not a bad consolation prize is they lose the Ben Gordon sweepstakes. If Harden is gone, Spanish PG Ricky Rubio would allow Westbrook to slide over to SG.

Guards aplenty, where will they fall? NBA Draft Preview Part 2

swamigp — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:51:16 +0000

Smooth shooter Stephen Curry seems destined to become a New York Knick. But will the Golden State Warriors snatch him up first?

Though the 2009 NBA Draft doesn’t boast the talent of past years, there are still plenty that can make an impact. Many are either point or shooting guards, a pair of positions that make up a majority of the 60 players that will be chosen on Draft night.

Here are my predictions for who will be selected 6-11 in the draft, and how the remainder of the draft will transpire for each team:

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: DeMar Derozan- Derozan should be selected based on process of elimination. The Timberwolves already have a young point guard, Sebastian Telfair, and off-guard Randy Foye to complete their backcourt. Also, they have an equally young and talented forward, Al Jefferson, and center, Kevin Love. This leaves an opening at small forward. Mike Miller currently holds this position, but I would be shocked if he wasn’t traded.

Top ten picks, in recent memory, are chosen to excel as starters immediately. Derozan could certainly continue this trend. A 6′7″, the 19-year old forward is explosive offensively, but also makes his mark on the defensive end. Minnesota has Corey Brewer, a player they selected in last year’s NBA Draft, is a similar defensive specialist, but is no where near the offensive player. Brewer could easily be supplanted, and could have more of an impact off the bench, giving the Timberwolves some defensive-minded depth off the bench.

Derozan has been widely criticized, and justly. He isn’t a great passer, is turnover-prone, and has an inconsistent jump shot. With these negatives, how is he a top-ten pick? Well, he’s an athletic specimen with tremendous size for his position. He’s a nightmare in transition on offense, an aggressive rebounder, and has a efficient mid-range jump-shot. He will be selected this early not only because he fills a need, but because of his potential.

18th Pick: B.J. Mullens- The Timberwolves lack size, without a dignified center. Jefferson, Love, and Craig Smith are power forwards, and have been forced to play out of position in different offensive sets. Mullens, at 7-feet, would give them what they desperately need. He wouldn’t start, but would give Minnesota the defense inside they currently lack.

28th pick: Eric Maynor- The savvy point guard out of Virginia Commonwealth would be a very intelligent pick, that is if he’s still on the board. He could backup Telfair, and, with his scoring ability, could spell Foye when needed. If he’s not available, the Timberwolves could reach and take a point guard otherwise destined for the second round.

45th pick: Robert Dozier- Dozier, a shot-blocker out of Memphis University, would add to their list of power-forwards , but would give them some length to compliment the bulk of Jefferson and Smith.

47th pick: Wesley Matthews-He’s undersized for a shooting guard, but has a knack for scoring and doesn’t disappoint on the defensive end. Matthews would be a valuable asset late in games, and could provide an offensive jolt if injury thins their depth.

7. Golden State Warriors: Brandon Jennings- Jennings, a speedy point guard, would fit Don Nelson’s run ‘n gun system. Nelson has one rule: if you are open, shoot. Jennings can oblidge, but the reason why he is so highly touted is his passing ability. His penetration and floor presence would give the likes of Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis plenty of shots from the perimeter, which is Golden State’s mantra. He’s not known for his defense, so, again, he’ll fit right in.

The Warriors could be tempted by Stephen Curry, the high scorer out of Davidson, but I don’t think he would mesh well with Ellis, as both are are shooting guards in the size of point guards.

8. New York Knicks: Stephen Curry- The aforementioned guard wants to be a Knick, and the Knicks want him. So, unless he goes earlier, New York won’t waste any time in calling his name. He’s a deadly scorer, averaging 28 points per game for the Davidson Wildcats, and can display the unselfishness of a point guard, as he also managed to dish out 5 assists per game. Head Coach Mike D’ Antoni, the orchestrator of the “Seven seconds or less” offense with the Phoenix Suns, would do wonders for Curry, and love his dangerous scoring ability. (As a side note, Curry wowed LeBron James, whom the Knicks are wooing, in a game earlier this year against NC State. Could his presence alone help James become a Knick?)

