NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Shock the World? Close, but no

I'm not sure how much longer the Playoff Daily Dose will be a daily occurrence. If you're reading this column, you're probably pretty dialed into what's happening in the playoffs. Or, maybe you don't worry about watching the games and get your info here. I don't know. But I'm probably going to start putting them out there just 2-3 times per week at some point. And we're not too far from getting some offseason fantasy columns rolled out, although I'm still decompressing from the season.

Weekend Review

Friday

Celtics @ Hawks - Hawks force Game 7 with 103-100 win.
bostonceltics.ws
Well, I guess if I could pick one game to go to this year, this was the one to see. Had great seats right behind Dominique Wilkins and I spoke to him and Kevin Willis at halftime. I was also sitting just above hip-hop producer Polow Da Don and artist Rich Boy, who had some leather furniture and a plasma TV set up in a small roped-off area on the floor. Me (and my buddy Lee) had a perfect view of their television, which was sweet for replays, etc. I had no idea who they were during the game, and I'm still not sure how I was able to figure it out later, other than the fact that this job has enhanced my Google skills to a pretty high level. Da Don is clearly better known than Rich Boy based on the love he was getting from the crowd, but Rich Boy's watch was something to see. I'm still seeing spots. Da Don's list of work involves most of the big names in the biz and I'm guessing he's looked at as this generation's Babyface? But I don't know.

As for the game? Wow. The Hawks hung in there all night, took the lead in the fourth and played like the veteran team down the stretch. The sixth foul on Paul Pierce was a bit questionable, but he still knew better than to throw his headband. Joe Johnson's fake-and-pop 3-pointer late was a nice way to finish. No one dominated from either side and this was one of the best playoff games you'll ever see. And it's nice to be able to officially welcome the NBA back to the ATL. Strangers high-fiving in the streets, 1.5 hour waits to get into STATS' Sports Bar after the game and people getting on the train and asking "Did the Hawks win?" Good stuff. Speaking of which, my train back north was delayed by a dude who was passed out in a couple seats and just riding up and down the line. After a 10-minute delay, he was eventually removed from my car by the cops. Good times all the way around. Game 7 is next, and while my mind says the Hawks are going to lose by 40, my sense of feel is telling me the Hawks have fate on their side and are going to win.

Cavaliers @ Wizards - Cavs advance to Round 2 with 105-88 win.

This went down while we were at the Hawks game. LeBron posts a monster triple-double to shut up DeShawn Stevenson once and for all. Papa John's Pizza comes under fire for supplying T-shirts depicting LeBron as a crybaby, despite the fact they do some pretty major business in the Cleveland area. Papa John's corporate headquarters claim the move wasn't cleared through them and this series finally ends with a little more 90210-like drama. Cavs will face the winner of the Hawks-Celtics Game 7.

Rockets @ Jazz - Jazz closeout Rockets 113-91 despite T-Mac's 40.
utahjazz.com
Had the Rockets won this game, they were heading back home for Game 7 and the whole thing would have been turned upside down. But the Rockets could never recover from getting routed in those first two games at home. You can't really blame Tracy McGrady for the early exit this time around, but if you're superstitious, I'm not sure you'd want him trying to lead you to Round 2. The Jazz were clearly the better team and should at least make the Lakers stop and think about what they're doing in Round 2.

Saturday

Magic @ Pistons - Pistons stand on Superman's cape in Game 1's 91-73 blowout.

Dwight Howard was completely shut down by the Pistons, who decided to turn the light switch on for this one. This game wasn't even close, and while I thought for a while that the Magic were going to take out the Pistons, it's not really looking that way now. The Magic can overcome this first game with a strong performance in Game 2, but it just seems like the Pistons' D will be able to hold Howard in check. And the Magic can't beat the Pistons unless Howard is firing on all cylinders at both ends of the floor.

Spurs @ Hornets - Hornets run away late for easy 101-82 Game 1 win.

This series is probably going seven games. My guess is each team steals one on the road and then it comes down to a Game-7 shootout, which will take place in New Orleans. If the Hornets roll over the Spurs easily, look out Lakers, look out Celtics and look out world. I've still got the Spurs winning this series, but it's clear that I've been sleeping on the Hornets for too long. They're good. Real good. Part of the reason for the easy win was that Tim Duncan failed to show up, going just 1-of-9 in Game 1. Don't expect to see that happen again tonight.

Sunday

Hawks @ Celtics - Hawks can't hit a shot in 99-65 laugher.
bostonceltics.ws
I broke out Dominique's game-worn shoes and Mitchell & Ness throwback for this one, and even wore (mostly) the same stuff that brought the Hawks so much luck in Game 6. Which included breaking my rule of wearing a hat and sweatshirt of the same team. I try to never do this, but usually succumb to the pressure when the Colts are in the playoffs, so I figured it was fine to do it for the Hawks as well. Obviously, it didn't work. Joe Johnson hit a three to open the game and my "fate hunch" was looking pretty good. That is, until the Hawks missed four first-quarter layups and basically didn't hit another meaningful shot the entire game. Had the Hawks hit some of their open shots in the first quarter, I think this game would have been much different over the final three quarters. But the confidence the Celtics gained in the first carried over the rest of the way and then the monstrous D kicked in. Game over. It was a good run and the experience of being pushed to the brink is going to help the C's down the line. If they weren't focused before, they sure are now. And I'm not too worried about the fact they didn't win in Atlanta. All they have to worry about in Cleveland is shutting down the King, and they have the tools to do it. I still think the Celtics are going to the Finals.

I'm almost glad the Hawks were blown out instead of losing a heartbreaker at the buzzer, like they did in 1988 for the Bird-Nique showdown. Now we have to wait and see if Mike Woodson and his crew are retained, and whether Marvin Williams will face any disciplinary action for the start of next season. In case you missed it, he clothes lined Rajon Rondo, and was ejected, as he should have been. I'm good with Woodson sticking around and trying this again next year, as it's obvious that his guys will play hard for him. They just have to learn how to play on the road, obviously.

Jazz @ Lakers - Lakers manhandle Jazz in Game 1, 109-98.
utahjazz.com
Much has been made about the Jazz's physicality presenting big problems for the Lakers, but I think the bigger factor is that the Jazz can't stop Kobe Bryant. He had 38-6-7 in the win, while Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur double-doubled, and Deron Williams flirted with a triple-double. Andrei Kirilenko even put up one of those monster fantasy lines that included five blocks. The Jazz will be very competitive in this series, but I don't see the Lakers losing.

Enjoy the upcoming week. And if you love this column and want to see it every day, let me know. I'm not opposed to throwing it out there daily, but am just not sure it's necessary.

