Monday, November 30, 2009

Sixers' Miller goes to Portland

Andre Miller is now a Portland Trail Blazer.
After a month-long stalemate between Miller and the 76ers, the 33-year-old point guard signed a three-year deal with the Trail Blazers yesterday.
"I'm just looking forward to the challenge, you know?" Miller said in a conference call, according to the Associated Press. "I know Portland wants to accomplish a lot of things, and I want to add to that."
The Sixers will now turn to Lou Williams or rookie Jrue Holiday to guide the offense.
Miller was very steady and reliable, but the Sixers were interested in a one-year deal for about $6 million. ESPN reported that a source said the Portland deal is for three years and $21 million, but with only $14 million guaranteed. The third year, and $7 million, would be a team option.
Neither agent Andy Miller nor the Trail Blazers would confirm contract details.
Miller had been the team's starting point guard for the last 21/2 seasons, coming to the Sixers in 2006 from the Denver Nuggets as part of the midseason trade involving Allen Iverson.
Miller has played in 530 consecutive NBA games, which is the longest active streak in the league. Last season, he averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 assists a game.
"We are excited to add a player of the caliber and character of Andre Miller," Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. "He is one of the league's ironmen who brings a wealth of veteran leadership to our team and is a great fit for our young and improving roster."
Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski could not be reached for comment.
When NBA free agency opened July 1, it became clear that Miller and Stefanski differed greatly on their demands.
Miller wanted three years and a yearly salary similar to the $10 million he made in 2008-09.
Stefanski pulled his one-year offer from the table Thursday.
"Andre Miller did a very nice job for us," Stefanski said earlier this month. "But where we are stationed right now and what type of team we have, to go long-term is not a prudent decision for our franchise."
Stefanski also said he felt confident that Williams could do well if given an opportunity as the team's starting point guard. While plenty of time remains in free agency - time enough for Stefanski to sign a reliable veteran to help at point guard - the Sixers currently have two potential point guards under contract, Williams and Holiday.
"I'm fine with the option," Stefanski said about Williams just over two weeks ago. "I think Lou Williams has a chance to be that guy. Give him a shot. We're in a situation where we have a young nucleus of guys who have playoff experience, but we're going to grow with them. And to go long-term on a contract with an older point guard, we don't see that as being a viable option right now."
Because new head coach Eddie Jordan runs a two-guard offense, there has been speculation that an old-fashioned point guard is extraneous, or even that swingman Andre Iguodala could provide a reliable option at the position, but Stefanski has still been hunting the bargain racks for a solid point guard to help the team through what should be a transition season at point guard.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Blazers Sign Free Agent G Andre Miller

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Trail Blazers signed veteran free agent guard Andre Miller to a three-year, $21 million deal on Friday.
Miller, whose NBA career has spanned 10 seasons with four teams, averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 assists as a starter for the Philadelphia 76ers last season.
"I'm just looking forward to the challenge, you know?" Miller said in a conference call. "I know Portland wants to accomplish a lot of things, and I want to add to that."
Miller joins point guards Steve Blake and Jerryd Bayless with the Blazers, the second-youngest team in the NBA last season. Portland won 54 games and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.
Miller has played an NBA-high 530 straight games. He has missed just three in his career.
The 33-year-old Miller went to the Sixers in 2006 in a midseason trade with the Denver Nuggets that involved Allen Iverson. He did not miss a game for Philadelphia.
Miller met with Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard and coach Nate McMillan at a restaurant in Las Vegas earlier this week.
Pritchard said he was impressed with how much Miller know about the Blazers offense.
"Andre was terrific. He knew our team. He knew how he could help our team. He seemed like a coach," Pritchard said.
Miller was the eighth overall pick in the 1999 draft out of Utah by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Over his career, he has averaged 14.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 815 games, 768 starts. He has 174 career double-doubles.
The Sixers went 41-41 last season and were knocked out of the playoffs in six games for the second straight year. The team reportedly offered Miller a one-year deal for about $6 million.
"Did I think it was a fair offer?" he asked. "No, I didn't."
Miller confirmed his deal with the Blazers was for two years with a team option on a third.
Philadelphia forward Andre Iguodala said he sensed Miller would seek a team on the West Coast because he is from Los Angeles.
"Portland's a good team, a young athletic group and he'll fit in perfect with them. He'll thrive in that system without having to do too much. Portland's going to be a much better team," Iguodala said. "I don't think they know what type of guy they got."
Miller's departure means the Sixers will likely turn to fourth-year guard Lou Williams to run the point. They made UCLA's Jrue Holiday their first-round pick and hope he can develop into their point guard of the future. Shooting guard Willie Green is the only other true guard on the roster, leaving the Sixers thin in the backcourt.
The Trail Blazers were $7.7 million under the salary cap after the league set it at $57.7 million for next season. The cap is determined by a percentage of league revenue from the previous season.
Portland had been unsuccessful in the market this summer. First, they went after free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu, who pulled out of talks at the last minute and instead went to the Toronto Raptors.
The Blazers also made a move on Utah forward Paul Millsap, a restricted free agent, but the Jazz matched Portland's offer.

Source

Saturday, November 28, 2009

NBA PM: Portland And Andre Miller

In this edition of the NBA PM: Blazers have come to terms with Andre Miller…Spending is down in 2009…Nike giving back the videos…NBA among sports who sue Delaware…Upcoming HOOPSWORLD chats.
Does Miller Fit Portland? The Portland Trail Blazers have found their man and it's point guard Andre Miller. The deal – according to Chad Ford of ESPN – will be a three-year deal worth $21 million, with the third year being a team option at $7 million.
Miller's old team, the Philadelphia 76ers, did not want to spend the money Miller was asking and the New York Knicks did not want to give him the years he was asking for – and could not pay as much as Portland, who had $7.7 million available compared with the Knicks only having the MLE to spend ($5.9 million).
Last season Miller averaged 16.3 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.33 steals on 47.3% shooting overall. In six playoff games he posted 21.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.17 steals on 47.5% shooting.
So how does Miller fit Portland? Decently, but not perfectly. His biggest weakness as a perimeter player is his three-point shooting, but as is obvious from his field-goal shooting as a whole he makes generally good shooting decisions with shorter jumpers and drives to the hoop. In 2008-09 he got to the free throw line about five times a game, shooting 82.6%.
Portland's game – with Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge in the middle and Brandon Roy driving to the hoop – demands the other players on the floor be shooters. As long as Miller can still find open space inside the three-point arc due to the play of the other players, it shouldn't be an issue.
Miller is an outstanding decision-maker at the point position, and having a player who has excelled at the position for so long should take some of the pressure off All-Star Brandon Roy to initiate so much offense. It's not that he'll stop or no longer be asked to; it's just that Roy will have more help.
Miller is a very good rebounder at his position, and also an excellent player in the post because of his size.
"It's a perfect fit, I have always felt that way,'' agent Andy Miller told Jason Quick of the Oregonian."I think he can take the Blazers to the next level in their quest for a championship.''
(UPDATE - it's official.)
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The interesting part will be what does Portland do next? They have two point guards already in Steve Blake and Jerryd Bayless. Blake, last year's starter, would be an excellent backup, but that was where Bayless was planning to fit in for 2009-10. Neither would figure to be all that happy as a third PG. The 76ers, on the other hand, have only rookie Jrue Holiday at the position (well, two if you count Louis Williams), so perhaps something can be worked out. Blake will make $4.9 million in 2009-10, the final year of his contract. Bayless will make $2.1 million in the second year of his rookie scale contract. Presumably Philly would prefer Bayless to Blake for the potential, but Bayless hasn't shown he can be a starter at this level yet – nor shown the tendencies needed to be a starting point guard – and Philly probably wouldn't be comfortable with two inexperienced floor leaders. Blake would be a decent fit, but perhaps not a long-term solution – and Portland likes him as a backup.
The same would be true for any team, not just Philadelphia. Signing Miller likely means Portland has another move in them this summer. It also means the extensions of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge will become the most important thing on General Manager Kevin Pritchard's to-do list.
Spending Money 2009: There has been a lot of talk about how the economy is impacting spending in the NBA, but has it really? The only way to figure that out is to compare how much money is being committed this summer to free agents and compare it with the past few seasons. HOOPSWORLD has data back to the summer of 2006, so it's not a huge sample size, but you can see a trend. (Click on the links for detail – numbers in $millions; the detail on these pages do not include minimum contracts or rookie scale contracts.)
2006 - $1,518.8
2007 - $1,193.8
2008 - $1,722.4

