Midnight Madness. The non-NBA fan doesn't hear these words until the week before Christmas when retail establishments thrust some individuals into a panic-frenzied state in an effort to both start and finish their holiday shopping. Sure, the big box stores are staying open late to HELP you get that last-minute gift. But don't kid yourself. They are hiding something. They want you to be thinking beyond the holidays and remember how they helped you out of a tight spot. Insert Washington Wizards. Talk about hiding something: Gilbert Arenas. While most of you were tucked in your beds at 12:01am this morning fast asleep, the Washington Wizards opened training camp, leaving some in the media wishing they were at home with their warm and fuzzies on. C'mon. The Wizards are trying to be more fan-friendly and this morning's event drew about 4,000 according to some reports. We know Gilbert Arenas is trying to get over that pesky gun conviction and so to, are the Wizards after an embarrassing 2009-2010 season to say the least. Arenas was avoiding the camera and tried to hide in plain sight. Please. That's what a two year-old does with chocolate all over their face inching away from the cookie jar. What he should have done was just stand there, answer the questions no matter how annoying they were to him and move on. No hide and seek. Just stand and face the music until the volume subsides. There's madness everywhere in the NBA, though. Let's touch on a few: Carmelo Anthony, NBA coaches coming and going and oh yeah, the "we are so awesome yet not really" speech were heard from some in the Raptors camp on Media Day.
Guy Smiley is Reincarnated
So you are at a Christmas party and get stuck in a convo-circle with a bunch of people you don't like. What do you do? Make conversation and put on a happy face. This is what Carmelo Anthony did on media day trying to address the "should I stay or should I go" story. You could tell he didn't want to be there and was wearing his Denver Nuggets uniform like a kid wearing his Sunday best - uncomfortable. Think back to early this summer when he was offered a 3 year, 65 million-dollar contract extension. He still hasn't signed that little piece of security and instead offers up the "keeping my options open" excuse. He claims he never wanted to be traded but wants to leave some options open until the end of this season when he'll sit down with the Denver Nuggets Management and go from there. "I'm here, man. I'm here today. Whatever the future holds, it holds". Does this sound like a guy who just wants to get out there and play some ball? Look at all the issues the Nuggets have to face this season. George Karl is coaching on a one year contract - though his health issues are behind that one. Chancey Billups has a team option for 2011-2012 and Kenyon Martin along with Chris Anderson are nursing injuries. Not a good way to start the season, boys. Not a good way.
Just Rip the Band-Aid Off
Seriously. How painful is it going to be this season for a third of the teams in the NBA? We have 30 teams, 8 of which have a new coach which means a whole lot of dip testing going on trying to figure out team chemistry. Here are the list of Head Coach newbies: Monty Williams of the New Orleans Hornets; Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls; Keith Smart of the Golden State Warriors; Avery Johnson of the New Jersey Nets; Larry Drew of the Atlanta Hawks; Doug Collins of the Philadelphia 76ers; Byron Scott of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Vinny Del Negro of the L.A. Clippers. The two I am most concerned about are the last two on this list. Not so much for Del Negro, though he's coming off a tough coaching stint with the Bulls and I hope it works out for him with the Clippers. Remember that other club Byron Scott wanted to offer his coaching services, to? As a former Laker, Scott wanted to coach his former team and continue his legacy in the purple and gold. But Phil Jackson wasn't ready to give up his seat yet so Byron Scott was forced to make a decision and he decided to move to Cleveland. I know you know this story but doesn't it sound a little suspicious to you? I called it here on the DNB in a "Jiggly Bits" piece after the Lakers won the 2010 NBA Championship. I had a feeling Phil was going to retire as Head Coach of the Lakers since he missed the Championship parade and gave the "doctors appointment" excuse. Unless you are hooked up to tubes and lying in a hospital bed, you don't miss something like that, especially as a Head Coach and especially when a routine doctors appointment can be rescheduled in light of winning an NBA Championship. I am sure stepping down after 20 years of coaching is a hard decision to make and is a reason why he took the summer to do it. Or maybe he didn't want to hand off his 'baby' to Byron Scott and wanted him to move on to another team. Phil Jackson has admitted to saying he would like to promote one of his coaching assistants, Brian Shaw to the position. I know Phil is almighty powerful but remember, he doesn't have the power to do that. If he did, why would he waste it on Brian Shaw? Why not use it to bring back Red Auerbach from the dead in his Head Coaching prime or reincarnate himself because really, who IS going to replace the great Phil Jackson. Man, this season is going to be pure bananas. I am looking forward to every minute of it.
You Can't Blame Him
Imagine you have a bunch of microphones in your face and you own the Toronto Raptors. What would you say to the media given what you have? Of course, you are going to use phrases like it "feels better" when describing your current team or ride the positivity train. That is what Brian Colangelo did on Media Day and that is his job. I think it was interesting he was all cool and collected when talking about Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu leaving and how the Raptors are not "held hostage" by certain contracts now and how they finally have some "financial flexibility". Ok, I get it. But when you start answers with, "No knock on Chris, but he tended to hold onto to the ball a lot" or "No knock on Hedo, but I think (Linas) Klieza will give us more than Hedo" how could you not think there was even a little resentment there. Granted, it will be hard to replace the average 24 points and 11 rebounds Chris Bosh gave the Raptors each night but at least Colangelo is realistic in thinking it is not going to come from one person. Maybe he is right. Maybe some of the other Raptors 'hiding in Bosh's shadow' will be given a chance to perform. Maybe we will see some great things from this team now that they are able to make a fresh start. Or maybe we shouldn't get our hopes up and try our best to get behind a team who is clearly rebuilding again. I'll go with door number three.