Week Ahead

Monday - Orlando @ Detroit, San Antonio @ New Orleans ? Gm 2s.
Tuesday - Cleveland @ Boston ? Gm 1.
Wednesday - Detroit @ Orlando ? Gm 3, Utah @ Lakers ? Gm 2.
Thursday - Cleveland @ Boston ? Gm 2, New Orleans @ San Antonio ? Gm 3
Friday - Lakers @ Jazz ? Gm 3

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Mr. Big Shot's Lucky Break

The Pistons made it 2-0 over the Magic last night, while the Hornets dominated the Spurs for the second straight time in New Orleans.

You have to feel for the Magic after Chauncey Billups' 3-pointer came during a clock malfunction worthy of Philips Arena in Atlanta. The clock didn't start properly and it was ruled that Billups' three at the end of the third quarter counted, because the officials estimated that there were 4.6 seconds remaining and he would have gotten the shot off in that time. However, TNT ran a clock on the play and the ball was technically still in CB's hands when time expired. In any case, the Pistons went on to win 100-93 and now lead 2-0 as the teams prepare for Game 3 in Orlando on Wednesday. Well, I should say that the Pistons are preparing for Game 3. The Magic saw their plane diverted to Cincinnati from Detroit due to mechanical problems. While it's not a huge deal and no one was hurt, it did probably keep the team up all night and forced them to get up early today to get back to Orlando. And if someone on the team was simply causing the problem because they had a hankering for some Skyline Chili, SVG's not going to be very happy. Man, Skyline is about the only thing I miss about the Midwest.

Dwight Howard was much better last night with 22 points, 18 boards and a couple blocks, while Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis also scored 20-plus points in the loss. The Pistons were led by Billups' 28 points, while the entire starting five scored in double digits. The vibes just don't seem to be working in Orlando's favor right now, and it looks like the Pistons have flipped the switch to "on" for this series. A sweep is not out of the question, although it would not be too surprising to see the Magic pull off a couple wins in Orlando if the Pistons let their guard down.

The Hornets look like the real deal and got big lines from Chris Paul (30 points, 12 assists - surprise) and Peja Stojakovic (five threes). David West double-doubled with 10 & 10, but hit just 2-of-11 shots. Looking at the Hornets box score, there's nothing too shocking or impressive. But it all begins to make sense when you notice that the Spurs put just two starters in double digits and the starting unit scored a total of just 47 points for the night. Tim Duncan had 18, Tony Parker had 11, Brent Barry scored 14 and Manu Ginobili had 13. The last two times the Spurs were down 0-2 (as far as I know), was in 2001 and 1998. In '01 they ended up being swept by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. In fact, they weren't just swept, but were blown off the court in Games 3 and 4. They also fell into an 0-2 hole against the Jazz in 1998 and ended up losing 4-1 in the semi's. This could be the end of the road for the Spurs' dynasty, but let's not stick a fork in them until we see what happens in Games 3 and 4 in San Antonio. The crowd is going to be in a frenzy and it will be interesting to see how both teams respond.

Tonight

The Celtics host the Cavaliers in tonight's lone game. The teams split the season series 2-2, with both teams holding home court along the way. It would not be surprising to see this series follow the same path as the Celtics' battle with Atlanta in Round 1, with each team winning their home games. LeBron was "held" to 26 points in their final regular-season matchup, but had scored 30 or more in nine straight games against the C's. Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player who can say that. Of course, seven of those outings were pre-KG. In three games this season, James averaged 32 points, seven rebounds and just under 10 assists against Boston. Meanwhile, the Big 3 are going to try to figure out how to win on the road, and I'd be surprised if their bench doesn't play a bigger role against the Cavs than it did against the Hawks. Leon Powe, Big Baby Davis, Tony Allen, Sam Cassell and Eddie House should all have their moments. The C's are probably better off having played such a tough series against the Hawks, and Doc Rivers couldn't have asked for a better motivator than almost getting waxed by the No. 8 seed with the terrible record. Paul Pierce has a sore back and hip, but don't expect him to miss any time. bostonceltics.ws

Coach's Corner

It sounds like Mike D'Antoni is going to coach the Bulls. I'm not sure how that's gonna work for John Paxson, who doesn't seem too much different than Steve Kerr. Although Pax isn't as much of a micro-manager, both GMs like their defense. I don't know that D'Antoni is opposed to playing D, but it's certainly not his forte. What will be really interesting is to see if D'Antoni still looks like a genius when he's got Kirk Hinrich running the point instead of Steve Nash. But either way, the change will likely be a good one for the coach and the Bulls.

Mark Jackson is still the front-runner in New York, although Donnie Walsh has talked to D'Antoni and Avery Johnson as well. Given the fact that Jax has never coached a team before, I wouldn't be surprised to see Avery get the job. But there's no way to know.

Rick Carlisle sounds like he's been all but hired by the Mavericks, although I'm not sure what this talk that he's going to let the Mavs run and open up the offense is all about. Carlisle tried like hell to run in Indy, but his brain just wouldn't let him do it. The players hated his offense, weren't fans of his disciplinary tactics and generally quit on him. And the Pacers' anemic offense was almost unwatchable from a fan's standpoint. A new voice will be a welcome change in Dallas, but D'Antoni would be a much better fit with that team in my opinion.

On a side note. Carlisle reluctantly gave me a pair of his shoes when I was a kid and he was playing with Larry Bird and the Celtics. I'm still not sure why I even asked him for them, as I tried to only hit up the guys I really liked. But he was there so I asked. He told me I could have them for $100 bucks. I was 12-13 years old and said "no thanks" and walked away. He then called me back and said I could have them after the game. So, after the game he gave me his size 13 black Converse All-Stars and I said "thanks" and started to walk away. Out of the 40 pairs given to me over the years, that was the first time I didn't ask the player to sign them, mainly because I was less than thrilled to be getting them. He then yelled at me to "get back here!" So I turned around and he was coming at me with his own Sharpie and said "I don't want you telling people those are Larry's shoes and then selling them, so I'm going to sign them." I guess I understand where he was coming from, but let's just say it was a less-than-pleasant encounter. The story has a happy ending though, as I ended up trading them for a pair of Adrian Dantley's, as one of my "shoe buddies" had two pairs of AD's. That's the only time I've ever sold or traded any of my memorabilia.

News and Notes

Luke Walton is iffy for Wednesday's Game 2 with a respiratory infection. The Lakers lead the Jazz 1-0 in that one.

Andrew Bynum is getting a second opinion on his knee. I hope everything checks out OK with Bynum, as the longer he's sidelined, the more concern there will be from fantasy owners next season. But either way, I'm thinking he's one of those guys who everyone is going to want on draft day, and people will be reaching for him in fantasy drafts. It might be worth the risk to do so, but I'm thinking you can probably let someone else burn their third-round pick on him.

Dwyane Wade is also starting rehab on his knee again in Chicago. The plan is for him to be ready for the Olympics and then fully healthy for next season. There are rumors that Wade is permanently damaged and may never return to the form he showed two years ago, but that still remains to be seen. And he's still worthy of a first-round fantasy pick.

Music

My Morning Jacket is playing Saturday Night Live this weekend on NBC. Bo, the keyboard player, is signed up for my rock and roll fantasy hoops league and the band will probably be playing a couple new songs from Evil Urges, which comes out on June 10. Check it out.