Right now we are about a month into the season of committing dollars to players, so what's the total so far? "Only" $684.1 million. It's still early, but it definitely looks like its unlikely spending hits the billion dollar mark in 2009. There could still be plenty of deals done – and extensions to Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy could add well over another $100 million to this total.
So who is spending? With the acquisitions of Jarrett Jack and Hedo Turkoglu, plus the extension to Andrea Bargnani, the Toronto Raptors have committed $123 million – or, for the people who like math, about 18% of the dollars that fit the criteria.
Detroit is next with $96 million for Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, and Chris Wilcox, and the Cleveland Cavaliers (Anderson Varejao and Anthony Parker) and Dallas Mavericks (Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, and Quinton Ross) have all topped the $50 million mark.
Should Portland complete the deal with free agent Andre Miller and sign their young stars to the aforementioned extensions, they could blow away Toronto's $123 million mark as this summer's big spenders.
Still, the summer of 2009 seems to be lagging a bit as teams deal with the new salary cap, the desire to have cap space in 2010, and lower ticket sales. HOOPSWORLD will keep an eye on this trend all summer long.
Nike's Mea Culpa? Nike is giving back the tapes of LeBron James getting dunked on – at least, that's how it's billed – at his own basketball camp. But that doesn't necessarily mean they think they are wrong.
"It was never about the play or the player, it was always about our media policy," Nike said in a statement. "The interest in the tapes has greatly overshadowed the focus of the camp, which is to help young athletes improve their skills, and that is regrettable. It was Nike's decision to take these tapes based on our media guidelines, which we will continue to enforce."
Now, this is curious. The two tapes in questioned belonged to the video cameras of journalists approved to be at the camp. Nike claims they had a policy not to record video, yet at the same time these two journalists were obviously recording video. It's been my experience – at least with the NBA – that all such rules are clearly posted. It's also been my experience that you don't carry a video camera to a sporting event as media unless you intend to use it.
Either those guidelines were not clearly communicated or posted, in which case Nike is in the wrong, or the guidelines were clear and the two journalists shouldn't have been doing video, and did so anyway, making them in the wrong. If the former is the case Nike didn't exactly apologize in their statement. If the latter is the case, why give back the tape at all? All that is needed is a clear explanation of what the media policy and that these two should have known the rules.
Again, not being there and not knowing the situation it's not possible to know the truth – but it sure looks like Nike caved on a policy they realized they couldn't enforce or wasn't enforceable due to media pressure.
Every event has guidelines journalists must follow, so there is a right and wrong here. Nike's statement clarifies nothing.
NBA, Other Leagues Sue Delaware: The NBA joined forces with the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NCAA today in filing a lawsuit against the State of Delaware for allowing betting on single games. Here is a copy of the press release:
The four major professional sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL and the NHL) and the NCAA today filed a complaint against the state of Delaware in federal court in Wilmington, DE seeking to stop the state from offering single-game betting on pro and college games.
The leagues and the NCAA assert that the state's recently announced decision to offer single-game betting as part of the 2009 Delaware Sports Lottery violates federal law.  The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act ("PASPA") became law in 1992 and prohibits states from operating a lottery or betting scheme based on pro or college games.
Four states, including Delaware, were grandfathered in the legislation since they had previously operated sports betting.  The exception only applies to the type of wagering scheme that occurred in the states from January 1, 1976 through August 31, 1990.
Delaware did not conduct single-game wagering during its 1976 sports lottery, which was limited to parlay bets on NFL games.  The PASPA exception does not permit Delaware to now conduct single-game wagers on the NFL or wagering on sports other than the NFL, the lawsuit states.
The leagues and the NCAA recognize that Delaware has many pressing economic issues but more legalized single-game wagering presents a direct threat to the integrity of their games and long-term health of their sports.
Obviously it will take some time for the legal wrangling to work itself out, but at least from where we sit it looks like Delaware is in the wrong.