9. Toronto Raptors: Gerald Henderson Jr.- Plenty of stellar point guards are on the board, but the Raptors, with Jose Calderon, don’t need one. Henderson, an aggressive and intelligent scorer out of Duke, has the potential to made an immediate impact on the offensive and defensive end, and give the Raptors the scoring they lost by trading sharp-shooter Jason Kapono.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Johnny Flynn- The former Syracuse point guard’s draft stock skyrocketed with a breakout sophomore season. A tremendous leader with an improved jump-shot, he is the prototypical point guard. He’s not shy offensively, but looks to make plays for others before taking over. He has a tremendous work ethic, and, at Syracuse, played every minute as if it was his last. If he wasn’t touted already, Flynn put his name on the map with a 34 point, 11 rebound, 6 assist, 67-minute performance against the Connecticut Huskies in a six-overtime thriller. So, if the Bucks are ever in this situation, they will have a guard who can play an obscene amount of minutes and excel. It doesn’t hurt to carry this attribute.

He is generously listed at 6-foot, and doesn’t shoot three-pointers well, but his point guard mentality and will to win should wow the Bucks, and allow them to let Ramon Sessions leave through free-agency.

41st pick: Josh Heytvelt- A strong power-forward out of Gonzaga, Heytvelt would give the Bucks the low-post presence they currently lack off the bench. He has range uncanny for his size of 6′11″ and a smooth inside game with a wide-array of moves. He is also a fabulous rebounder, a category in which Milwaukee struggled last season.

11. New Jersey Nets: Jeff Teague- The point guard out of Wake Forest is similar to Flynn: he doesn’t have a great shot, but can, nonetheless, can greatly affect his team with his leadership. He rack up some assists, but is more of a scoring point guard. He is turnover-prone, but he can improve with some experience. He won’t start for the Nets, as Devin Harris is their point guard of the present and future, but could be an adequate backup (they currently don’t have a point guard other than Harris on their roster).

The Nets have other needs, but they would have to take a player not worthy of this low a selection. Teague is a fine talent to settle for.

Part 3 of my draft preview to come.

Whatever Happened To Insert Name Here?

tophatal — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:37:35 +0000

It seemed not so long ago upon his entrance into the NBA .We were being told that the

All-NBA Teams.

fantastiksports — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:14:08 +0000

Some dude named Bethlehem Shoals decided to look at the All-NBA Teams. FreeDarko feat. Bethlehem Sho

Celtics' rally, Marbury's redemption?

jeffkellylowenstein3 — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:13:49 +0000

Stephon Marbury keyed a Boston Celtics' comeback last night that led to a stirring victory.

Down 14 points with less than nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the situation looked bleak for the Boston Celtics last night.

Hedo Turkoglu was alternately hitting improbable shots and dishing to open teammates like Dwight “Superman” Howard for three-point plays. The Celtics’ offense was like a buggy mired in a ditch. The anxiety in the crowd at the TD Banknorth Garden-having grown up in the area, I still have to fight my impulse to write ‘the Garden’-was palpable.

The game, and very possibly, the season, hung in the balance.

Enter Stephon Marbury.

Hitting a combination of jumpers, a three-point shot from international waters and a conventional three-point play in which he attacked the Defensive Player of the Year Howard in the lane and threw the ball off the glass for a layup, Marbury scored all of his 12 points in the fourth quarter and provided a much-needed spark to the Celtics’ offense.

Marbury’s play was a key element in a comeback that culminated in a gritty92-88 victory and gave the Celtics a 3-2 lead heading back to Orlando.

The undeniably talented Marbury-even with his declining output during the past four years, he still sports career averages of 19 points and 7.7 assists per game- has often been pilloried as the embodiment of the self-absorbed, me-first player whose teams inevitably improve after he leaves them.