Explosions in the Sky are playing Austin City Limits on PBS the same night, although that's a repeat. Guitarist Mark Smith is also signed up for the league and I'm hoping to see them perform at Lollapalooza this summer in Chicago. Either way, it's going to be a fun Saturday night for me.

Sebadoh is playing one of my favorite records, Bubble and Scrape, start to finish at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago this summer, and I also plan on being on hand for that one. Lou Barlow will be pulling double duty that weekend, as Dinosaur Jr. is also on the bill.

And in possibly my most "normal" music reference ever, I'm going to see Tom Petty and Steve Winwood this summer in Indy. I've always kinda wanted to see Petty, and was pretty upset when I missed seeing the Replacements open for him back in 1989, which still eats at me today. My boys Andy and Mike ended up partying backstage with Paul Westerberg for that one, resulting in one of the best underage, backstage stories I've ever heard. My buddy Steve has secured us second-row seats for this one, and I'm pretty psyched to see Winwood perform Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. He'll play it, right? Sadly though, Westerberg and Tommy Stinson won't be around on that night.

Enjoy the LeBron vs. KG show tonight.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

What Was That?

What a strange game that was last night. The Celtics somehow held on to beat the Cavaliers on a night when LeBron James, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen could not get it going. The three studs combined to hit 4-of-36 shots and score a total of 16 points, while Kevin Garnett scored 28 and had eight boards in the win. Rajon Rondo and Sam Cassell were the only other two C's in double figures, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 22 points, 12 boards, two assists and two steals for Cleveland. bostonceltics.ws

LeBron was 2-of-18, committed 10 turnovers, and missed three layups and a 3-pointer in the final minute. Allen was 0-for-4 on the night, failed to score a point and committed four turnovers. And Pierce was just 2-of-14, finishing with four points and six turnovers. So that's 4-of-36 shooting, 16 points and 20 turnovers from the trio, which is simply hard to believe.

LeBron's final missed layup came with just under 10 seconds to play. He can't figure out how it didn't go in, I can't figure out how it didn't go in, and the Cleveland faithful can't figure it out. But it was "just one of those nights." Sam Cassell picked up a Flagrant 1 for a foul on LeBron as he drove to the basket last night, but his acting job was about as good as his shooting touch. My wife was like "oh come on, get up and put your mouthpiece back in." Later in the game, Zydrunas Ilgauskas' knee caught Cassell in the head. Cassell flipped his lid, but Ilgauskas was allowed to walk away. I think the NBA will review the incident and get Big Z with some kind of retroactive penalty, but no one seems to be too worried about it. Maybe I'm overreacting? The final score was 76-72 and Game 2 is Thursday night at Boston.

The NBA admitted that Chauncey Billups' 3-pointer should not have counted at the end of the third quarter in Game 2 against the Magic, as the frozen clock would have expired by the time the ball left his hands. But really, that doesn't matter. If the players looked at the clock during the play, they automatically believed there was more time available than there really was, so that argument can be thrown out the window. The officials should have just put the time back on the clock and started the play over. Pistons fans are happy to point out that Billups hit a 3-pointer and still hung on to win by seven, saying that the Magic should stop crying about the play. But they're failing to take into consideration the role momentum plays in these types of games, along with the "butterfly effect" and "chaos" theories. The reality is we don't know how that game would have turned out had Billups' shot been disallowed, or not gone in.

So the Magic, already down 0-2 despite playing extremely well in Game 2, then see their flight back to Orlando re-routed to Cincinnati due to a possible mechanical problem. Long story short is they checked into a Cincy hotel at 3 a.m. Tuesday morning and then flew home later in the day. This resulted in a canceled practice and one of the longest trips possible from Detroit to Orlando. The question is, is the same dude who was running the clock responsible for the airplane malfunction? Actually, the clock malfunction was on the officials, as one of them inadvertently blew into their whistle loudly enough to trigger the freeze. Expect the NBA to modify the rules in these situations, so that instant replay will be an option, as will "pulling points off the board" if necessary.

News broke this morning that Billy Knight resigned as the Hawks GM after six season of losing. Knight is responsible for the nice stable of young players the Hawks have on board right now, but it's impossible to look at Marvin Williams without the "what ifs" involved had BK gone with Chris Paul or Deron Williams instead. Marvin was arguably the most talented player out there when the Hawks picked No. 2 that year, but the need was for a point guard. I don't want to talk about this anymore. Anyway, the resignation of Knight would appear to signal the return of coach Mike Woodson and his staff, but it's also possible that ownership could fully clean house. My vote would be to give him a two-year deal with the expectation that the team wins 41 or more games next year and makes the playoffs, or he's done. We'll see.

Kobe Bryant was officially named MVP yesterday, which is pretty amazing based on what we were posting about him a year ago. May 3 of 2007 is when we first reported the "do something and do it now" mantra from Kobe, and then the "official" trade request came down on May 30 (although he hedged on it throughout the next couple days). Bryant wrote on his website that the Lakers and he had "two different visions of the future" on June 17, and then the famous video of Kobe ripping Andrew Bynum from a mall parking lot came to light around June 19. We've come a long way over the last year, as Kobe finally picked up his first MVP Award.

There are two games on the slate for tonight, as the tired Magic try to win Game 3 in Orlando, and the Lakers try to take a 2-0 lead on the Jazz. There is very little game news coming out right now, as most teams left in the race are pretty healthy. Luke Walton is iffy for tonight with a sinus infection, but should play and get about 20 minutes for Phil Jackson.

I caught Deion Sanders' reality show last night around 2 a.m. and found myself chuckling occasionally. Yeah, it's really bad, scripted reality TV, but Deion and I go way back. You all are probably tiring of my stories, but I have a Deion story. These dates are a little fuzzy, but should be close to being accurate. I had my picture taken with him in Cincinnati in 1993 on the same day Tony Perez was fired as the Reds manager. That was quite a day, as I had a baseball signed by Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Steve Avery (oops), along with getting the photo op with Prime Time. We then when back to my buddy's apartment at One Lytle Place and there's the ESPN crew sitting in the lobby interviewing Perez, who also apparently lived in the building. Jose Rijo pulled up in his Ferrari and my crew and I just hung around chatting up the ESPN guys, Tony and Jose. Pretty bizarre day, as I recall and I was surprised at the lack of people around.