Basketball Beyond the Floor
Remember to join me on here on the DNB this Thursday when we will be discussing Condition The NBA Way. It's a strength and conditioning book published in 1994 and written by 14 strength and conditioning coaches in the NBA at the time. It's funny and you do actually learn something from it. See you Thursday and until then, happy reading.
Showing posts with label Phil Jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phil Jackson. Show all posts
9/28/10
6/10/10
Coaching Merry-Go-Round Filling Up
Bryan Colangelo said early the Raptors would not be seeking a new head coach. They did add an assistant in P.J Carlesmio. But those empty coaching positions are starting to fill up. Avery Johnson will need to work on his Russian as he is expected to take the job as coach of the Nets. Johnson is a former coach of the year and has been working with ESPN, now is getting back behind the bench. I have to admit I am a bit surprised. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov had tried to get Coach K from Duke. He also wants to be in the hunt for Lebron James. So you thought he might make an offer Phil Jackson could not refuse given his deep pockets. It is not that Avery Johnson is not a good coach, he won coach of the year in Dallas. Still, you just expected a much bigger splash from the Russian billionaire.
That being said Johnson is a solid hire and will be a major upgrade for the Nets. It is an exciting organization to be with given the new ownership. Johnson apparently was on the Hawks wish list as well but they will now have to look elsewhere. I had said earlier in the blog another former coach of the year seems a good fit in Atlanta. Sam Mitchell the former Raptors coach and ATL resident seems like the guy to me.
The other news buzzing is what the Cavs might do with there open coaching spot. The word is Tom Izzo the Michigan State coach is the guy they want. What this means for the Lebron chances of re-signing is anybodies guess. Izzo has had a tremendous track record at Michigan State. He has coached a number of players that have been successful on the next level. A few that haven't as well. I remember when Morris Peterson was with the Raptors he would talk with great regard for Izzo.
It seems like something that doesn't make a ton of sense for Izzo. If James leaves that is. I see it as similar to coming in after a legendary coach. A real no win situation. According to the Associated Press he is working on finalizing a deal that would pay him 6 million per-season for 5 years. Izzo has had other chances to make this jump before. In fact according to an article by Andy Katz's on ESPN the Raptors were one of the teams he considered once upon a time.
Izzo has really done it all in the NCAA winning a championship with that group "The FLINTstones" that included longtime Raptor Morris Peterson. He also recently took Michigan State all the way to the Final in Detroit when the city hosted the Final Four.
New Orleans recently filled there vacant coaching position with Monty Williams. This is his first job as a head coach in the NBA after being an assistant with Portland under Nate McMillan. Chicago of course still has there open coaching position after firing Vinny Del Negro. We already mentioned Atlanta with a open coaching position as well. We may have to wait till July 1st for the player free agency to get rolling. But the coaching free agent season is in high gear.
Phil Jackson is expected to take some kind of pay cut if he wants to remain in L.A. Most feel a return to Chicago is not in the cards as his departure from the Bulls was not pleasant. However if the Lakers win or lose a title, it would seem the Bulls are at least waiting to talk with Phil. They may even be waiting to talk to Doc Rivers? Who there was talk he might step away from the Celtics and take some time away from coaching. Doc Rivers just happens to be from Chicago right? So is D-Wade and Obama for those keeping track. Doug Collins started the ball rolling in leaving the TNT broadcast booth to join the Sixers. He was once rumored as a candidate before the Bulls ended up picking Del Negro. Jeff Van Gundy has said he will do at least 1 more year of broadcasting with ESPN/ABC. Which is great, now if some team would just hire Mark Jackson to coach and get him out of the booth that would be great too.
That being said Johnson is a solid hire and will be a major upgrade for the Nets. It is an exciting organization to be with given the new ownership. Johnson apparently was on the Hawks wish list as well but they will now have to look elsewhere. I had said earlier in the blog another former coach of the year seems a good fit in Atlanta. Sam Mitchell the former Raptors coach and ATL resident seems like the guy to me.
The other news buzzing is what the Cavs might do with there open coaching spot. The word is Tom Izzo the Michigan State coach is the guy they want. What this means for the Lebron chances of re-signing is anybodies guess. Izzo has had a tremendous track record at Michigan State. He has coached a number of players that have been successful on the next level. A few that haven't as well. I remember when Morris Peterson was with the Raptors he would talk with great regard for Izzo.
It seems like something that doesn't make a ton of sense for Izzo. If James leaves that is. I see it as similar to coming in after a legendary coach. A real no win situation. According to the Associated Press he is working on finalizing a deal that would pay him 6 million per-season for 5 years. Izzo has had other chances to make this jump before. In fact according to an article by Andy Katz's on ESPN the Raptors were one of the teams he considered once upon a time.
Izzo has really done it all in the NCAA winning a championship with that group "The FLINTstones" that included longtime Raptor Morris Peterson. He also recently took Michigan State all the way to the Final in Detroit when the city hosted the Final Four.
New Orleans recently filled there vacant coaching position with Monty Williams. This is his first job as a head coach in the NBA after being an assistant with Portland under Nate McMillan. Chicago of course still has there open coaching position after firing Vinny Del Negro. We already mentioned Atlanta with a open coaching position as well. We may have to wait till July 1st for the player free agency to get rolling. But the coaching free agent season is in high gear.