Source

Friday, November 27, 2009

Trail Blazers break through with signing of Miller

For the Portland Trail Blazers, it was a solid salvage of a bad month. For Andre Miller, it was a life preserver thrown, perhaps just in the nick of time.
The Blazers and Miller made a marriage out of necessity on Friday, with Portland signing the point guard to a three-year, $21 million deal, according to a source.
"It's a very good opportunity," said Miller's agent, Andy Miller. "For him, it's the right fit."
The Blazers got serious with Miller on Tuesday, as NBA.com reported, after their four-year, $32 million offer sheet to Utah Jazz forward Paul Milsap was matched by the Jazz. Feeling they would not likely have this much cap room in the future -- the Blazers have rising superstars in guard Brandon Roy and forward LaMarcus Aldridge, along with center Greg Oden -- there was significant sway within the Portland organization to do something this summer to add to the team's young core.
Acquiring the 33-year-old Miller, who has missed just five games in 11 NBA seasons, ends a month in which Portland was rejected, time and again, despite having $7.7 million in room under the salary cap and one of the most promising young teams in the league.
The Blazers have long thought they needed to improve themselves at point guard, with Steve Blake the current starter and second-year guard Jerryd Bayless thought of more as a combo guard than pure point. They had tried to pry loose the likes of Kirk Hinrich from Chicago and Jason Kidd from Dallas through trades for several months without success. Nor did they have much luck with Phoenix trying to acquire Steve Nash. They hoped to lure Kidd in free agency, but Kidd quickly agreed to stay with the Mavericks.
Portland then went the point forward route, believing it had a deal with Orlando unrestricted free agent Hedo Turkoglu on a five-year, $50 million contract. But Turkoglu changed his mind while in Portland meeting with team officials, spurning the Blazers for a $53 million deal with Toronto that left e Blazers fuming. The Blazers then went away from ballhandlers altogether in signing Milsap to the offer sheet. But they turned back to point guard when Utah agreed to match the offer sheet. (Portland was never very interested in Lakers free agent forward Lamar Odom, whose contract talks with Los Angeles are now back on.)
The Blazers wanted someone who would be a perimeter threat, feeling that Roy and Aldridge needed that. That's not Miller's game; he's just a career 21 percent 3-point shooter, making just 34 threes in the last five seasons.
But Miller is still one of the league's best passing guards, who showed he was able to stay with the Sixers' young, athletic players like Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams the past season and a half. A post-up point who uses his body, head fakes and angles to get defenders off their feet, Miller's 409 free-throw attempts last season ranked fifth in the league among point guards, behind Devin Harris, Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups and Russell Westbrook. Miller finished 14th in the league in assists per game last season and 15th in assist-turnover ratio (2.68).
Miller played well in Philadelphia after being acquired in December, 2006 from Denver in the Allen Iverson trade. He had provided steady on-court leadership and showed he still had an ability to score in leading the 76ers to consecutive playoff appearances after many thought they'd flounder without Iverson. One of the quietest guys in the game, Miller, with career averages of 14.6 points and 7.4 assists, chafed in silence when he wasn't mentioned as one of the game's best, frequently saving some of his biggest games for when Philly went up against some of the league's premier points.
He averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 assists last season, but throughout the year, the 76ers made it clear that they weren't going to commit to a long-term contract, and Miller grew antsy and frustrated. After the team was eliminated from the Playoffs in six games by Orlando in the first round, Miller was a no-show for his exit interview with team management.
Things didn't get much better when the 76ers offered him only a one-year deal at the mid-level exception. New York made a similar offer, and it looked like Miller would be the veteran point left out in the cold compared to Kidd (who got three years and $25 million from Dallas) and Nash, who got a two-year extension at $22 million from Phoenix as well as having this year's $13.1 million salary fully guaranteed. Portland will be Miller's fifth NBA team, after playing in Cleveland, in Los Angeles with the Clippers, Denver and Philadelphia.
The 76ers, with new coach Eddie Jordan, will now look for a veteran, defensive-oriented point guard, feeling that they have plenty of scorers in Iguodala, Young, Elton Brand, Williams and Willie Green. They're looking at several potential options, from Jamaal Tinsley, just bought out on Wednesday by the Pacers, to Carlos Arroyo, who played last season in Israel, to C.J. Watson, the Warriors' restricted free agent. They've also taken a look at players like Tyronn Lue and Juan Dixon, but feel they're a cut below the others.
Portland's agreement with Miller is a big blow to Knicks restricted free agent forward David Lee, who is still looking for a home. The 25-year-old has been trying to find a team that would do a sign-and-trade deal with New York, but the Knicks have been reluctant to tie up any of their cap room for the 2010 offseason by taking back any contracts for that year from other teams.
The Blazers were the last team remaining with enough cap room to give Lee anything near the $10 million annually he's seeking; the Pistons already have used their room on free agents Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Chris Wilcox, and the Thunder have not been willing to make any kind of long-term commitments to anyone, knowing that they will soon have to extend the likes of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Westbrook, not to mention adding talent around those three.
ESPN.com reported Friday that the Blazers recruited Lee in Las Vegas, where he's part of USA Basketball's mini-camp. But New York remained reluctant to making any kind of sign-and-trade deal.

Source

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Catching his breath

DeMarre Carroll was back home in Birmingham, Ala., earlier this week, enjoying an overdue moment of serenity after four of the most chaotic months in his life. Only then, as he kicked back on his parents’ couch, could the former Missouri forward begin to reflect on everything that had happened to him since March.
It had started with the end of a senior season that turned out better than anyone could have imagined. He followed that up with an MVP performance in the Portsmouth Invitational and equally impressive showings in individual workouts, endured a predraft scare that coincided with the revelation of a liver condition and experienced the euphoria of hearing his name called on draft night, when the Memphis Grizzlies selected him with the 27th overall pick. Then it was right into press conferences and workouts and finally last week’s NBA summer league in Las Vegas.
“It’s crazy,” said Carroll, who was on the verge of signing a two-year contract that is expected to pay him $1,009,680 in his first season and $1,085,400 in the second with team options for the two seasons after that. “I am happy to be able to sit back and actually enjoy everything because I really haven’t even thought about me actually in the NBA and having this much money and being able to take care of my family. I’ve just been on the move so much. Many people have asked me, ‘Do I realize the accomplishments I’ve made?’ I really haven’t enjoyed it.”
He isn’t getting much of a break, though. He was scheduled to head to Memphis to meet with team officials and begin shopping for a place to live.
Carroll plans on spending the first week in August in Las Vegas, working out with dozens of other NBA players — including, he said, budding stars such as Kevin Durant and Rudy Gay — and longtime NBA assistant coach Tim Grgurich in his annual camp. Soon after comes the NBA rookie transition program. Then he said he’ll spend time working out in Memphis and then Los Angeles, make a short visit to Columbia to catch a football game and then head off to training camp, which begins in late September.
“Having this down time is key for me,” Carroll said. “It allows me to get ready for training camp and actually get back mentally strong for what’s about to take place.”
His experience in last week’s summer league should have taken some of the surprise out of what’s in store. It gave Carroll and his fellow rookies an opportunity to get a feel for the nuances of the NBA game, from the way it is officiated to the longer 3-point line and the typical rhythm of each contest.
The competition will, of course, get better as he gets into the NBA season, but Carroll showed well with his summer-league play. He averaged 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds, shot an impressive 58.5 percent from the field and even came up with six steals to help the Grizzlies squad, which included fellow draft picks Hasheem Thabeet and Sam Young, compile a 5-0 record.
“You can put me on any team in any setting, and I’m going to do what I do and bring what I bring, and that’s energy and just being all over the place,” Carroll said. “It was pretty easy for me because, my coach told me, the type of game I play, you don’t necessarily have to run any plays, you can just throw me out there and I’m going to make plays.”
The 6-foot-8, 212-pounder is hoping his summer-league performance started to answer the question of whether he’d be able to make the switch from power forward to small forward at the professional level.
Things have not been as easy for his former frontcourt mate, Leo Lyons, who was not selected in the draft.
Seldom used by the Indiana Pacers in the Orlando Summer League earlier this month, the 6-foot-9, 244-pound forward looked to be making the most of his second chance with the Cleveland Cavaliers team in Las Vegas. He averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in his first two games before his minutes suddenly dwindled and he combined for only 11 points and eight rebounds in the final three games.
“It’s really tough in the summer leagues,” said agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, who represents Carroll and Lyons. “You’re going with new teammates, new coaches, a new system. It’s very hard for a young guy to get acclimated, especially when you’re not a team’s draft pick. I thought he did really, really well, and I’m really excited about his future.”
Lyons hasn’t given up on that future including a spot on an NBA roster. He participated in a minicamp with the Atlanta Hawks this week and Bartelstein is continuing to explore other opportunities that might be available to him.
“We’re going to talk to everybody in the NBA and see what we think are the best opportunities for him in terms of making a team,” the agent said. “We’re also talking to a number of people overseas that are real interested. Hopefully, we’ll come to a decision here over the next couple weeks.”