Then, in 2000 when Deion got a stint with the Louisville AAA farm team for the Reds, I ventured into downtown Indy on the same night the Lakers made the greatest Game 7 comeback in history against the Blazers (at least, I think that was the night). I was the only person in the lobby of the hotel when Deion, his wife and two very young kids rolled in and I had my picture of us with me, intent on getting it signed. As I strolled up to the Sanders family, thinking it would be a no-brainer to get the picture signed, his wife shut me down. "What do you want?" she asked. I said, "I would like for Deion to sign this picture of the two of us taken a few years ago." She bluntly said "He won't be signing that for you tonight. This is family time." I was like, "Seriously, I'm the only one here and this is just a picture for me. Can I please ask him to sign it?" She replied "No," and then they walked away and got on an elevator. I went home with my tail between my legs, but did get back in time to see the end of that Lakers comeback. I still have the picture, unsigned, hanging in my office. Oh, and the ball I had signed by the pitchers? I used a cheap free pen from a bank and the signatures all faded about two years later. Ouch.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Kobe celebrates MVP in style

The mighty Pistons fell to the Magic last night, as Rashard Lewis exploded for 33 points and five threes in a game where he couldn't miss. It's hard to believe that he didn't hit the 30-point plateau all season, but it's true. Lewis was 11-for-15 from the floor and 5-of-6 from downtown last night. Dwight Howard was a man-child again, with 20 points, 12 boards and six blocks. Again ? Where were all these blocks during the regular season?

The Pistons got solid production out of Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey, while Rasheed Wallace couldn't find it, hitting just 4-of-15 shots for 11 points. But the story of the night, and the biggest injury of the playoffs thus far, belonged to Chauncey Billups. Mr. Big Shot did the splits early in the game and sat out the remainder with a right hamstring injury. He'll have an MRI today, which I'm guessing will come back negative. But I have a hunch he could miss a game or two with the injury, which would put the Magic right back in this series. But the Pistons are saying that he is expected to play on Saturday, so we'll see. They went on an 11-0 run near the start of the fourth quarter last night to blow a close game open. The Magic now trail 2-1, as the city of Detroit awaits news on the Billups injury.

Kobe Bryant celebrated his first MVP award by torching the Jazz for 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting. He also hit 11-of-12 free throws and added eight boards and six assists in the win. The Jazz hung in there all night, but the Lakers controlled the game from the start. With a 2-0 lead, it looks like the Lakers are likely to have a date in the Western Finals, and probably the big show in June. Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher and Sasha Vujacic all played well for L.A. The Jazz got 25 points and 10 dimes out of Deron Williams, as usual, and a strong performance from Paul Millsap. While seven members of the Jazz managed to hit double digits in scoring last night, they probably would have been better off with a couple double-doubles from Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer. utahjazz.com

Tonight

Cleveland @ Boston for Game 2 ? Boston leads 1-0 bostonceltics.ws
New Orleans @ San Antonio ? Game 3 ? NO leads 2-0

News and Notes

Manu Ginobili (ankle) and Tim Duncan (flu) should both be fully healthy for tonight's game. Duncan was said to have played the first game with a fever, when he scored five points on 1-of-9 shooting. The Spurs better make a statement in their two home games, or the Hornets are going to the next round.

Gilbert Arenas came out yesterday and said he will only return to the Wizards if Antawn Jamison does the same. Even if Jamison comes back, don't consider Arenas a lock to return. He can opt out of his contract, but at this point it's impossible to predict what he will do.

Jamaal Tinsley is not a lock to start for the Pacers next year, but it's not like they have a lot of options, either. Travis Diener had toe surgery this week, while coach Jim O'Brien said Wednesday that he's not prepared to rely on Tinsley. "It's very, very difficult to depend on him when, physically, he's been undependable," he said. Unfortunately for the Pacers, Tinsley's contract is too big and he's not likely to go anywhere. indianapacers.com

The NBA coaching watch continues to confuse everyone involved, but here's the latest.

Rick Carlisle will likely be named the Mavericks' coach tonight. Sorry, Mavs fans. Stock up on your NoDoz.

Mike D'Antoni could wind up in New York, but I think it's more likely that he'll sign with the Bulls. The Bulls, meanwhile, will not hire anyone until they interview Avery Johnson, who could also end up in New York.

Mark Jackson is still the front-runner in New York, but Avery Johnson is going to have to end up somewhere. But unless Sam Mitchell gets canned in Toronto, I'm not sure where that will be.

When D'Antoni bolts, and he is bolting, Doug Collins could end up in Phoenix.

Andrew Bynum will likely have exploratory left knee surgery in the next month, which could lead to more serious surgery. Hopefully Bynum gets his knee right before the start of the season, as many of us are counting on him for our fantasy teams next year.

Fran Vazquez says he wants to play for the Magic next year, but he's on the hook for $7 million with FC Barcelona. Vazquez embarrassed the Magic in 2005 when he decided to play in Europe instead of for the Magic after they made him a lottery pick. As far as I can tell, all of his decisions back then were made by his girlfriend, and he also said he was "afraid to adapt" to the American way. Maybe he's making his own decisions these days.

Marvin Williams was suspended for the first game of next season for his flagrant foul on Rajon Rondo in Sunday's Game 7 disaster. Maybe Josh Childress will get at least one start next year.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

West Is Key For Hornets
Weekend in Review

Lakers @ Jazz
utahjazz.com
The Jazz beat the Lakers on Friday and then got them again on Sunday in OT to tie up the series at 2-2. Friday's win was keyed by a huge line from Carlos Boozer, who went off for 27 points and 20 boards on 12-of-21 shooting in the 104-99 win. Deron Williams added 18 points and 12 dimes and Mehmet Okur hit four threes on his way to 22 points. Andrei Kirilenko fouled out for the third straight game as the Jazz trimmed their deficit to 2-1. Then on Sunday, the Jazz hung around and got themselves into overtime with the Lakers, when Mehmet Okur started canning long bombs to lead the Jazz to an easy 123-115 win in the end. The Jazz got double-doubles out of Okur, Boozer and Williams last night, while Kirilenko hit all four of his shots for 15 points and five blocks, managing not to foul out for the first time in this series. The Lakers got double-doubles from their "Big 3" of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Kobe was great through four quarters, but tried to do too much on his own in the extra period, when he missed shots and committed turnovers. It also didn't help that he hit just 1-of-10 threes, but the Lakers don't have to win a game at Utah as they hold the home-court advantage until the Finals. Kobe suffered a back injury, which could cause him problems down the line, but it's going to take something serious to keep him out of action. The Jazz have made this a series, but I don't see the Lakers losing in L.A. The Lakers return home for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Detroit @ Orlando

The Pistons stole Game 4 in Orlando for a 3-1 lead, despite not having the services of Chauncey Billups, who was out with a right hamstring injury. Antonio McDyess returned to the starting lineup for the first time since breaking his nose and the Pistons overcame a 13-point deficit late in the game to get the win. Hedo Turkoglu's botched layup attempt to end the game was not impressive, and this series is basically over. The beautiful thing for the Pistons is that they can basically rest Billups for the next game (or three) and still take the series. Allowing Billups to get close to full health before facing the Celtics (or Cavs) will be key for Detroit. Richard Hamilton scored 32, McDyess grabbed 14 boards and Lindsey Hunter (yes, Lindsey Hunter is still in the league) hit some key shots down the stretch to finish with eight points in the unlikely win. Turkoglu led the Magic with 20, Jameer Nelson is guaranteeing a win in Detroit for Tuesday's Game 5 and Rashard Lewis said the Magic are still the "better team." Um, no you're not.