Phil Jackson is expected to take some kind of pay cut if he wants to remain in L.A. Most feel a return to Chicago is not in the cards as his departure from the Bulls was not pleasant. However if the Lakers win or lose a title, it would seem the Bulls are at least waiting to talk with Phil. They may even be waiting to talk to Doc Rivers? Who there was talk he might step away from the Celtics and take some time away from coaching. Doc Rivers just happens to be from Chicago right? So is D-Wade and Obama for those keeping track. Doug Collins started the ball rolling in leaving the TNT broadcast booth to join the Sixers. He was once rumored as a candidate before the Bulls ended up picking Del Negro. Jeff Van Gundy has said he will do at least 1 more year of broadcasting with ESPN/ABC. Which is great, now if some team would just hire Mark Jackson to coach and get him out of the booth that would be great too.
5/24/10
On The List For A Monday
So there is a lot of debate over this list and if it actually is real. A report by Chad Ford of ESPN says Bosh had a list of 5 teams he presented to the Raptors that he would consider signing with. The Raptors were on the list along with Chicago, Miami, L.A Lakers and New York. This was denied by Bosh's agent Henry Thomas said no such list was given to the Raptors. He also said he and his client are considering all options and that may even include walking away with no sign and trade. Bryan Colangelo seemed to suggest the Raptors are aware of the teams Bosh would consider.
No one on this list if it was or is real is a surprise. What is also not a surprise is none of these teams have a great package to offer the Raptors. Most favour the Lakers as the best option with a package that would include Andrew Bynum. But when you consider Bynum is looking at off-season knee surgery and has a long injury history, do you really want to go there? It is so hard to figure out what is real in all this mess. However it sure seems to me that the Raptors are not going to do a sign and trade just for the sake of doing one. While the Bosh camp claims they would consider not taking the 30 million dollars and just walking away, I don't believe them. It is a lot harder for Bosh to get back that 30 million dollars than it is for James or Wade.
In short, list or not, this really is just the first of many rumours and alleged stories. Both sides will use the media to float their agenda. So just because a team is not on this magic list doesn't rule them out of the mix. It was also believed that if James were to choose either New York or Chicago that may influence Bosh to come join him in those places. What Bosh story would not be complete with out a twitter angle. He of course had to tweet that the story about this list was not true. My advice to Chris is... you are paying Henry Thomas a lot of cash to do that leave it to him to deal with.
Thomas is also of course the agent for Wade as well and he says the he has not put together any type of meeting with both his clients for them to consider playing together. Although he said that does not mean it would not happen in the future and that the two could obviously talk on their own if they wanted to do so. Thomas at the end of the day will be a popular guy leading up to July 1st.
No one on this list if it was or is real is a surprise. What is also not a surprise is none of these teams have a great package to offer the Raptors. Most favour the Lakers as the best option with a package that would include Andrew Bynum. But when you consider Bynum is looking at off-season knee surgery and has a long injury history, do you really want to go there? It is so hard to figure out what is real in all this mess. However it sure seems to me that the Raptors are not going to do a sign and trade just for the sake of doing one. While the Bosh camp claims they would consider not taking the 30 million dollars and just walking away, I don't believe them. It is a lot harder for Bosh to get back that 30 million dollars than it is for James or Wade.
In short, list or not, this really is just the first of many rumours and alleged stories. Both sides will use the media to float their agenda. So just because a team is not on this magic list doesn't rule them out of the mix. It was also believed that if James were to choose either New York or Chicago that may influence Bosh to come join him in those places. What Bosh story would not be complete with out a twitter angle. He of course had to tweet that the story about this list was not true. My advice to Chris is... you are paying Henry Thomas a lot of cash to do that leave it to him to deal with.
Thomas is also of course the agent for Wade as well and he says the he has not put together any type of meeting with both his clients for them to consider playing together. Although he said that does not mean it would not happen in the future and that the two could obviously talk on their own if they wanted to do so. Thomas at the end of the day will be a popular guy leading up to July 1st.
Brown Out Again
In other news a rumour has now become reality in Cleveland. If Lebron James returns to the Cavs he will have a new head coach. Mike Brown who the day after the Cavs were knocked out by the Celtics had been reportedly fired now is. Brown joins a long list of former Coach of The Year winners on the unemployment line. I would think Brown is not likely to get a job even though a lot of openings are out there. He clearly got out coached by Doc Rivers and he suffers from the fact he had the best player in the game to coach. Which greatly devalues anything he accomplished in Cleveland. What he failed to accomplish was a championship and that is why he has been shown the door. Lebron also failed to get that done and he will still be the top free agent in the world. Life isn't fair I suppose for coaches. Even Phil Jackson is rumored to have to take a pay cut next year should he return to the Lakers? Phil Jackson deserves every dime he makes. In terms of Brown his next head coaching job is likely not is his near future.
Toronto Needs James
The Toronto Raptors need to get James. You thought I meant Lebron? Come on now... that is not happening. No the James the Raptors should consider, played for the Texas Longhorns and would be available for the Raptors at the 13th pick. This is assuming that the Raptors will keep this pick. Damion James could be an answer for the Raptors on the wing to add to the young core of Weems and DeRozan. He was the leader on his Texas squad that stormed out of the gate in the NCAA this year to be ranked #1. The Longhorns would struggle and eventually free fall out of the rankings. However James was always a guy that gave good effort on both sides of the ball. He is an athlete and can score the basketball. In looking at the various mock drafts James would be a bit of a reach for the Raptors. However I like him a lot more than some of the other options they have for the Raptors at that spot. The reality is that anyone you are taking at 13 is a bit of a gamble. I think with James it is far less of one and you know what you get in him. Here is his bio and judge for yourself.
Hope you are having a great holiday weekend and be safe out there. I will be liveblogging Game 4 of Magic and Celtics tonight for The Score. Magic need to watch how the Suns played last night. That is how you play when you need a win. Magic failed to answer the bell in game 3 of their series and now face the NBA's version of mission impossible. No team has every come back from 3-0 down in NBA playoff history. I do not expect the Magic to be the first.