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Allen Iverson Just Might Have To Retire

Allen Iverson said last season after being trade to the Detroit Pistons for point guard Chauncey Billups that he would rather retire form the game of basketball than not be a starter and come off the bench. Well Iverson just might have to retire than, all four teams that are in discussions of acquiring point guard Allen Iverson want him to be a bench player. This doesn't mean Iverson wont see ample playing time on the basketball court and, he will likely play the entire fourth quarter if he does decide to except the role. Think of Lamar Odom last year during the play offs, even though he came off the bench to start the game he averaged the second most minutes on the court just behind shooting guard Kobe Bryant.
The Memphis Grizzles and The Las Angeles Clippers have retracted the offers they recently made to Allen Iverson giving up hope on acquiring the super=star talent. Though Iverson is not known as a pass first type of point guard he is still a very effective NBA player. In over 10 NBA seasons Iverson has averaged over 7 assist on 7 separate seasons, he has a career average of 2.2 steals a game and over 3 rebounds a game in his career. Iverson has never averaged less than 20 points a season until last year and, is the 16th leading scorer all time in the NBA and second leading score all time among active players. Not to mention 10 all-star appearances and 4 scoring champion titles.
At only 34 years of age, that's younger than Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, Allen Iverson can still can't find a job even though all his career stats except assist rank higher than those two for mentioned point guards. Well Kidd averages more rebounds per game than Iverson but, Kidd rebounds like a forward for his size. The Heat and The Bobcats seem to be the only two teams left to actually pull the trigger on signing Iverson. Still nothing has become final and Iverson and his agent are hopeful some team will want his services as the season nears. In an NBA TV phone interview Iverson said "I Just want to play were i can be happy". I hope Iverson does find a team to sign a contract with, If not he will be happy at home watching NBA games with his kids on the big screen.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Spurs sign veteran Theo Ratliff

The Spurs have gotten younger and more athletic this summer, but their latest addition proves they still value veteran players who can defend, even as their athleticism has begun to wane.
Spurs general manager R.C. Buford confirmed Thursday that Theo Ratliff, a 36-year-old center who averaged 3.6 blocks per game in 2003-04, has agreed to terms of a contract for the 2009-10 season.
“Theo has always been a very good defender and shot-blocker,” Buford said. “Looking to next season, we thought that shot-blocking and rim protection was an important piece we needed to fill.”
Ratliff last season played 46 games with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 1.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 12.6 minutes per game, all of his time coming from the bench.
Terms of the contract haven't been disclosed, but it is believed to be a one-year deal for the veteran minimum — $1.3065 million for a player with Ratliff's tenure. Such a deal allows the Spurs to be reimbursed for the amount exceeding the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience, $825,497. Only the two-year veteran minimum will count against the team's total payroll for salary cap and luxury tax purposes, an important factor with the Spurs' payroll already exceeding the new luxury tax threshold, $69.9 million.
The addition of Ratliff gives the Spurs 13 players under contract, seven of them big men: Tim Duncan, Matt Bonner, Ian Mahinmi, recently signed free agents Antonio McDyess, Marcus Haislip and Ratliff; and second-round draft pick DeJuan Blair.
The Spurs regard both Bonner and Haislip as perimeter power forwards, big men with 3-point range capable of stretching defenses. Haislip may even play some at the small forward position.
The six perimeter players under contract are small forwards Michael Finley and Richard Jefferson, point guards George Hill and Tony Parker, and shooting guards Manu Ginobili and Roger Mason Jr.
In all likelihood, Ratliff's signing rules out the return of former Spurs Fabricio Oberto and Bruce Bowen, traded in the three-team deal that brought Jefferson to San Antonio. Oberto was waived by the Pistons after his new, partially guaranteed contract went into effect on July 1. Several NBA sources have said the Bucks are offering Bowen, and his half-guaranteed contract, in trade talks.
“The goal right now is to build as productive a team as we can this year, but also try to search out some athleticism for the future,” Buford said.
Ratliff is a true center whose primary skills have been interior defense and rebounding. Next year will be his 15th NBA season.
Injury-prone his entire career, he has played more than 60 games in a season only five times. He's played only 74 games over the past three seasons because of injuries.
Early in his career Ratliff was regarded as one of the NBA's rising stars among centers, but injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential. While a member of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2000-01, he was voted to the Eastern Conference starting lineup for the 2001 All-Star Game. A wrist injury prevented him from playing, and he was traded to Atlanta at the February trade deadline, shortly after that All-Star Game, in exchange for Dikembe Mutombo, who helped the 76ers reach the 2001 Finals.
The Spurs will be Ratliff's seventh NBA team. Drafted 18th overall by the Pistons out of Wyoming in 1995, he played two-plus seasons in Detroit before a trade sent him to the 76ers in 1998. Injuries limited him to 50 and 57 games his first full two seasons in Philadelphia, and he was traded after the wrist injury in 2001.
His best NBA seasons came in 2002-03, when he averaged 3.2 blocks in 81 games for the Hawks, and in 2003-04, when he played 85 games, 53 for the Hawks and 32 for the Portland Trail Blazers. He blocked 307 shots, an average of 3.6 per game, that season.

Source

Monday, November 23, 2009

Sixers need productive replacements at guard

The 76ers need a veteran point guard, but they really could use a Reggie Evans and a Theo Ratliff - reserve players the team parted company with after last season.
To offset the loss of Evans and Ratliff - their relative production will be hard to replace - the Sixers are looking at 7-foot-1 Primoz Brezec (Toronto), 7-0 Aaron Gray (Chicago), 7-0 Ryan Hollins (Dallas), 6-11 Jake Voskuhl (Toronto), 6-10 Adonis Foyle (Orlando) and 6-11 Jared Reiner.
Reiner, who has 46 career games under his belt in two seasons, has not played in the NBA since he was with Milwaukee in 2006-07.
Evans, a 6-8 banger who was sent to Toronto for Jason Kapono, was a crowd favorite who regularly brought energy. In each of the last six seasons - two with the Sixers - Evans ranked in the NBA's top 10 in rebounds per 48 minutes.
Though he played in only 46 games, the 6-11 Ratliff was second on the team in blocked shots, and averaged 3.8 rebounds in 12.6 minutes. The 36-year-old center, who criticized then-coach Tony DiLeo after Orlando eliminated the Sixers from the playoffs, agreed Wednesday to a deal for next season with the Spurs, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Among the guards the Sixers are interested in, Miami Heat free agent Luther Head is intriguing, especially if Andre Miller leaves.
Yesterday, talks between Miller and the New York Knicks were said to be heating up, and a league source said Portland also was going after the free-agent point guard.
At 6-3, Head can play both guard positions, and he is a tough defender. The Illinois product has averaged 8.6 points per game over his five-year career, with a high of 10.9 in 2006-07.
Head's agent said he would be a good fit for the Princeton Offense the Sixers will run under first-year coach Eddie Jordan.
"They ran similar stuff at Illinois," agent Mark Bartlestein said. "We're having ongoing conversations with the Sixers. They're involved with Andre Miller, so we'll see what happens in the coming days."
Notes. The Sixers had interest in restricted free-agent guard C.J. Watson, who played for Golden State last season. But the 6-2, two-year veteran wants a multiyear contract, which the Sixers are not offering. . . . The Sixers are talking about 6-3 Jamaal Tinsley, who was released by Indiana on Wednesday after the sides agreed on a buyout. The Pacers sat the seven-year vet for the 2008-09 season because of disciplinary issues. He was connected with three late-night conflicts in a 14-month span.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Summer league offers proving ground for NBA hopefuls