Here in Chicago, Youtube video sensation MrChiCity3 recently mocked the tattoo on Marbury’s head, and STATS Inc. noted recently that his time with the Celtics marked the first time in his career that his team had advanced past the first round of the playoffs.

By all accounts, Marbury has been a solid citizen in his stint with the Celtics. Since joining the team in March, in fact, he has been more notable for his reluctance, rather than willingness, to shoot.

I wrote at that time about two books in which Marbury figures prominently: Darcy Frey’s The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams; and Ian O’Connor’s The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High Stakes Business of High School Ball.

Both are worth another mention.

In The Last Shot, Marbury is an entering freshman at Lincoln High School, on the cusp of continuing the line of New York City high school point guard legends-a lineage that includes Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Mark Jackson, among others. Frey focuses his attention on three other, less gifted players from Coney Island, showing at base how these and other young men have concluded that basketball, rather than school, is the only viable option for them out of the community.

Up to that point, no basketball player from Coney Island had hit the big time.

O’Connor’s book picks up the story years later with Telfair about to enter his senior year at Lincoln High School and vacillating between declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft or running the point for Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals. Telfair’s cousin, Marbury is portrayed as petulant and jealous, even as he and “Bassy” do have a reconciliation late in the book.

In March, I wrote,

“While The Last Shot is a better written book, The Jump sheds more light on Marbury’s adult personality.

Taken together, these works would appear to offer little reason for optimism that the Celtics have made the right decision in taking on Marbury.

And yet they are banking on the locker room leadership of Garnett, CaptainPaul Pierce and Ray Allento hold Marbury to account as well as Marbury’s knowledge that, for him, this could easily be his last shot.

The last quarter of the regular season starts today.”

Marbury and the Celtics still need another win to advance to the conference finals for the second consecutive year.

The young and hungry Orlando team will unquestionably be looking to make a statement that last night’s victory was a fluke. Led by recently crowned MVP LeBron James, the well-rested and undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers await the certainly weary victors. The West will certainly bring a worthy opponent, too.

In short, the transformation for Stephon Marbury from NBA miscreant to role player on a repeat champion is uncertain and far from complete.

And yet, hoops lovers across the world would be remiss if they did not stop for a minute and notice the budding change in the Coney Island native that occurred on the Garden floor last night.

Game 6 tips off tomorrow night.

Is It Safe to Call Sebastian Telfair a Bust? | Dime Magazine (www ...

raskeocu — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:29:20 +0000

The latest news, notes and opinions on the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. Follow players like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and others throughout the day on our Dallas Mavericks blog.[More..]

New York has a history of kick-starting the hype machine early on promising point guards, and you can look up Stephon Marbury or Sebastian Telfair for more on that one. Both players came up on the same hardscrabble Brooklyn streets as …[More..]

Sebastian Telfair (photo. NBA) A couple years ago, I covered a Knicks/Celtics game at MSG, back when the Celtics still stank and the Knicks were bad and.[More..]

Henry Brothers Choose Kansas, Stephenson Up Next

RDM — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:49:03 +0000

Now that Xavier and CJ Henry have decided on KU, the next big landing will be that of Lance Stephens

Stephon Marbury: Previous insight on the new Celtic.

jeffkellylowenstein3 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:56:49 +0000

Two books may provide insight on whether the Celtics did the right thing in signing Stephon Marbury.

Dunreith and I are heading back to Chicago today.

It’s been a rich weekend, filled with food, family and connection.

Meghan and Maureen got married in a brief and elegant ceremony followed by an emotion-laden reception with plenty of wine, laughter, tears and a wide assortment of appetizers from risotto to short ribs.

My brother-in-law Josh and nephew Jacob initiated me into the ways of The White Hut, a greasy spoon with heaping portions of caramel fried onions, razor-thin burgers and instantly cooked hot dogs.

Jacob gave me the initial briefing on how to order decisively and incompletely-you ask for condiments besides the fried onions after the initial request-while Josh informed me about the lettuce, tomato and onions many are not aware are available to them.