4/6/10
"Jiggy Bits"
So I'm at my sister's place Sunday watching the Lakers game with my Dad, bros-in-law and my nephew Ben. (He's only 9 months old and I am schooling him in the ways of the purple and gold - gotta start 'em young). What a perfect way to spend Easter Sunday, right? Wrong. Not because my brother-in-law is anti-Kobe and likes to razz me every chance he gets (love you Brian) but you'd think the powers that be could cough up a Lakers win on Easter Sunday? Especially for those of us who can't enjoy eating chocolate eggs. Thankfully, my Dad had veto over the controller and we moved onto 'greener pastures' and 'sand wedges'. Otherwise, it would have been no fun for me to stew over a Lakers loss, like the one on Sunday, with my brother-in-law laughing in the background. Brian would have been right, though. The Lakers are quite possibly on a slippery slope going into the play-offs in two weeks. Lots of question marks. We'll talk about those, Chris Bosh and the latest accolades, the Hall inductees and the Mike Krzyzewski rumours which say the Duke coach is moving to New Jersey.
The Easter Bunny... (earmuffs)... Sucks
Really? To the Spurs? Even Manu Ginobili was quoted as saying "...it wasn't even in our wildest dreams to win a game by (19) against the Lakers". Ok. Rub it in. The Lakers trailed by as many as 15 in the first half and got to within 2 at the 8:39 mark but that was it for them. The Spurs exploded and took control of the game largely in part because of Manu. He's been averaging 29.2 points in the last eight games the Spurs have played and his shooting is at 53.9 percent. And he can make the big shots, too. He hits a 3-pointer, snapping any momentum the Lakers were gaining and got his team to an 87-72 lead with about five minutes left in the second half. Unbelievable. Maybe something needs to be said about teams who perform well with the playoffs just around the corner. Do we put our faith in the teams with big stars to carry them into the play-offs? Not really. Look what happened to Lebron last year. I have heard people say that the Cavs should win it this year for Lebron. I love Lebron, don't get me wrong. But I don't like the idea of a team winning a championship to reward it's star. It should be for the team as kudos for a season of blood, sweat and tears.
Maybe this is why Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson ripped into the refs Sunday afternoon. He was fined $35, 000 for publicly criticizing the officials after Ron Artest drew a matching technical foul with Manu Ginobili. Then Artest gets a personal foul and Kobe puts fuel on the Jackson smokestack by adding another technical foul to the mix. This just highlighted the Lakers "issues". Phil Jackson and the team were pretty ticked off to be losing a game to the Spurs starting in the first half. And when you play frustrated, you start to lose confidence and make silly mistakes like technical fouls and all focus is lost. Let's hope the day off from practice Monday gives the Lakers a chance to re-group.
Cooper's in the Hall - Love it!
I remember the day I got her jersey. Boxing Day back in high school (not going to date myself yet). I was at my Aunt Judy's and in walks my cousin who just got back from Houston. I put in a special request for him to stop by the home of the Comets and purchase my first basketball jersey. Number 14 - Cynthia Cooper. She won four WNBA championships with the Houston Comets and was named finals MVP with each title. I remember the last one and the confetti falling all around her, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and the rest of the team. The first WNBA dynasty. So obviously, Cynthia deserves a spot in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. She joins Jerry Buss, Bob Hurley Sr., Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen along with two team inductees: the 1960 USA Men's Olympic Team and the 1992 USA Basketball "Dream Team". Dennis Johnson, Gus Johnson and international star Maciel Pereira will also be honoured. I like that the hall recognizes team as well as individual accomplishments.
I know a lot of people who didn't like the FIBA rule change in 1989 which allowed teams to use professionals. Sure, of the 12 on the roster, 10 members of the 1992 USA Men's Basketball team were named to the "50 Greatest players in NBA History" list. However, this pure dominance was only short lived. Remember, as basketball became more popular internationally in the late 1990s, the NBA housed more and more solid foreign players. This meant that the big bosses within USA basketball had a hard time arguing they alone were producing the best basketball players in the world. But that's what I love about this league. When Andrea Bargnani first came to the Raptors, I was really intrigued by his story. Here's a guy who comes from another country with nothing but basketball skills and not a stitch of English which people might forget is hard to learn at the same time as adjusting to the new language of NBA basketball and the Raptors' systems on the court. Those story lines are sometimes lost within the cutthroat world of contracts and big money since no slack is given when your paycheck has multiple zeroes at the end of a handful of other numbers.
Bosh - Player of the Week and Now What?
So Chris Bosh was named NBA Eastern Conference player of the week for the games he was in from March 29th through to April 4th. Look at his stats over the four games he played: 22 points and 11 rebounds versus Charlotte, 34 points and 11 rebounds against the Clippers, 28 points and 12 rebounds over Philadelphia and the cherry on the the banana split, 42 points and 12 rebounds against Golden State on Sunday. The first three games were wins and the scores passed the 100 mark on each side. The Raptors seem to like to win when the score gets that high. So you would think based on this track record and Bosh's points against Golden State, a Raptors win was inevitable. Not so fast. As you know, the Raptors lost to Golden State, by one measly point (113-112). I think if I were Bosh, I would rather have the award go to Boston's Rajon Rondo or the Cavs' LeBron James who were also in the running, than work hard for a game that didn't give back.
Duke wins Final Four and Loses Coach to the NBA ?