The popular TV commercials touting "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" is a sentiment Josh Heytvelt desperately hopes is untrue.
The 23-year old former Gonzaga University forward is among the myriad unsigned NBA hopefuls who descend upon Las Vegas every year to participate in the NBA Summer League, which ran July 10-19.
There, Heytvelt went up against other undrafted rookies and young players in an attempt to attract interest from NBA clubs.
"You've got to showcase yourself and show teams that you really are somebody that they need," said Heytvelt, who played for the Washington Wizards squad. "This might be the only chance you get."
Heytvelt might just as well have been in the middle of nowhere as Las Vegas. He was all business for the week. His only nod to his surroundings was a mid-week trip to see Cirque de Soleil with his girlfriend and family.
The rest of the time was filled by morning shootarounds, followed by afternoon rest and evening games at Nevada-Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Arena.
"There's only 500 people (in attendance) for a game, but there's so much riding on it, which gets you pumped up," Hetvelt said. His chances "all depend on what I do with summer league."
Heytvelt averaged a modest 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.6 minutes but said he was satisfied with his performance.
"I felt pretty good," he said. "I have to do my thing, rebound and play good defense. I think I've done a good job showcasing that."
For others, such as Wizards third-year guard Nick Young, the league was an opportunity to learn a new system. Young is preparing to play for a new coach, Flip Saunders, and appreciated the time to get acclimated to Saunders' offensive philosophy.
"We've got a whole new staff and I'm trying to learn the plays," he said. "They told us what they're looking for, coming off screens and getting open shots."
Young was one of the most improved players in the league this summer, his third time playing in Las Vegas. He averaged 23.8 points, third most in the league.
"It comes naturally. For me being a vet, I know more of what's going on, I know how to take my time," Young said. "I'm more comfortable out there."
He also enjoyed the various perks of being a veteran leading younger players.
"Being a captain, being a veteran and having rookies to get me a drink, get my towels and stuff, it's nice," he said with a laugh.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Asian-American Sports 101: Which Asian players have made it to the NBA?

Asian basketball players haven't had a big impact on the NBA until recently, but their influence is growing steadily.
The first Asian player to appear in a pro basketball game is actually an excellent trivia question, since most NBA fans would get it wrong.
1. Wataru Misaka, a Japanese-American from Ogden Utah, was drafted by the New York Knicks  in 1947, and played with them for just three games.
The 5'7" guard had previously played for Weber Junior College (now Weber State) and the University of Utah. Misaka (or "Wat" as he was called) led the Utes to championships in the 1944 NCAA tourney as well as the 1947 NIT.
2. Most people had forgotten him, however, by 1999, when the Dallas Mavericks drafted Chinese center Wang Zhizhi, who is the first foreign-born Asian NBA player. 
A seven-footer with a decent 255-lb. build, Wang had played with the military's "August 1 Rockets," whom he guided to six straight championships before securing permission to play in the States.
He played two seasons with the Mavs, only getting real playing time in his second season, 2001-2, when he came off the bench in 55 games, averaging a little over 10 minutes a game, scoring 5.6 per, pulling down 2.0 boards, but only 0.3 blocks.
The performance was enough to get him a 3-year deal with the Clippers the following season, but a season and a half of declining numbers led to a swap to the Miami Heat, where he slowly faded into obscurity.
He did enjoy some playoff excitement, as the Mavs advanced to the conference semis both seasons he played with them, and the Heat got just as far in his first season with them.
3. Though Wang was the first Chinese player to be drafted, he was not the first to start an NBA game. That honor goes to Mengke Bateer, a 6'11" 300-lb. center nicknamed "Dinosaur" who signed with the Denver Nuggets in 2002.
The Nuggets had traded away Raef LaFrentz and needed a big man, so Bateer started 10 of the 27 games he appeared in that season, performing well enough for Greg Popovich to trade for him just days after he'd been traded to the Pistons. While with the Spurs, he became the first Chinese player to play for a championship team, although he never appeared in a playoff game for San Antonio.
The next season, he appeared in 7 games for the Raptors then was picked up by the Knicks before the 2004 season, though they waived him before he could appear in a game.
4. Wang, Zhizhi and Bateer had made small contirbutions, but Yao Ming would change everything. Drafted as the first overall pick in 2002 by the Houston Rockets, Yao's impact was immediate, on and off the court.
The Rockets stepped up their Asian marketing, and found themselves flooded with Chinese media and fans. This, on the heels of Ichiro Suzuki's similarly huge splash in MLB in 2001, cemented the idea in sports executives that Asia was an untapped reserve of both marketing dollars and talent.
Yao's size and skills eclipsed Wang's, giving the Rockets their best big man since Hakeem Olajuwon, who retired the season before Yao was drafted.
The 7'6" center was a bit too wiry to excel in his first season, as he had to adjust to the much more physical NBA game. His .498 shooting percentage, 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game averages would all be career lows for him. But Yao arrived in 2003, appearing in all 82 games  and averaging 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.5 assists per game.
That last category showed the extra dimension Yao brought to the floor. Never a dominant shot blocker, Yao moved and passed like a guard, with fluid moves away from the basket that puzzled defenses and made his teammates better.
Sadly, this would be the last year where Yao was healthy enough to play in 82 games, and the nearly 2700 minutes he played would also be a career high. After missing two games in 2004, a series of lower-body injuries cut short each of his seasons from 2005 to the present.
First, it was osteomyletis in his big toe, requiring surgery midway through the 2005 season. In 2006, he broke his right knee, but did return in March 2007, in time for the playoffs. He made it through the rest of the 2007 calendar year without injury, but ended his season abruptly in February of 2008 with a stress fracture in his right foot.
This past year, he made it through the season largely unscathed, but bad luck would once again strike, as the Rockets—looking like they might finally make it to a title with Yao—lost their big man to a hairline fracture in his right foot two games into a second-round showdown with the Lakers.
Though the injury was expected to heal on its own, it didn't, and now Yao will undergo a series of surgeries that will keep him out the entire 2009-10 season, but hopefully allow him to continue his career without more lower-body problems.
5. Yuta Tabuse, called the "Michael Jordan of Japan" for his popularity there, became the first native Japanese NBA player when he appeared in 4 games for the 2004-5 Phoenix Suns. He only played a total of 17 minutes, scored 7 points, and was later waived. He now plays in the Japan Basketball League.
6. The first Korean player was Ha Seung-jin, a 7'3", 305-lb center drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in the second round of the 2004 draft.
He played two seasons with the Blazers, spending some time with the NBA's developmental league because of his raw game. His size made him appealing, but he could never develop the inside presence required to succeed in the NBA.
The Blazers traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2006 offseason, but he never appeared for them, as they waived him a few months later.
7. Next to Yao, Yi Jianlian has created the greatest excitement of any player coming over from China. Like Yao, he excited scouts because of his combination of size and fluid movement. Standing 7' tall, Yi has the height to dominate inside, but can hit the outside jumper as well.
Yi was initially drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007, causing some controversy because he'd expressed the desire to play for a playoff-caliber team in a city with a significant Asian population. The Bucks offered neither, and so there was initially talk he'd hold out or demand a trade, but in the end he reported to the Bucks.
He played fairly well for Milwaukee, starting 49 of 62 games and averaging 8.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks. Whether due to his dissatisfaction with the team or theirs for him, he was traded in the offseason to the New Jersey Nets.
Finally, he'd get the chance to start for a team with playoff aspirations, in an area with a strong Asian population. But he struggled with the Nets, who had their own problems with injuries and inconsistency.
Yi's outside shooting improved, from 29% beyond the arc to 34%, even as his inside shot percentage fell from 42% to 38%. He lacked aggressiveness on the inside, often getting muscled out by smaller players, and struggled getting into the flow with his teammates.
And just as it seemed he was putting it all together, he broke his finger on January 8, an injury he never quite recovered from, as his shooting suffered the rest of the season.
He'll look to rebound next season with a Nets team now without Vince Carter, their best player, but with emerging stars like Brook Lopez and Devin Harris. He faces no significant threat to his playing time, so he should have the right atmosphere to thrive.
8. The last of the Asian stars, and another player who could emerge as a superstar, is the Los Angeles Lakers guard Sun Yue. The 6'9" point guard from China has been called "The Chinese Magic Johnson" for his ability to distribute the ball with flair, though he had little chance to show that last season, his rookie year.
He played his first game on December 8 of last season, but played in all of ten games before getting assigned to the Lakers' D-League team, the D-fenders. He returned for the playoffs, though he didn't appear in a game, traveling with the team and gaining valuable experience for next season.
The Lakers drafted him 40th overall in 2007, so they're likely to give him a chance at some point to really shine. Expect that to be in the 2009-10 season, probably in a more significant reserve role.
Keep reading the Asian-American Sports Examiner to see how these players perform next season!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Best and worst of the Las Vegas Summer League