And Dunreith and I took several lengthy walks through Longmeadow, a classic New England town, with a village green, plenty of homes from the late 1700s and, in a conscious decision, no industrial development.

I also caught large parts of the Celtics-Cavaliers game on Friday night, when the Celtics essentially held home court in pushing back the Cavs, 105-94.

The victory not only pulled the C’s into a virtual tie with the Cavaliers for the best record in Eastern Conference, the team showed grit in winning without the injured Kevin Garnett, and, for the last quarter and a half, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who was ejected after a clothesline of Anderson Varejao that sparked memories of Kevin McHale’s takedown of Kurt Rambis in the 1984 NBA Finals.

Newest Celtic Stephon Marbury played an important role in the Celtics’ victory Friday night, hitting a jumper during a decisive fourth quarter run. The mercurial “Starbury” has been the subject of much scrutiny before his arrival on the team, with many citing his teams’ losing records and his destructive influence in the clubhouse as reasons for the Celtics not to take him.

Thus far the relationship seems to be mutually beneficial. Marbury has joined a team on which he can actually play and the Celtics have experienced backup help for Rajon Rondo.

Readers wanting to learn more about Marbury should go to Darcy Frey’s The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams, a searching and arresting profile of Coney Island and an America in which many black men determine that their only legitimate route to success and fulfillment is through basketball.

Frey spends much of a summer and the first half of a school year in the early 90s following three high school players. Russell, Corey and Tchaka all live in Coney Island, a down and out community rife with poverty, crime and drugs that has produced plenty of talent, but no professionals. Marbury, the youngest of the group, is the latest in the neighborhood and even his family to carry collective dreams on his young and highly talented shoulders.

Frey brilliantly weaves descriptions of the neighborhood’s history, individual profiles of the players-the easy going Corey is physically gifted but more of a ladies’ man, while the deadly serious Russell practices relentlessly and is haunted by the razor-thin margin between success and failure-and the shamelessly self-serving and exploitative tactics adopted by college colleges. Frey opens one chapter with a monologue by Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim which includes the mention of almost all the possible advantages of a Syracuse University education except, of course, the education itself.

Marbury is presented as enormously gifted, highly comfortable using the status that accrues from his talent and also aware that he is not just playing for himself, but for siblings like Eric Marbury, who attended the University of Georgia with Dominique Wilkins but whose career fizzled out. Frey does an impressive job of creating sympathetic portraits of these young men who, because of their circumstances, are denied the ability at most points to simply play and enjoy the game.

Frey’s introduction to Marbury is picked up years later in Ian O’Connor’s The Jump: Sebastian Telfair and the High Stakes Business of High School Ball.

As its title suggests, this book focuses on Telfair, Marbury’s younger, and some say even more talented, cousin, during his senior year at Lincoln High School. Like Marbury, Telfair is another in the line of remarkable New York City point guards. Like his older relative, Telfair must carry the weight of other people’s expectations. And, like Marbury, “Bassy” must navigate through a neighborhood with plenty of distractions and obstacles and must decided whether to go straight to the pros or play for Rick Pitino and his Louisville Cardinals for a year.

The Marbury of The Jump is well onto his way to becoming the Starbury on whom so much criticism has been heaped. Petty, jealous and insecure, Marbury is shown to be unwilling to provide guidance to his younger cousin, in part because Telfair beat him in games of one-on-one. The two have a rapprochement before the book’s end, but the unflattering impression of Marbury remains.

While The Last Shot is a better written book, The Jump sheds more light on Marbury’s adult personality.

Taken together, these works would appear to offer little reason for optimism that the Celtics have made the right decision in taking on Marbury.

And yet they are banking on the locker room leadership of Garnett, CaptainPaul Pierce and Ray Allen to hold Marbury to account as well as Marbury’s knowledge that, for him, this could easily be his last shot.

The last quarter of the regular season starts today.

NBA: Lakers 111 - Timberwolves 108

Grati — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:37:09 +0000

Los Angeles Lakers 111 – Minnesota Timberwolves 108 Meci disputat la Minneapolis. Kobe Bryant

Bobbito.