No. Don't get excited. Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't packing his bags for New Jersey. But really, this is how it all starts. Michael Jordan didn't want to come to Charlotte but after some begging and pleading, he changed his mind. Apparently, no one has contacted Krzyzewski from the Denver Nuggets and no offer is on the table. For now. I would keep my eye on this story, though. He may just have MJ on speed-dial.
The Easter Bunny... (earmuffs)... Sucks
Really? To the Spurs? Even Manu Ginobili was quoted as saying "...it wasn't even in our wildest dreams to win a game by (19) against the Lakers". Ok. Rub it in. The Lakers trailed by as many as 15 in the first half and got to within 2 at the 8:39 mark but that was it for them. The Spurs exploded and took control of the game largely in part because of Manu. He's been averaging 29.2 points in the last eight games the Spurs have played and his shooting is at 53.9 percent. And he can make the big shots, too. He hits a 3-pointer, snapping any momentum the Lakers were gaining and got his team to an 87-72 lead with about five minutes left in the second half. Unbelievable. Maybe something needs to be said about teams who perform well with the playoffs just around the corner. Do we put our faith in the teams with big stars to carry them into the play-offs? Not really. Look what happened to Lebron last year. I have heard people say that the Cavs should win it this year for Lebron. I love Lebron, don't get me wrong. But I don't like the idea of a team winning a championship to reward it's star. It should be for the team as kudos for a season of blood, sweat and tears.
Maybe this is why Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson ripped into the refs Sunday afternoon. He was fined $35, 000 for publicly criticizing the officials after Ron Artest drew a matching technical foul with Manu Ginobili. Then Artest gets a personal foul and Kobe puts fuel on the Jackson smokestack by adding another technical foul to the mix. This just highlighted the Lakers "issues". Phil Jackson and the team were pretty ticked off to be losing a game to the Spurs starting in the first half. And when you play frustrated, you start to lose confidence and make silly mistakes like technical fouls and all focus is lost. Let's hope the day off from practice Monday gives the Lakers a chance to re-group.
Cooper's in the Hall - Love it!
I remember the day I got her jersey. Boxing Day back in high school (not going to date myself yet). I was at my Aunt Judy's and in walks my cousin who just got back from Houston. I put in a special request for him to stop by the home of the Comets and purchase my first basketball jersey. Number 14 - Cynthia Cooper. She won four WNBA championships with the Houston Comets and was named finals MVP with each title. I remember the last one and the confetti falling all around her, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson and the rest of the team. The first WNBA dynasty. So obviously, Cynthia deserves a spot in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. She joins Jerry Buss, Bob Hurley Sr., Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen along with two team inductees: the 1960 USA Men's Olympic Team and the 1992 USA Basketball "Dream Team". Dennis Johnson, Gus Johnson and international star Maciel Pereira will also be honoured. I like that the hall recognizes team as well as individual accomplishments.
I know a lot of people who didn't like the FIBA rule change in 1989 which allowed teams to use professionals. Sure, of the 12 on the roster, 10 members of the 1992 USA Men's Basketball team were named to the "50 Greatest players in NBA History" list. However, this pure dominance was only short lived. Remember, as basketball became more popular internationally in the late 1990s, the NBA housed more and more solid foreign players. This meant that the big bosses within USA basketball had a hard time arguing they alone were producing the best basketball players in the world. But that's what I love about this league. When Andrea Bargnani first came to the Raptors, I was really intrigued by his story. Here's a guy who comes from another country with nothing but basketball skills and not a stitch of English which people might forget is hard to learn at the same time as adjusting to the new language of NBA basketball and the Raptors' systems on the court. Those story lines are sometimes lost within the cutthroat world of contracts and big money since no slack is given when your paycheck has multiple zeroes at the end of a handful of other numbers.
Bosh - Player of the Week and Now What?
So Chris Bosh was named NBA Eastern Conference player of the week for the games he was in from March 29th through to April 4th. Look at his stats over the four games he played: 22 points and 11 rebounds versus Charlotte, 34 points and 11 rebounds against the Clippers, 28 points and 12 rebounds over Philadelphia and the cherry on the the banana split, 42 points and 12 rebounds against Golden State on Sunday. The first three games were wins and the scores passed the 100 mark on each side. The Raptors seem to like to win when the score gets that high. So you would think based on this track record and Bosh's points against Golden State, a Raptors win was inevitable. Not so fast. As you know, the Raptors lost to Golden State, by one measly point (113-112). I think if I were Bosh, I would rather have the award go to Boston's Rajon Rondo or the Cavs' LeBron James who were also in the running, than work hard for a game that didn't give back.
Duke wins Final Four and Loses Coach to the NBA ?
No. Don't get excited. Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't packing his bags for New Jersey. But really, this is how it all starts. Michael Jordan didn't want to come to Charlotte but after some begging and pleading, he changed his mind. Apparently, no one has contacted Krzyzewski from the Denver Nuggets and no offer is on the table. For now. I would keep my eye on this story, though. He may just have MJ on speed-dial.
3/9/10
Raptors Look For Answers On Left Coast
When is the last time you can remember the L.A Lakers have lost 4 in a row? The answer is February 13th 2007 and the Lakers would go on to lose 6 in a row. Lakers have recently lost 3 straight all to Eastern Conference teams with losing to Miami Charlotte and Orlando. Raptors have lost 5 of 6 with only win over the Knicks. It is a very tough way to start this week out West. But after this game with the Lakers the Raptors should have a chance to win all 3 of the other games on the trip. That being said I watched the Warriors fall to Hornets last night and if the Raptors guard the 3 point line anything like they have recently they could be in trouble in that one on Saturday. But you have to take it one game at a time so they say.