The NBA Summer League is over and admit it, you're feeling kind of empty.
Remember that girlfriend you had freshman year of college who lived halfway across the country from you? When the spring semester came to a close and you had to say goodbye for the summer, you tried to get in a solid earth-shattering kiss to last you until you saw her again in the fall when school started back up.
Well, like that little freshman hottie, our precious NBA just packed up its Yaffa blocks and mini fridge and is driving away for August and September. If you missed the chance to plant a wet one on the Association during the summer league in Las Vegas last week, now's the time to remember it like you were creepily flipping through a Facebook photo album of your girlfriend's at 3 o'clock in the morning.
To tide you over, here's a Best/Worst of the Summer League list ...

Best Moment
When Baron Davis(notes) showed up for one of the Clippers games in a Clyde Frazer-esque beard/fedora/dark-rimmed glasses combo (which was awesome enough in itself) and took a courtside seat next to Mike Dunleavy across from the Clips bench where Blake Griffin(notes) and Eric Gordon(notes) were sitting. A total, "let's stay together for the kids" moment.
Best Decision by a Veteran to Show Up
Last summer Dahntay Jones(notes) parlayed a solid showing in Vegas into a starting gig with Denver for the season that resulted in an $11 million contract with Indiana. This summer's big winner was Sean May(notes), who despite not playing any games (Charlotte didn't even field a team), was able to impress Sacramento officials enough at a private workout to secure a one-year deal despite the fact that he's only played in 82 out of a possible 328 games in his four-year career.
Worst Decision by a Veteran to Show Up
Chris Paul(notes) showed up, told long-time NBA reporter Chris Tomasson that the Hornets are so into savings mode that he wouldn't be surprised if even he was tradable and then went on to deny the conversation ever occurring on his Twitter account. Coming in a close second was Paul Pierce(notes) who wore sunglasses in the gym the whole time he watched the games. Anytime you're wearing shades indoors in Vegas, you're coming under scrutiny for trying to hide all-night Black Jack bags under your eyes. That's just how it goes.
Best Second-Rounder
For a supposedly shallow draft pool, the second-round talent sure ran deep. If you had to choose just one, Detroit's DaJuan Summers(notes) (18.0 points, 5.4 rebounds) is tough to argue against, but San Antonio's DeJuan Blair(notes) owned the boards (8.7 rebounds in just 25 minutes per game) and showed a soft touch belying his 6-foot-7, 265-pound frame (81 percent from the line); Milwaukee's Jodie Meeks(notes) had the nicest looking shot of anybody in the gym all week and don't forget Kevin Durant(notes) was in attendance (53 percent from three); Houston's Chase Budinger(notes) (17.8 points on 68 percent shooting) and New Orleans' Marcus Thornton(notes) (20.7 points per game) both look like they can come in immediately and provide bench scoring; Memphis' Sam Young(notes) shot 50 percent from the field, showing an improved jumper since his days at Pitt to go with his developed wing defense; and Portland's Dante Cunningham(notes), Detroit's Jonas Jerebko(notes) and Cleveland's Danny Green(notes) all showed promise of being 2009-10 contributors as well.
Best Record Broken
Anthony Randolph(notes) tying the scoring record of 42 points was stellar, and Anthony Morrow(notes) setting the new mark with 47 a few days later was stunning, but it didn't quite match up. Joey Dorsey(notes) coming even with the all-time rebounds mark with 20 offered some solace to Houston fans mourning Yao's foot injury, but it still pales in comparison. Marcus Williams obliterating the old summer league record of 11 assists in a game by dropping 17 dimes against the Thunder in the Grizzlies first game in Vegas was a sign of good things to come. Memphis started out inviting him to fill out the summer league roster and by the end of the week after he had led the Grizz to a 5-0 record and scored a game-winning layup against the Spurs in the last game, he had the team considering him for a back-up point guard position for the upcoming year. "I want him on the team if it was up to me," one Memphis team exec told me. "I'll go to bat for him."
Best Veterans on the Court
Outside of Golden State's two Anthonys, Dorsey and Williams, there were a few other seasoned players making some noise. Nick Young(notes) (23.8 points per game) was dialed in and looked ready to be the extra scorer the Wizards have lacked ever since Larry Hughes(notes) left town. Adam Morrison(notes) (20.8 points) was the Lakers No. 1 option and seems primed to give Sasha "Scoreless Machine in the Finals" Vujacic a run for his minutes next season. And Julian Wright's(notes) play (14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds), had Byron Scott talking about him taking over for Peja Stojakovic(notes) in the Hornets starting lineup next year.
Best Fan
Clipper Darrell ushered in the new era for his team, giving the Clippers the best crowd support of any of the teams playing all week. And he made sure to baptize several of the league's top picks including Hasheem Thabeet(notes), screaming at the top of his lungs in an otherwise quiet gym: "Hey Thabeet! Welcome to the NBA, baby! U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi, you ugly!"
Worst Fashion Statement
Allan Houston(notes) wearing Crocs while taking in a Knicks game. I realize the dude made more than $100 million in his career, so he could wear a Snuggie in public and care less, but come on, Crocs?
Best Collection of Talent
The rookie point guards did not disappoint. Jonny Flynn(notes) (15.0 points, 7.4 assists) impressed scouts with his vocal leadership skills, directing a team of temporary players around the court like he had been playing with them for years. Tyreke Evans(notes) showed triple-double potential and has a crossover that will take the league by storm. Stephen Curry(notes) was the crowd darling every time he took the court and played a full floor game even if he didn't shoot it that well (33 percent). Brandon Jennings(notes) got the Bucks to run and made a point of getting Joe Alexander(notes) going when he was struggling. Darren Collison(notes), Ty Lawson(notes) and Roddy Beaubois were all score-first points, but there's no shame in that if you're shooting it as well as these guys were.
Worst Collection of Talent
If the Knicks' three re-tread lottery picks weren't bad enough (Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Mouhamed Sene(notes) Yaroslav Korolev(notes)), Jordan Hill's(notes) run-of-the mill week (14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds, but on just 43.8 percent from the field) led to an 0-5 mark for the team.
Best Conversation Overheard
"You got to pick up my kid, somebody's got to pick up my kid. He can play. Come on, Nate, do me a favor." - Nuggets coach George Karl appealing to his former player in Seattle, and current Portland head coach Nate McMillan, to have him sign his son, Coby Karl(notes). Coby averaged 15 points on 62 percent shooting, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in Vegas.
Best Rookie
If you want to nitpick, you'll point to his 46 percent mark from the free throw line in Vegas, but now's not the time to doubt Blake Griffin. After putting up 19.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the summer league, the No. 1 pick left several impressions on those who watched, all starting with the word "wow" as in "Wow, I didn't know he can pass so well ... Wow, look how he grabs a long rebound and dribbles it up the court to start the break ... Wow, the gap between him and the rest of the rookies is as wide as the gap in the entertainment value between Simon Cowell and the rest of the American Idol judges." He's the real deal. Rejoice, Clippers fans. 