Reviresco — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:38:00 +0000

Whether it’s Dj cucumber slice, make it happen, boogie bob, bag of tricks, the barber or kool rob love, Bobbito Garcia has been doing his thang for a hot minute now. Along with DJ Stretch Armstrong on Columbia University’s wkcr 89.9FM they were voted best hip-hop radio show of all time by the source back when they were still credible in 98.

Bobbito is also an accomplished ball player in his native New York, peep his “Make it Happen the freestyle file”

Bob also hosted ESPN’s “It’s The Shoes” and was featured in the documentary film “Just for Kicks” below is a clip from his show on ESPN.

Aldridge becoming a star for young Blazers

swamigp — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:00:58 +0000

LaMarcus Aldridge has molded into a dangerous threat for the Portland Trail Blazers

In the 2006 NBA Draft the Portland Trail Blazers held the #4 overall pick. This was too low for their taste. The Blazers knew their targeted player would be chosen sooner. So, General Manager Kevin Pritchard went to work. He called the Chicago Bulls, who had the second pick, with hopes of pulling off a trade. Chicago listened, took power forward LaMarcus Aldridge out of the University of Texas, and traded his rights to Portland in exchange for their selection, Tyrus Thomas, from LSU. Aldridge switched caps, and not only became their power forward of the future, but also a vital piece of a franchise determined to change.

The Blazers were a mess prior to the arrival of Aldridge and Brandon Roy, who they also traded for in the draft. “JailBlazers” Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire had already left town but, unfortunately, others remained, disrupting Aldridge’s maturation. Zach Randolph, Darius Miles, and Sebastian Telfair had potential, but did everything off the field to earn a trip out of Portland. The Blazers, who had finished 21-61 in 2005-06, had no choice but to retool their roster. Randolph remained, but Miles was waived after undergoing micro-fracture surgery and Telfair was traded before Aldridge’s arrival. Randolph lasted the 2006-07 season, then was traded to the New York Knicks. Randolph wasn’t traded just because he was a hassle, but because he was in the way of Aldridge, who wasn’t able to get comfortable in his rookie season. Aldridge would get a chance to prove his worth, taking over the reigns as the starting power forward in his second season, with a savvier assortment of players accompanying him.

Aldridge quickly allowed fans to forget about Randolph, scoring 27 points in the first game of the season, and averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds over the first month. He was inexperienced, but didn’t show many signs of it. At 6′11,” Aldridge boasted a very good, high-release jump shot with surprising range. He shrugged off various minor injuries to become the Blazers second scoring option behind Roy, finishing the season averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds, placing third in the voting for the Most Improved Player Award.

Aldridge made a name for himself, turning into one of the top power forwards in the NBA, in a very successful 41-41 season. With the franchise’s troubles behind them, it would be up to players like Aldridge to complete the turnaround and end Portland’s six-season playoff drought. So far, Aldridge is up to the challenge. The only knock on Aldridge during his second season was his apparent lack of toughness, as many thought he was too one-dimensional, afraid to develop an inside game. He’s answered critics during the Blazers current 20-12 start. He has been aggressive offensively by willingly posting up, giving up no ground by mastering a hook shot, and challenged his opponent at the rim. This was never more clear than in Portland’s unbelievable win over the Boston Celtics. Aldridge battled Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett on the offensive end, and didn’t allow him to verbally berate him without getting in his two cents as well.

Throughout this season, Aldridge has not only improved his offensive repertoire and aggressiveness, but also his defense. He’s blocking a shot per game, but a majority of his effectiveness on the defensive end do not show up in the boxscore. While others on the team have struggles on defense, Aldridge has done all he can, forming a three-headed defensive threat with centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla.

Entering the NBA, Aldridge didn’t have a formidable mentor on the Blazers roster. Yet, because of his outstanding group of teammates surrounding him, and because of his pure talent and determination, he has molded into a star and a leader on a Portland team destined to reach the postseason, and forget those who haunted their past.