The Raptors on top of the impossible task of getting the Lakers to drop 4 straight also have to deal with the fact they already beat the Lakers this year. Which in case you were wondering the Raptors have never swept the Lakers in a season. Pretty much every stat we could dig up will point to the Raptors have no chance tonight. That being said when the Lakers rolled in to Toronto earlier in the season did we give the Raptors much chance then? I didn't being honest about it.
The Raptors have had some similarities to the team that won a division title. That team with no Chris Bosh went on a west coast trip and T.J Ford hit a game winner in L.A (vs Clippers not Lakers) then later in that same trip Andrea Bargnani made a dagger shot to sink Portland. I am not suggesting that history will repeat itself. But the Raptors could use a rallying type of trip like that. While many have already pressed the panic button I may join them if this team does not at least survive this trip with a 2-2 split. Once they do return home they face two teams that are those athletic type squads that tend to give the Raptors issues. The poster boys of that statement the Atlanta Hawks and the young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder.
So get set for a week of staying up late and watching the Raptors try to get back on track and not lose more ground in the playoff race. They must find a way to solve their defensive issues. This team has shown it can be capable of playing good defense. However they have also shown the lack of ability more. If this slide helps the Raptors get the message on that end of the floor it may be worth it in terms of getting this team ready for the playoffs. If it doesn't the playoffs are not a lock and that could be the most epic of disasters if when the music stops on April 14th the Raptors are in 9th. They would have a draft pick in the first round if that happened. However they also would likely be saying good bye to Chris Bosh.
If there is an X-factor for this game and this trip. How about Demar DeRozan. He has been in a funk but he is back home in L.A and maybe that is the tonic he needs to get on track. Seems he was fired up in practice yesterday according to reports from Twitter. Reggie Evans( who's interview with me was in the the DNB yesterday) says that Demar DeRozan posterized POB in practice. As someone tweeted to me if he can just do that to Lamar Odom or Ron Artest that is something to get excited about. Kobe Bryant in his visit to Toronto praised the work ethic of DeRozan and O.J Mayo when talking about the rookie to the Toronto media. He won't be praising him tonight safe to say.
So if you have no hope for the Raptors tonight it is hard to blame you. If you still want a reason to watch. How about Ron Artest's hair. He looks like Dennis Rodman 2010. It is bizarre. But then again so is Ron. Still despite all the odd things Ron Artest does it has not phased Phil Jackson and we have heard little trouble from Ron Artest this season. A lot of the credit for that should go to Jackson.
So it is a 10:30 tip. I suggest you take a nap if that is possible before this game. These west coast trips are not just hard on the team. They can be hard on fans too staying up late and hoping to not be disappointed for doing so. Tim Horton's should sponsor all Raptors West Coast road trips because there is no doubt win or lose fans that stay up and watch will need some coffee this week. I suggest Vanilla Cappuccino they are great. I discovered them up in Ottawa when I was covering training camp. That really doesn't seem that long ago but this season has flown by. The Raptors just hope their playoff chances don't fly away from them.
The Raptors on top of the impossible task of getting the Lakers to drop 4 straight also have to deal with the fact they already beat the Lakers this year. Which in case you were wondering the Raptors have never swept the Lakers in a season. Pretty much every stat we could dig up will point to the Raptors have no chance tonight. That being said when the Lakers rolled in to Toronto earlier in the season did we give the Raptors much chance then? I didn't being honest about it.
The Raptors have had some similarities to the team that won a division title. That team with no Chris Bosh went on a west coast trip and T.J Ford hit a game winner in L.A (vs Clippers not Lakers) then later in that same trip Andrea Bargnani made a dagger shot to sink Portland. I am not suggesting that history will repeat itself. But the Raptors could use a rallying type of trip like that. While many have already pressed the panic button I may join them if this team does not at least survive this trip with a 2-2 split. Once they do return home they face two teams that are those athletic type squads that tend to give the Raptors issues. The poster boys of that statement the Atlanta Hawks and the young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder.
So get set for a week of staying up late and watching the Raptors try to get back on track and not lose more ground in the playoff race. They must find a way to solve their defensive issues. This team has shown it can be capable of playing good defense. However they have also shown the lack of ability more. If this slide helps the Raptors get the message on that end of the floor it may be worth it in terms of getting this team ready for the playoffs. If it doesn't the playoffs are not a lock and that could be the most epic of disasters if when the music stops on April 14th the Raptors are in 9th. They would have a draft pick in the first round if that happened. However they also would likely be saying good bye to Chris Bosh.
If there is an X-factor for this game and this trip. How about Demar DeRozan. He has been in a funk but he is back home in L.A and maybe that is the tonic he needs to get on track. Seems he was fired up in practice yesterday according to reports from Twitter. Reggie Evans( who's interview with me was in the the DNB yesterday) says that Demar DeRozan posterized POB in practice. As someone tweeted to me if he can just do that to Lamar Odom or Ron Artest that is something to get excited about. Kobe Bryant in his visit to Toronto praised the work ethic of DeRozan and O.J Mayo when talking about the rookie to the Toronto media. He won't be praising him tonight safe to say.
So if you have no hope for the Raptors tonight it is hard to blame you. If you still want a reason to watch. How about Ron Artest's hair. He looks like Dennis Rodman 2010. It is bizarre. But then again so is Ron. Still despite all the odd things Ron Artest does it has not phased Phil Jackson and we have heard little trouble from Ron Artest this season. A lot of the credit for that should go to Jackson.