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Mamba No. 3

Cracked me up when I read it. An American sports columnist concocted a wonky fictional telephone conversation between Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and Jesus. After the Los Angeles Lakers romped away with Game One against the Magic (100-75, with LA going on to win in five games last June), Van Gundy the embattled coach — christened by Shaq as “the Master of Panic” — made a phone call (long distance or intergalactic?) to Jesus asking him to suit up for a couple of games to stop Kobe Bryant. The Lord declined, offering instead to turn Kobe’s Gatorade into wine, but that’s about it. An imaginary exchange stemming obviously from Denver Nuggets coach George Karl’s assertion that not even Jesus could stop some of the shots made by No. 24 in the Lakers’ Game Six win against Carmelo Anthony and company.
Blasphemous, of course, but such is the meatiness of the metaphors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Remember Larry Bird’s comments about playing against “God” when Michael Jordan scored 63 points against the vaunted Celtic defense? In a playoff game, mind you. In the Garden, of all places. And the Boston Garden in the ’80s was as imposing as the Roman Colosseum with its gladiator-like enforcers in the shaded area. Not to mention its leprechauns, uneven parquet floor, and malfunctioning air-conditioners in the visiting team’s dugout.
Kobe Bryant — like Michael Jordan before him — has ascended the heights of the hyperbolic, with coaches, basketball players, and scribes singing his praises. Kobe and Michael: two guys who could take off from the free-throw line, hang in mid-air, repaint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, pose for a NBA-copyrighted poster, and, just before landing, reinvent the game of basketball. But it’s not just about aerial acrobatics, or else you could add Vince Carter or just about any other one-dimensional leaper into that equation. It’s about being a competitor, about living and dying in the clutch. Kobe and Michael: two shooting guards who live for the moment when the game clock is winding down, the fans are on the edge of their seats, the odds are stacked up against them, and only a miracle or something like it could salvage the entire enterprise.
And it’s the love for the game.
The Lakers superstar, onstage at the Manila Peninsula’s Rigodon Ballroom, smiles and spreads his hands when reminded about Coach Karl’s Jesus comment, as if dismissing the divine dimension of playing D against him, but also saying, “Yeah, it is a bit difficult.”
The 2009 NBA Finals MVP is in Manila as part of his Asian Tour to promote the Nike Dream Season shoes designed specifically for outdoor basketball; give a donation to Gawad Kalinga at Nike Park; conduct a basketball clinic, as well as to showcase his basketball prowess alongside the Nike Elite Campers at the ULTRA (PhilSports Arena in Pasig City). Manila is the first stop. Afterwards Kobe jets off to Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chengdu. 
It seems Kobe did a McArthur during his second visit to the Philippines back in 2007, saying he shall return.
He first came to Manila in 1998 as a flamboyant, high-flying punk having joined the NBA in the 1996 draft straight out of high school, fitted the role of a high-scoring sixth man, and was crowned the Slam Dunk king in 1997; that was before he became a part of the Lakers three-peat from 1999 to 2002 (with the cast that included Shaq the bard of the boards and Zen-master Phil Jackson) — ah, the triangle offense, “Showtime” revisited (just like in the olden days of Magic, Kareem and James Worthy), and the high drama of it all.
In the procession of NBA seasons Kobe would create heralds as well as haters. Lots of doubters as to whether Kobe could measure up to Jordan, or get a ring without Shaq (who got traded to Miami and won a championship with Dwyane Wade), without that imposing “Jaws-meets-Bambi” at center. There are those who consider Kobe a ball-hog or, as local hoop geniuses would say, “buwaya,” owing to a lot of air balls and forced shots (much like Allen Iverson who shot a lot of blanks when he was in Philly). He became tabloid fodder in 2003 for the sexual assault allegation in Colorado. Feuds with O’Neal (who did a taunting rap about Kobe, etc.), and with Jackson (who once called Kobe “uncoachable” in his book) got overblown. Lots of trade rumors through the years. At one time we thought Bryant was headed for Chicago or, worse, the Clippers.
Nine years after the first visit, Kobe was a bit older and relatively wiser. He owned three championship rings (co-shared with O’Neal), was a perennial All-Star and All-NBA teams, was about to play a key role in Team USA’s bid to redeem its basketball glory in the Beijing Olympics, and was poised to win his first MVP in the 2007-2008 season. But the doubters remained. Just as the 2008-2009 playoffs were underway, lots of sportswriters predicted boldly that King James would depose the Black Mamba in the NBA Finals. That didn’t happen. LeBron proved to be a bad sport as he refused to shake hands with the team that deposed him in the Eastern Conference Finals, chucking tradition. (That Nike “Most Valuable Puppets” commercial where puppet Kobe taunts puppet LeBron with his three championship rings is a hoot.)
In the NBA Finals, LA demolished Orlando, despite the latter having Dwight Howard as the man of steel, a sweet-shooting Rashard Lewis, and a tongue-sticking Hedo Türkoglu, touted as the “Michael Jordan of Turkey” which is as believable as being the “Elvis Presley of the Philippines.”
Thus, Kobe returns to Manila a champion. A player responsible for cardiac-arresting, game-winning shots, as well as moves for the highlight reels (particularly wicked were his twisting, sideways, falling-down shot against a phalanx of Magic defenders and his pirouetting drop pass to the streaking Spaniard, Pau Gasol, in Game Four). A man who once scored 81 points in an NBA game fielding questions from journalists about Jordan comparisons and imaginarily being guarded by Jesus.
Nothing godly about it, he would say. What Bryant simply wants to do is play both ends of the court really well. All it takes is a great work ethic.
Kobe explains, “(Being able to) play both things extremely well gives me tremendous pride. There are players (who see themselves as) too cool to play hard, too cool to box out, too cool to dive for loose balls. (The important thing) is not to play like the number one guy in the team. Play like the 13th, 14th or 15th guy.”   
The reason he has returned to Manila is that he loves being around youngsters who enjoy the game of basketball.
“It takes me back to being a kid, and working so hard (to get to that level). Last time I was here, I saw a lot of kids who were willing to do the work to be the best. I am fortunate to be able to play the game of basketball. (But it’s not about) scoring a lot of points or winning championships, it’s about what you do with that talent, (about) doing things in a positive way.” Helping the less fortunate, sharing one’s skills and knowledge to others — these things resonate more than what a person does on a basketball court.  
About the Nike Dream Season performance shoes, he explains they were designed for the outdoor course. While regular basketball shoes get roughed up a little bit more when used in the playground, the new Nikes are “durable and more comfortable.” Mainly because of the shoe’s outsole made of XDR (or “Xtra Durable Rubber”), a rubber compound that can last two to three times longer than conventional rubber.
About Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, Bryant has this to say: “I love him. I enjoy being around people who are competitive (and who have an excellent) work ethic. (Manny) truly loves what he does; he loves the sport. I have tremendous respect for him.”
About Filipino food, he quips, “I grew up in Italy so I’m open to trying anything new. Anybody here who offers Filipino food, I’m all for it.”
About which championship he treasures the most, Kobe says it the most recent one. “Because we just won it (laughs).”
Yes, it was a team effort. Derek Fisher dropped a three-pointer to send Game Four into overtime and sank the go-ahead three with 31 seconds left in OT. Pau Gasol augmented his finesse playing with spurts of power moves (no one called him a softie afterwards, not even Phil Jackson). Swingman Trevor Ariza was a revelation (and the way he stole the ball in the dying seconds of that game against the Nuggets reminded me of how Bird picked off an Isaiah Thomas pass in the Celtic victory over the Pistons in playoffs back in the day). Andrew Bynum wasn’t flat-footed anymore. Sweet-toothed Lamar Odom played like a hyper-energetic kid with a sugar rush. But it was Kobe who spelled the difference in the series.
There is this thing about an old injury in the little pinky of Kobe’s shooting hand that he hasn’t dealt with in a long time. Is it a lucky fracture of sorts? “I’m not touching it. We’ve had a lot of success with it, so leave it alone (laughs). (I say) if it’s broke, don’t fix it,” the Lakers superstar says.
But what about the Lakers championship configuration that has changed in the off-season with the departure of Ariza (who will suit up for the Houston Rockets next season) and Lamar Odom’s limbo-like status? Does the LA team need more tweaking (what with the arrival of enforcer Ron Artest who is billed as Kobe’s Dennis Rodman), and with the arms race in the Eastern division (what with Vince Carter joining the Magic, Rasheed Wallace upgrading the Celtics, and Shaq bolstering the LeBron-led Cavaliers)?
Kobe informs that he talks with the other players all the time in strategizing for the next season. “Fish and I are great friends. I talk a lot to Ron Artest. We are a close-knit group. We lost the chemistry that we had (with the exit of Ariza). The puzzle has changed a little bit. But it’s really not about individual players, it’s about how we work with each other (as a team).”
As for the nagging comparison with Jordan, Kobe concludes, “It is a great honor (to be compared with Michael), but (the area of difference is) in (our own respective games).” Michael was the focal point of the fabled Chicago Bulls team with Scottie Pippen acting as his foil. Like Hamlet and Horatio.
“My role in the team is a bit different. I am more of the facilitator and orchestrator.” 
From ball-hog to team leader — Jesus, what a transition.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Blake Griffin injures his right shoulder