Kevin McHale Can't Be This Desperate

hillman4mayor — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:07:07 +0000

So I just heard on SNY, in New York City- that their is a rumor going around that the Timberwolves might be interested in trading for Stephon Marbury in exchange for his cousin, Sebastian Telfair and/or former Tar Heel standout, Rashad McCants. (For all you US Weekly and In-Touch Magazine readers out there, I guess McCants is dating one of the Kardashian sisters. Salute to him.)

Not sure what McCants or Telfair’s contracts look like- and I’m sure at this point in the season- what’s a couple more months of eating Marbury’s contract going to hurt for the Knicks? But more importantly, what’s McHale doing? I guess he’s admitting that McCants and Telfair were huge mistakes. Good thing the Knicks are around to snatch up those mistakes.

Quick Rewind: Timberwolves 120, Knicks 107

Dan — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:35:37 +0000

Recap from AP: “Kevin McHale turned to prayer, though it wasn’t really needed. The combination of Al Jefferson inside and some sizzling 3-point shooting was more than enough. The Timberwolves snapped a 13-game losing streak and won for the first time this season under McHale, getting a season-best 23 points fromRashad McCants in a 120-107 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night. ”The guys have been playing hard and we really needed this one,” McHale said. “At the end of the game I said, ‘Thank God,’ and I meant it.” Jefferson added 21 points and 15 rebounds in the Timberwolves’ first victory since beating Oklahoma City on Nov. 28. They had dropped their first eight games under McHale, who took over when Randy Wittman was fired Dec. 8.”

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The Knicks have suffered their worst loss of the season as the losing streak has now reached five games. As the numbers do indicate, this is a loss that has to be put on the defense. They simply did not bring the energy tonight defensively which was the main reason that they fell into a hole in this one and couldn’t find a way to climb out of it. The pace of the game, at 99.0, was at the Knicks liking (their season average was 100.7) but a lot of that may have had to do with the fact that Minnesota had way too many open looks to turn down. After the game Coach D’Antoni was quoted as saying, “We weren’t mentally sharp.”

The offensive numbers that the T-Wolves put up on Friday night were pretty rediculous. They had an offensive efficiency rating of 121.2 which pretty much tells you what you need to know as that is extraordinary (the current median for Offensive Efficiency in the league right now is around 104). Minnesota entered tonight game ranked 28th in the NBA in that category, averaging 98.3. That tells you how poor the Knicks defense really was tonight and why they could not mount a comeback. There are other ugly stats: the T-Wolves shot 51% from the field, 54% from behind the arc, and that translates to a silly effective field goal percentage of 60.1%. One of the big keys for the T-Wolves was the play of Rashad McCants. He scored 23 points on just 12 shots which included 7 big treys in just 21 minutes. He hit a lot of big shots from the perimeter that really deflated the Knicks.

The numbers show that the Knicks were actually pretty good offensively but it wasn’t enough to make up for the poor defensive effort. They made a couple runs, one at the end of the first half and one in the fourth quarter, but when you don’t make stops you can’t comeback to win. The Knicks really need to start defending the screen and roll better. They were putrid against it on Friday as Sebastian Telfair really had his way and seemed to get in the paint at will. Give Telfair credit because he played extremely well, but the Knicks have to figure out a way to get on the same page defensively.

The Knicks have now fallen to 11-17 and the losses are starting to pile up. One of the worst teams in the NBA came to Madison Square Garden and pretty much had their way. Things are tough right now as the .500 mark drifts farther and farther out of their reach. We’ve all seen this story before. Will the Knicks fall apart like they have in the past or will they find a way to get it straightened out? A big key will be if they can keep the spirits up in the locker room and get the team to play with intensity night in and night out. What we do know is the defense needs improvement. Now Eddy Curry could be back in a couple of weeks. Oh boy. I love ya Mr. D’Antoni, but trying to improve your defense while putting Eddy Curry on the floor is a lot harder than you think. Sunday’s tilt with the Nuggets will be a test for sure.