So it is a 10:30 tip. I suggest you take a nap if that is possible before this game. These west coast trips are not just hard on the team. They can be hard on fans too staying up late and hoping to not be disappointed for doing so. Tim Horton's should sponsor all Raptors West Coast road trips because there is no doubt win or lose fans that stay up and watch will need some coffee this week. I suggest Vanilla Cappuccino they are great. I discovered them up in Ottawa when I was covering training camp. That really doesn't seem that long ago but this season has flown by. The Raptors just hope their playoff chances don't fly away from them.
6/14/09
Lakers Are Defending Champs...Let Off-Season Begin
So the L.A Lakers have won the NBA finals in 5 games over the Orlando Magic. Kobe Bryant has his Championship on his own with no Shaq. Who may be going to team up with Lebron in Cleveland? Oh yes the season of rumours and nonsense is here. Chris Bosh will be front and center in all of the nonsense that is the NBA off-season. Some love the rumours and all the talk and buzz. I personally am not a fan of it. If I could hit a fast forward button to the Draft and then to next season I would. Trevor Ariza on the now Championship Lakers would be a dream catch for the Raptors in the off-season if you ask me. Rumours have already started that Toronto may be a landing spot for Hedo Turkoglu. This is just scratching the surface of the many rumours that most of which will never come through. ESPN actually makes money off the Rumour mill having folks pay cash to be ESPN Insiders. I will pass and save my money.
I want to say just a few thoughts on NBA Finals.
Kobe deserved this title and anyone that thinks otherwise was not watching how hard this guy was pushing and how bad he wanted this.
Phil Jackson may have ten rings but I still think Red Aeurbach is the best there was and likely will ever be. Congrats to Phil on the accomplishment and that hat with the X reminded me of a younger Spike Lee rocking a Malcolm X hat. But 10 titles is impressive. It takes talent to manage star players and not everyone can do that.
Magic deserve respect. I hear people saying what an awful Finals this was. I could not disagree more. You had 2 games go to Overtime and the Magic showed that a bounce here or a bounce there and they could have made this a much different series. They will learn and hopefully grow from this experience.
SVG is a good coach too. He may not be a Zen Master in his life but Stan Van Gundy did a hell of a coaching job to get his team to this point. SVG deserves respect for all he has done.
Orlando has a Jose and T.J situation to deal with. Hopefully they handle it better than we did in Toronto. Rafer and Jameer can make a great 1-2 punch if everyone let's it happen. Question will be will they?
This series made Trevor Ariza a very rich young man no matter where he signs.
That is my quick take on things post finals. I am sure with a night's sleep I will have more thoughts tomorrow.
I want to say just a few thoughts on NBA Finals.
Kobe deserved this title and anyone that thinks otherwise was not watching how hard this guy was pushing and how bad he wanted this.
Phil Jackson may have ten rings but I still think Red Aeurbach is the best there was and likely will ever be. Congrats to Phil on the accomplishment and that hat with the X reminded me of a younger Spike Lee rocking a Malcolm X hat. But 10 titles is impressive. It takes talent to manage star players and not everyone can do that.
Magic deserve respect. I hear people saying what an awful Finals this was. I could not disagree more. You had 2 games go to Overtime and the Magic showed that a bounce here or a bounce there and they could have made this a much different series. They will learn and hopefully grow from this experience.
SVG is a good coach too. He may not be a Zen Master in his life but Stan Van Gundy did a hell of a coaching job to get his team to this point. SVG deserves respect for all he has done.
Orlando has a Jose and T.J situation to deal with. Hopefully they handle it better than we did in Toronto. Rafer and Jameer can make a great 1-2 punch if everyone let's it happen. Question will be will they?
This series made Trevor Ariza a very rich young man no matter where he signs.
That is my quick take on things post finals. I am sure with a night's sleep I will have more thoughts tomorrow.
6/4/09
Finally the Finals
Took the day off from the blog yesterday. But I did do a little Radio out in B.C. I posted something on the blogs Twitter account. I know at least one of my followers on Twitter checked it out. I was told I did a solid job in talking about the NBA and a bit about the story about the Pacers and the story about them being moved to Vancouver. Hopeful at some point that happens for the people in Vancouver. It would be great to see basketball come back to the west coast. So thanks to Jessica Samuels for having me on her show. Apparently there is not much buzz for basketball out there. Although I do get some readers from B.C and all across this country. I am always willing to do my part to spread the word about basketball in all parts of this country. It is the old chicken and egg debate in the rest of the country. Our people not interested in basketball or does the media not cover it enough and hence the lack of interest from the casual sports fan. There are hardcore basketball fans all across this land though. It is up to you to contact your local media and say you want more coverage of basketball. One person doing that may not have an impact but if enough do maybe it changes. I also do the show off the bench on a weekly basis in Montreal. If there is a station in this country that wants someone to talk ball in this country I will do it. No matter if it is small or large. I think it is important not just for myself but to give all basketball fans what they want be it from me or anyone else.
Magic Fans Blog The Finals In Orlando Paper
South of the border some are disappointed that the puppet show is now over. No Kobe and Lebron Finals in the NBA. That is except for the people in Orlando Florida. I was made aware of a pretty cool thing they are doing in the Orlando Sentinel. They are letting Fans blog on their website for the finals. I was made aware of this because I actually know one of the fans. Last season when the Raptors played the Magic I became friends with a young man named Greg in Florida. He is one of the folks that was selected to do this. Pretty cool. Some how I can't see the Toronto Star doing the same. The closest a Raptor fan may get is to have Doug Smith answer your question in his many mail bag editions. In Greg's first entry he went after Shaq who as many will recall did not have nice things to say about Stan Van Gundy earlier in the season. Here is what Greg wrote in the link below:
Magic Fan Blog From Orlando Sentinel
They also have a Magic Fan V-Blogging showing her Magic fandum:
Hello!!!...Oh sorry Jack was in the blog yesterday. You can follow are V-Blogging Magic fan on Twitter @os_MagicBabe, Anyway best of Luck to the Magic fan bloggers. I do this on a daily basis it is not as easy as it looks. But if my team was in the NBA finals it likely would be very easy to do. I kind of feel the same way as Jack about this series. Jack would like for his friend Stan Van Gundy to win an NBA title. But using his basketball logic he thinks the Lakers will win. I for my young friend Greg would like to see his team that he cheers for win as well. However like Jack logic suggests to me the Lakers will win in 6. I still am stunned at the fact I called this final on October 26th. I doubt that I ever pull that off again in life so I am going to enjoy it.
Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson could careless about any of these warm fuzzy feelings for the Magic. Kobe wants that ring without Shaq and Phil Jackson wants one foe the second thumb to be the first coach in history to win 10 NBA Titles. If he does he would pass Celtic Legend Red Auerbach who shares the Record with Jackson of 9 NBA titles as a coach. This will be the 3rd shot at Jackson trying to beat Red. Jackson failed to beat the Pistons and than last year lost to Red's Celtics. Maybe there is Celtic curse on the Zen Master. People in Boston are big believers in those kind of things.
Bottom line of it all is while Lebron James gets a lecture from David Stern on Sportsmanship it will be the Lakers and Magic looking to win an NBA Title and that is going to be fun. It is no Nike Puppet show but it could prove to be a very interesting basketball series. Which may be made even more interesting show Jameer Nelson return for the Magic. The Magic played the Lakers both time prior to Nelson being injured and he was a huge factor. But can a guy that has been on the sidelines step in to basketball at the highest level possible and be effective? We may just find out.
Meanwhile the guys at Hoops Doctors landed a chat with Rashard Lewis of the Magic. Check out the interview
Staff Announcement Next Week?
A little Raptor news to close. Jay Triano is hopefully that he will be able to have an announcement about his coaching staff next week. There was talk that the Memphis Grizzlies are looking for some cash if the Raptors want to sign Mark Ivaroni to the staff. Ivaroni is still under contract to the Grizzlies despite getting the boot as head coach. Just like MLSE is still sending cash to Sam Mitchell. Also as was mentioned in my interviews with Chuck Swirsky and Jack Armstrong, Alvin Williams is said to be joining the staff as well.
Magic Fans Blog The Finals In Orlando Paper
South of the border some are disappointed that the puppet show is now over. No Kobe and Lebron Finals in the NBA. That is except for the people in Orlando Florida. I was made aware of a pretty cool thing they are doing in the Orlando Sentinel. They are letting Fans blog on their website for the finals. I was made aware of this because I actually know one of the fans. Last season when the Raptors played the Magic I became friends with a young man named Greg in Florida. He is one of the folks that was selected to do this. Pretty cool. Some how I can't see the Toronto Star doing the same. The closest a Raptor fan may get is to have Doug Smith answer your question in his many mail bag editions. In Greg's first entry he went after Shaq who as many will recall did not have nice things to say about Stan Van Gundy earlier in the season. Here is what Greg wrote in the link below:
Magic Fan Blog From Orlando Sentinel
They also have a Magic Fan V-Blogging showing her Magic fandum:
Hello!!!...Oh sorry Jack was in the blog yesterday. You can follow are V-Blogging Magic fan on Twitter @os_MagicBabe, Anyway best of Luck to the Magic fan bloggers. I do this on a daily basis it is not as easy as it looks. But if my team was in the NBA finals it likely would be very easy to do. I kind of feel the same way as Jack about this series. Jack would like for his friend Stan Van Gundy to win an NBA title. But using his basketball logic he thinks the Lakers will win. I for my young friend Greg would like to see his team that he cheers for win as well. However like Jack logic suggests to me the Lakers will win in 6. I still am stunned at the fact I called this final on October 26th. I doubt that I ever pull that off again in life so I am going to enjoy it.
Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson could careless about any of these warm fuzzy feelings for the Magic. Kobe wants that ring without Shaq and Phil Jackson wants one foe the second thumb to be the first coach in history to win 10 NBA Titles. If he does he would pass Celtic Legend Red Auerbach who shares the Record with Jackson of 9 NBA titles as a coach. This will be the 3rd shot at Jackson trying to beat Red. Jackson failed to beat the Pistons and than last year lost to Red's Celtics. Maybe there is Celtic curse on the Zen Master. People in Boston are big believers in those kind of things.
Bottom line of it all is while Lebron James gets a lecture from David Stern on Sportsmanship it will be the Lakers and Magic looking to win an NBA Title and that is going to be fun. It is no Nike Puppet show but it could prove to be a very interesting basketball series. Which may be made even more interesting show Jameer Nelson return for the Magic. The Magic played the Lakers both time prior to Nelson being injured and he was a huge factor. But can a guy that has been on the sidelines step in to basketball at the highest level possible and be effective? We may just find out.
Meanwhile the guys at Hoops Doctors landed a chat with Rashard Lewis of the Magic. Check out the interview
Staff Announcement Next Week?
A little Raptor news to close. Jay Triano is hopefully that he will be able to have an announcement about his coaching staff next week. There was talk that the Memphis Grizzlies are looking for some cash if the Raptors want to sign Mark Ivaroni to the staff. Ivaroni is still under contract to the Grizzlies despite getting the boot as head coach. Just like MLSE is still sending cash to Sam Mitchell. Also as was mentioned in my interviews with Chuck Swirsky and Jack Armstrong, Alvin Williams is said to be joining the staff as well.
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