Blake Griffin hasn't been a Clipper for long . . . but long enough, apparently.

It hasn't even been a month since the NBA draft, but the prized rookie already has an injury that will keep him out of action for weeks, not days.

The team issued a release Wednesday saying the power forward suffered a strained right shoulder and will be resting for three to four weeks.

This means Griffin, the No. 1 overall draft pick, will miss the USA Basketball national team mini-camp in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas was where Griffin made his Clippers debut, receiving rave national reviews and being named the most outstanding player in the NBA's Summer League.

He averaged 19.2 points and 10.8 rebounds in five games, impressing Clippers Coach and General Manager Mike Dunleavy with the same work ethic and skills that defined him as college basketball's player of the year last season as a sophomore at Oklahoma.

And Griffin seemed to survive summer league, and at least, for the moment, keep the much-discussed Clippers curse at bay.

Not quite.

It turned out Griffin suffered the injury in the third game.

He saw the Clippers' team doctor Tuesday and was evaluated Wednesday by specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum, who confirmed the original diagnosis, according to the team.
 
Source


Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Pacers waive G Tinsley

INDIANAPOLIS — Larry Bird's housecleaning project is complete.
The Indiana Pacers announced that they waived point guard Jamaal Tinsley on Wednesday, and a team spokesman said the NBA will process the request Thursday. If he clears waivers in seven days, he will become a free agent.
The move was an important one for Bird, Indiana's president of basketball operations. When the waiver becomes official, none of the players who have had legal problems or were involved in the brawl between Pacers players and Pistons fans in 2004 will remain on the roster.
"This ends a very difficult period for all parties involved," Bird said in a statement. "We are pleased to have this resolved."
Tinsley has career averages of 10.4 points and 7.0 assists, but he has been hampered by injuries and legal problems in recent years. The Pacers told him not to report to training camp last season and did not allow him to play. The NBA players' union filed a grievance for him in February, but the arbitration hearing scheduled for next week has been canceled.
Tinsley, a Pacer since 2001-02, now will try to revive his career elsewhere.
"Jamaal is happy to be moving on," Tinsley's agent, Raymond Brothers, told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. "He's sorry it didn't work out for the Pacers. He appreciates the opportunity he had there. He's looking forward to turning over a new chapter in his life, starting over and carrying on with his career."
Tinsley was owed $14.7 million over the next two years. The team did not release details of the resolution and says it will have no further comment. Brothers said he couldn't comment on the matter because it was a confidential agreement.
Tinsley was a favorite of former Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, and he thrived under Jim O'Brien two seasons ago until he was injured.
He averaged 9.4 points and 8.1 assists as a rookie. Then helped the Pacers claim the league's best record in 2003-04, and the team was 34-9 in his regular-season starts after he came off the injured list. He averaged a career-best 15.4 points in 2004-05, but played just 40 games. He averaged 15.8 points and 8.6 assists in his first 24 games two seasons ago before a knee injury slowed him. In the past six seasons, he's only played more than 52 games once.
Tinsley was connected with three late-night conflicts in a 14-month span.
He was there when Stephen Jackson fired several shots into the air before being hit by a car at an Indianapolis strip club in October 2006.
He faced a felony charge of intimidation and misdemeanor counts of battery, disorderly conduct and intimidation after a bar fight in Indianapolis in February 2007, but agreed with prosecutors last year that if he stayed out of trouble for two years, all charges would be dropped.
In Dec. 2007, someone in a truck fired shots from an assault rifle at three cars carrying Tinsley's entourage outside a downtown Indianapolis hotel. Tinsley wasn't hurt, but Pacers equipment manager Joey Qatato was struck in both elbows as he sat in one of the cars.
Brothers said Tinsley has worked with a personal trainer since the Pacers exiled him last season and packs a solid 187 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame.
"Jamaal is in the best shape of his life," Brothers said. "There are several teams that have tried to trade for him, and there are several teams that are interested in him."