Boston @ Cleveland
bostonceltics.ws
The Celtics went to Cleveland, saw Delonte West play his best game as a Cav and got run out of the building by a final score of 108-84 on Saturday. This one was over early after the Cavs got off to a 32-13 start in the first quarter. West had 21 points, five boards and seven assists, Ben Wallace played, despite being listed as doubtful with an inner-ear infection, and added nine points, nine boards and two blocks, and Joe Smith came off the bench for 17 points and six rebounds. LeBron James played a little better, but he still couldn't shoot, hitting just 5-of-16 shots for 21 points. But the Celtics couldn't get it going. Ray Allen was 4-of-12, Rajon Rondo was 3-of-10 and Sam Cassell missed all six of his shots in the loss. How bad was this game? Not a single player on either team double-doubled. The key for the Cavs was getting LeBron some help. If he gets it again tonight, the Cavs could tie it up at 2-2. But regardless of what happens tonight, I don't see the C's losing at home. It's possible, but like every other team still playing, the home court is probably going to save them against LeBron and company. Tonight's Game 4 in Cleveland is the only action we have, so hopefully they put on a better show than they did on Friday. LeBron is due for a breakout game after hitting just 13-of-58 shots through the first three games in this one.

Hornets @ Spurs

The Spurs came back to life over the weekend, taking Game 3 on Thursday 110-99, and then destroying the Hornets on Sunday, 100-80. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have been great in the last two, but the series heads back to New Orleans for Game 5. Chris Paul has been nearly flawless in this series, but the difference in Game 4 was probably due to an off night by David West. He hit just 4-of-15 shots for 10 points and five boards. If the Spurs have figured out how to stop West, San Antonio is going to take a game in New Orleans and win this series. Duncan had 22 points, 15 boards and four blocks on Sunday, while Parker had 21 points and eight assists. Game 5 is Tuesday in New Orleans.

Coach Carousel

Rick Carlisle will be introduced as the Mavericks' new coach on Wednesday, while Mike D'Antoni will join the Knicks for the upcoming season. Carlisle is being sold as a guy who will offer a great combination of defense and the ability to run, although we've still never seen it actually happen. Some people are saying that D'Antoni is crazy for taking the Knicks' job instead of coaching the Bulls, but Donnie Walsh has already changed the face of the franchise. Those same people are also saying that owner James Dolan will end up screwing the Knicks up again, limiting Walsh's ability to run the team effectively. I don't think that will be the case, as Dolan is going to let Walsh do whatever he wants. Walsh will get rid of Stephon Marbury, Zach Randolph and Fat Eddy in the next year or so, and the wheels are already in motion to go after LeBron James when he could become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010. D'Antoni will simply try to hold down the fort until that summer, which should be one of the biggest free-agency bonanzas in history. The Knicks will have to compete with the Cavaliers and Jay-Z's Brooklyn Nets for the services of the King, but don't be surprised if Walsh finds a way to make it happen.

Avery Johnson is now talking about sitting out the season and collecting a monstrous paycheck from Mark Cuban, while Doug Collins is probably the favorite to get the Phoenix job. The Bulls will probably go after assistant Tom Thibodeau once Boston's season is over. Mike Woodson and Sam Mitchell remain on the hot seat, but still have their jobs as of now. My gut says both guys will coach their team again next year.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Rivers Needs To Right C's Ship

The Cavaliers beat the Celtics again in Cleveland on Monday 88-77 to tie the series at 2-2. LeBron James had one of the best playoff dunks you'll see with about 1:45 left in the game, which pretty much sealed the deal, leaving the Cavs up by nine at that point. LeBron didn't shoot it much better last night, but he didn't need to. He finished with 21 points on 7-of-20 shooting, and for those of you scoring at home, that makes him 20-of-78 in the four games against Boston. Despite that fact, the Cavs had a chance to win both games in Boston (especially Game 1), and held on to easily win their two home games. They've held the C's to less than 90 points in all four games, making everyone wonder which team is supposed to be the defensive juggernaut.
bostonceltics.ws
Meanwhile, Ray Allen's poor series continues, as he hit 4-of-10 shots and is now 12-of-36 in the series. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce combined for just six points in the second half, as the Celtics missed seven of their final eight shots, allowing the Cavaliers to break open a close game. Charles Barkley said after the game that he's annoyed that the new stars in Boston are being called the Big 3, and he's got a point, as the Celtics have certainly not dazzled anyone in the playoffs. They got a scare from the Hawks (of all teams) and are in the process of getting another one from the Cavs.

As my Rotoworld baseball colleague, Matthew Pouliot, pointed out to me shortly after the game, Doc Rivers had just one player with a "plus" for the night (Kendrick Perkins), and he sat out the entire fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Cavs Mike Brown went with the five guys with the best plus-minuses over the first three quarters and played them the entire fourth quarter. The rumblings have been floating around the internet that Doc could blow it for the Celtics in the playoffs, and his team's performance in Atlanta and Cleveland don't seem to be quieting his critics. The Celtics will probably win this series, but you never know. Doc would not hurt himself by adapting on the fly and getting Allen on the bench if he's not going to hit shots or play defense.

Game 4 tidbits, in case you missed it

LeBron's dunk was out of this world, although I will tell you that it was more impressive watching it live as opposed to the replays. But any way you slice it, he made a textbook power move and sent the crowd (and himself) into a frenzy. It's not on Youtube yet, or I would have linked it.

LeBron also made some headlines by getting tangled up by Paul Pierce late in the first half, which resulted in the two stars stumbling into the stands. The incident wouldn't be worth mentioning, except for the fact that LeBron's mother was sitting right there. She got involved, jawing with Garnett and Pierce, before LeBron told her to "sit your beep down," in a not so loving tone. Good move by LeBron, as we've seen what kind of PR damage mommies can do at sporting events.

Delonte West left the game with eye irritation for a few minutes, retreating to the locker room. He returned and looked fine. Daniel Gibson, Wally Szczerbiak and Anderson Varejao all played well for Cleveland, but Boston's box score just isn't much to look at this time around.

News and Notes

David Stern said tonight that he's not a fan of the fireworks, noise and smoke that have made their way into pre-game introductions in the NBA, and would like to do something to stop them. "I think they're ridiculous." Stern said. "It may be that these are the maniacal rantings of a fan from a different era and I recognize that, but you know I'm sitting there waiting for the next cannon to go off and then the fire heats up the arena," Stern said, "so the temperature in the arena raises by 15 degrees. That's if you can see it because you're still waiting for the smoke, which is chemical, to clear." Good stuff. Ben Wallace has taken to staying in the tunnel until the smoke clears after he nearly fainted recently, in part because of what Stern is talking about.

Kobe Bryant's back is not right, but it will take a lot more than some back pain to keep him out of Tuesday's Game 5. He's using electro stimulation on it around the clock, but you can bet he's ready to go on Wednesday night. In other Lakers news, Ronny Turiaf avoided suspension for his Flagrant 2 on Ronnie Price. utahjazz.com

Chauncey Billups will be a game-time decision with his hamstring injury, but I think it's crazy for the Pistons to even consider using him tonight. The Magic have almost no chance of winning three straight games, with or without Billups in uniform, and I would want him at 100 percent for the next series. If I'm Flip Saunders, I'm sitting Billups until the next round. That said, Saunders says he'll play Billups tonight if he's ready to go. If Billups were to aggravate the injury against the Magic, and the Pistons go on to lose in the Eastern Finals without him, Saunders will catch more heat than we can probably imagine. If you haven't figured it out by now, the Pistons have a 3-1 lead and play the Magic in Detroit on Tuesday.

Mike D'Antoni will be introduced as the head coach of the Knicks on Tuesday at 1 p.m. I expect a lot more news to follow, as Donnie Walsh, D'Antoni and owner James Dolan start to tweak their roster in preparation for the future. The Knicks aren't going to be repaired over night, but they'll be a much better team a year from now.

The second Tuesday game is the Spurs at the Hornets for Game 5. This has been a very entertaining series, led by the two stud point guards, but the Spurs come into this one with the momentum after crushing the Hornets in Game 4. I would not be surprised to see the Hornets lose in six games, although that's not a prediction. If we get a Game 7 out of this series, it's going to be one for the ages. The Spurs may have figured out how to slow down David West, and are content to let Chris Paul score as much as he wants. My playoff prediction was Spurs over Celtics?So far, so good, although I'm not convinced the Celtics are going to get out of the East. At some point though, they're going to start playing well again. But Celtics fans have to hope it happens sooner than later.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Big W, Tough Loss For McDyess


Hornets Take 3-2 Lead Over Spurs

The Hornets, led by David West's playoff-career highs of 38 points, 14 boards and five blocks, beat the Spurs in New Orleans to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series. West added five assists and two steals on 16-of-25 shooting after scoring just 10 points in two of his three previous games in the series. Chris Paul added 22 points and 14 assists in the win. The Hornets out shot the Spurs 45 to 38 percent, and also won the turnover and shot-blocking battle tonight. West's back was in pain during the game, and his mobility was limited as a result. But there's no way he misses Game 6, and I doubt you'll even be able to tell he's in pain on Thursday.

The Spurs got just 10 points on 5-of-18 shooting from Tim Duncan, while Manu Ginobili hit just 5-of-15 shots, but scored 20 points and added seven assists. Duncan did have 23 rebounds, but it didn't matter. Game 6 is Thursday in San Antonio. And if they win that one (like they should), Game 7 is scheduled for Monday in New Orleans.

The Hornets' D was key in this victory, along with the fact the Spurs didn't have an answer for West. Tyson Chandler left the game early with a left toe injury, but says he'll be ready for Thursday's Game 6. Stay tuned. San Antonio's Robert Horry also passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most playoff games played at 238.

Pistons Close Out Magic 4-1

Rip Hamilton hit six straight free throws down the stretch to help hold off a late run by the Magic and score 31 points as the Pistons closed out the Magic 4-1 on Tuesday. Hamilton added four steals and was 16-of-16 from the free throw line. Rodney Stuckey played well in the absence of Chauncey Billups (hamstring), finishing with 15 points and six assists on 5-of-10 shooting. Antonio McDyess added 17 points and 11 boards for the only double-double for the Pistons, who will get some rest while the Celtics and Cavs finish out their Round 2 series. McDyess played well despite the fact he learned of his grandmother's death shortly before the game, which was especially tough since she raised him. Billups is hoping to be healthy for the next series, and possibly could have played tonight if this would have been the NBA Finals. The best news for the Pistons is that they won't play again until Tuesday at the earliest, meaning Billups is going to rest until then.

Tayshaun Prince had a great block on Hedo Turkoglu that brought flashbacks of his block against Reggie Miller a few years ago. Dwight Howard had 14 points, 17 boards and three blocks, but Rashard Lewis will probably be the goat in this one, hitting just 4-of-13 shots and committing six turnovers in the loss. He hit some key threes late, but it wasn't enough. All five starters scored in double figures for both teams, but the difference was turnovers. The Magic committed 21 of them, while the Pistons had just had just three, despite the fact they started a rookie (Stuckey) in place of Billups. The Pistons shot just 36 percent, to Orlando's 48 percent, but the turnovers were the deal breaker.

Tonight

Cleveland @ Boston Tied 2-2
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Boston will try to stay perfect at home for the playoffs in what has to be seen as a must-win game for the Celtics. The series is tied at 2-2 with the C's still holding the home-court advantage. The world is still waiting for Kevin Garnett to step up and put up a monster line for Boston, while LeBron James is also due for a 40-point night when he flirts with a triple-double. Sam Cassell, who is 0-of-15 since the second half of Game 2, will likely be benched in favor of Eddie House, according to Doc Rivers. James Posey's defense will also be a key in this one, while Ray Allen also needs to start hitting his shots and playing some defense. This series feels like it will go seven games, but the Celtics have to win at home on Thursday to increase the chances of that happening.

And for the record, here's is what the Big 3 and LeBron have done so far in this one.

Garnett: Hasn't had more than 17 points or 12 boards in last three.
Allen: 12-of-36 FG (33%), three 3-pointers, 10 ppg and no D in 4 games.
Paul Pierce: 18-of-52 FG (35%), three 3-pointers, 12.5 ppg in four games.
LeBron: 20-of-78 FG (26%), 6 boards, 9 assists, 2.5 steals, 1.75 blocks per game.

Jazz @ Lakers Tied 2-2
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Kobe Bryant's sore back is making headlines, but he should be good to go in this game. He's had round-the-clock treatment since Sunday night and I would be shocked if the Lakers lose this game. Trevor Ariza (broken foot) has finally been cleared for full-contact practice, and could make a surprise appearance for defensive purposes, but I don't see any way he plays until Round 3.

The Jazz are a formidable opponent and this series is far from over. But if the Lakers can win on Wednesday night, you have to think they'll be able to win either Game 6 in Utah, or Game 7 in L.A.

Coach's Corner

Mike D'Antoni was introduced to the New York media on Tuesday and quickly won them over with his humor. Donnie Walsh and D'Antoni have already started the wheels in motion to overhaul the roster, but it will be a slow process. Priority No. 1 is to trade Stephon Marbury, but if they can't find a suitor, the Knicks will be comforted in knowing his contract will run out at the end of the year. The Knicks and Marbury should both benefit from this situation.

Jerry Reinsdorf ripped D'Antoni for leaving the Bulls hanging, but wouldn't have had to do so had the Bulls actually come to the table with an offer in mind. Instead, they basically said "let us sleep on it," and D'Antoni went with Walsh and the Knicks, which is where he was leaning after his initial meeting with Walsh. "I felt he came to get me,'' D'Antoni said of his new boss. "When you're getting divorced, when somebody finds you attractive, you kind of like that.'' Really, the Bulls never had a shot at him once Walsh and D'Antoni met. John Paxson is catching a lot of heat in Chicago, but the apathy starts with Reinsdorf, as far as I'm concerned.

Rick Carlisle will be introduced as the Mavericks coach on Wednesday and will start looking for a staff before tinkering with the roster. As I've already said many times, Mavs fans better start stocking up on NoDoz.
As for my new blog, The Driftwood? I have been updating it daily, and am guessing I'll be ranting about NBA stuff more often than I originally thought I would have time for. Check it out and throw your comments out there. I have a feeling I'll be in there on a daily basis throughout the summer. If you're a hoops junkie, it will at least give you a place to (hopefully) get some hoops-related entertainment while you're looking for something to do besides prepare for your next meeting at work.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Are the Spurs Dirty?

Sorry there was no Dose on Thursday. It's a long story, but I'm back. I'm sitting here watching Mike and Mike, where Erik Kuselias is filling in for Greenie. I am not too familiar with Kuselias, but after hearing his thoughts on the Robert Horry shot to David West's back, I'm not going to go out of my way to see what he has to say on a daily basis.

In case you missed it last night, Horry went to set a screen on David West, who has a bad back. West "let his guard down," jumped to try to intercept a pass and came down directly into Horry's path, who was lying in wait. Horry braced himself for the contact, moved his arms into place, and leaned into West's back as he came down, resulting in a hard pick/check/foul that sent West directly to the floor and then the locker room.

Horry had about 2 seconds (at the most) to prepare for this play, and no one knew that Manu Ginobili was going to pass the ball instead of drive. I'm guessing Horry had about 0.5 seconds to make the decision of how hard he was going to hit West. But regardless of all that, the fact remains that Horry's shot to West's back was legal and nothing more than a "playoff basketball play."

Kuselias is either just playing devil's advocate or is delusional, saying that the league will review this play and then take action against Horry, whether it be with a fine or a suspension. I guess it's possible, but if that happens the league will be setting a precedent that says you can't set hard screens on guys who have gimpy backs. From where I sit, there's about a 2 percent chance the league will have anything at all to say about the play, if that.

Was it a dirty play? I really don't think it was. It was a hard foul, but not, as Kuselias argued, a moving screen. Since the day the NBA started, guys go after injured players. Not as much as they used to, but if you're out on the court with a finger injury, you have to be ready to have it slapped at more than usual. If you're out there with a back injury, you have to be careful not to put yourself in a position to have your back exposed. After the game, West acknowledged as much.

"It was almost like when you see that blindside of a quarterback," West said. "He just caught me really clean, and my guard was down, because I didn't know anybody was behind me."

That says it all. I'm not saying this was in anyway West's fault, but had he been more careful, Horry would have never been in a position to jack up his back like that. And the argument that this warrants some sort of suspension for Horry is laughable. Especially when you consider this resulted in two free throws. Nothing more, nothing less.

If West can't go in Game 7, Horry will be seen as a hero in San Antonio and a villain by everyone else. But the guy simply set a hard screen in an era where hard screens have become a thing of the past. Rick Mahorn made a living setting hard screens and was never accused of being a dirty player. He was accused of being a bad a**, but that's about it.

Bruce Bowen is a different story. He is a guy who appears to have put some time and effort into finding ways to do things to his opponents that will result in injury. I think my favorite was the flying karate kick to Wally Szczerbiak's head, but he's done some pretty shady things throughout the years. Here's a look back if you're interested.

As for the game, Manu Ginobili scored 25 points and hit six treys and Tim Duncan had a complete line as the Spurs pulled away late for the easy win. Game 7 is Monday in New Orleans, and I would not be surprised to see anything happen in that one. The Hornets are not happy that the Spurs' crowd was chanting Horry's name for hurting their star, and are going to play with fire in their veins. But I've been sleeping on the Hornets all season, so I might as well stick with that game plan and predict a Spurs win. If it happens, it will be just the second road win of Round 2. And as of now, West is day-to-day with his injury, but I have a pretty good feeling he'll be ready to go by Monday night. Regardless of who wins this series, it's been a good one and Game 7 should be a classic.

Celtics @ Cavs
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Wednesday night saw the Celtics beat the Cavs behind big lines from Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to stay perfect at home. They'll try to win at Cleveland tonight to close out the Cavs, but if they don't, Game 7 is Sunday at Boston. LeBron scored 23 in the first half, when the Cavs looked like they were finally ready to get a full 48 minutes from their star, but he scored just four points in the third quarter and eight in the fourth as the Celtics easily pulled away for the win.

Lakers @ Jazz
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The Lakers beat the Jazz at home on Wednesday and will now try to end the series by winning at Utah tonight. You have to think at some point that road teams are going to start winning, and we could get two of them tonight. Pau Gasol appeared to push off to get a clutch rebound and follow-up jam to seal the Game 5 win, but in the playoffs, it was just a basketball play. Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer all double-doubled in this one, but it wasn't enough.

Chuck

Charles Barkley owes Steve Wynn $400,000 and is not happy about the way they asked him for the money. Barkley says that he made a mistake and would have happily paid up had they just called him and asked for the money. Instead, legal action was threatened, the word felony was thrown around and Barkley's name has apparently been dragged through the mud for no reason. There could be more to this story than we're hearing, but I kinda feel for Barkley if his side of the story is true.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

LeBron Can't Handle the Truth

The table is set for the Conference Finals ? Almost. Tonight we'll find out if the Hornets are going to prove many critics wrong and take Game 7 on their home court. If it happens, the Spurs will go home early and the dynasty is probably over. If the Spurs come back and beat the Hornets in New Orleans tonight, they might end up being the favorites to win it all.

Weekend in Review

Celtics Close Out Cavs 4-3
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The Cavaliers managed to hang on to beat the Celtics in Cleveland on Friday night, forcing yesterday's classic Game 7 matchup. LeBron James and Paul Pierce both put on offensive shows as the Celtics were able to hang on to win, despite LeBron's 45 points. He hit 14-of-29 shots despite missing 8-of-11 threes on the day, and added five points and six assists. I think it's safe to say that had he shot the ball this well the entire series, the Cavs would have probably won. The Celtics certainly never looked dominant, we never saw the supposed Big 3 and they just did enough to win a few games at home. Pierce was a monster yesterday, going off for 41 points, four boards and five assists, and hit 4-of-6 threes. The two stars guarded each other for the most part, and both were hitting tough shots for most of the day. The difference in the game might have been the fact that Pierce hit 11-of-12 free throws, while LeBron, as usual, hit just 14-of-19 freebies.

It's inexcusable that LeBron is not a better free throw shooter. It hurts the Cavaliers and limits his fantasy value each year. I am hoping that he finally gets a wake up call from this and spends his summer (when he's not filming commercials or traveling to Beijing for the Olympics) shooting free throws. Unlike many big men who can't shoot free throws, LeBron appears to have all the tools to become a good foul shooter. Here's to hoping it happens. For the record, LeBron missed 23 free throws in the series, and while there's no doubt he's right when he says Cleveland "needs to get better," him becoming an 83 percent shooter from the line would be a good place to start. I'm just saying.

P.J. Brown deserves some props too. He hit a key jumper late in the game and played some solid D on LeBron in the fourth quarter as well.

The Celtics will now hope to fight their way into the NBA Finals, but will have to continue to win at home against the Pistons. The series starts on Wednesday in Boston, and while the Celtics have yet to win on the road or lose at home, we do know the Pistons can be had in Detroit, as the Sixers proved. This should be an excellent series and, obviously, whichever team can breakthrough on the road will the series. And if neither wins on the road, the Celtics will advance to the Finals.

Chauncey Billups should be near 100 percent from his hamstring injury for this one, while Sam Cassell has a bad back, and has fallen out of favor in Boston, with Eddie House taking over his role. That's not to say Doc Rivers doesn't go back to Sam-I-Am, but for right now, it looks like he's done.

Lakers Close Out Jazz 4-2
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The Lakers finished off the Jazz on Friday night in Utah, but blew a 20-plus point lead before hanging on for the 108-105 win. Kobe Bryant had 34 points, eight boards and six assists to lead six Lakers in double figures, Pau Gasol double-doubled and Lamar Odom just missed one with 13 points and nine boards.

But the Jazz came on strong late, despite the disappearance of Carlos Boozer, who had 12 points and 14 boards on 5-of-16 shooting before fouling out. Boozer later apologized for his poor play in this series. Deron Williams had 21 points and 14 assists, as six Jazz players also scored in double figures. Andrei Kirilenko didn't do much in this one until the final minute, when he hit two key 3-pointers that left the Jazz with a chance. But Williams and Mehmet Okur both missed 3-point shots that could have tied the game near the buzzer.

Kirilenko's threes removed some of the heat from his shoulders, but there's still a long way to go to clear the air. For the second straight year, upcoming vacation plans created a stir and controversy in Utah. Last year, Williams accused many of his teammates, AK-47 included, of worrying more about their summer vacations than winning their playoff series, and by all accounts, he was right. Kirilenko got things turned around this year to have a nice season, shooting as well from the floor as he ever has and having a relatively controversy-free season. Personal shooting coach Jeff Hornacek played a big part in that. And the Thursday trip he had scheduled to San Francisco should not have caused any problems, but it did. Coach Jerry Sloan pushed practice back to 11:30 (instead of 10), which caused a conflict with his flight to the embassy in San Fran. And the whole reason he was going to the embassy to begin with was to set up a family summer vacation to France. I don't know the details of his travel plans, nor do I care. But no matter how you slice this, it would appear that his priorities might be a little out of whack. Even if practice would have gone off at the original time, does one of your starters really need to be traveling via airplane to another state to set up a summer vacation the day before an elimination game? Absolutely not. I'm not sure what the answer is here, but don't be surprised if the Jazz use AK's decent season to get rid of him once and for all.

Tonight

The Lakers will await the winner of tonight's game (Spurs ? Hornets) for their date in the Western Conference Finals. In other Lakers news, Andrew Bynum will have left knee surgery on Wednesday. They'll do some exploring, as well as some scraping and a timetable for his return won't be known until after the surgery. I don't think this is a microfracture situation, but you never know. We'll have to see what the verdict is after the surgery, but rest assured, Lakers brass are holing their collective breath.

David West says his back is close to 100 percent, but I doubt that's the case. I'm guessing in reality it's at about 75% and he'll just hope to avoid any cheap shots from Bruce Bowen or Robert Horry tonight. And by the way; The NBA reviewed Horry's foul on West and guess what? No suspension. No fine. No reprimand. And no surprise, unless your name is Erik Kuselias.

And as I blogged on Friday, why West was in that game with the Hornets down 21 points late makes no sense. John Hollinger first pointed it out, and it's a great question. Everyone in the arena knew that West's back was gimpy and the game was clearly over at that point. So if you want to blame anyone for West being out there to take that shot to his back from Horry, blame Byron Scott for not getting him on the bench as a precaution.

This week, we've got the Pistons @ Boston on Tuesday, but prior to the game we'll have the draft lottery at 8 p.m. That will determine who gets first crack at Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, and will be one of the most important draft lotteries in Knicks' history. They've got Donnie Walsh. They've got Mike D'Antoni. They're on their way to getting Patrick Ewing back. Isiah Thomas is scouting in Siberia. And they could be on the verge of locking up the No. 1 or 2 pick in the draft. Stay tuned.

Enjoy tonight's Game 7. It should be a good one.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Don't Sleep On The Spurs!

There was only one game on Monday, which saw the Spurs beat the Hornets 91-82 in New Orleans to make the home teams 22-3 in Round 2. This marks the first time the Spurs have advanced past Round 2 the year after winning it all, and they'll now face the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Manu Ginobili led the way with 26 points, a lot of late free throws, and four threes to go along with five boards and five assists, while Tim Duncan added 16 points and 14 boards despite hitting just 5-of-17 shots. Tony Parker also struggled with his shot, hitting 7-of-17, but hit some very clutch mid-range jumpers late, helping the Spurs hang on and finishing with 17 points and five dimes. Kurt Thomas had just two points, but grabbed six rebounds, which may have been the key to the win, as the Spurs held a 51-42 rebounding edge.

The Hornets got 20 points and nine boards from David West despite a gimpy back, while Chris Paul (8 boards, 14 assists) and Jannero Pargo each scored 18. Tyson Chandler showed up with 13 points and 15 boards, but the Hornets didn't get much off their bench other than Pargo's points. It was a great run for the Hornets, but the Spurs' experience and ability to stop the Hornets' fast break were the keys to the win.

Taking a look at my predictions at the start of the postseason, I'm pretty happy with the way things have gone so far. I entered my picks into NBA.com's Pick 'N Roll game, and here's where I stand.

170 points, 8,229th Overall Ranking, 84th Percentile

Round 1

Lakers vs. Nuggets ? Had Lakers in 6, Lakers won in 4

Jazz vs. Rockets ? Had Jazz in 7, Jazz won in 6
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Spurs vs. Suns ? Had Spurs in 7, Spurs won in 5

Hornets vs. Mavs ? Had Mavs in 7, Hornets won in 5 (oops)
dallasmavericks.com
Celtics vs. Hawks ? Had C's in 5, C's won in 7 (I originally had C's in 6, but changed it) bostonceltics.ws

Cavs vs. Wizards ? Had Cavs in 6, Cavs won in 6

Magic vs. Raptors ? Had Raptors in 7, Magic won in 5 (oops)

Pistons vs. Sixers ? Had Pistons in 5, Pistons won in 6 (who saw that 76ers W in Det. coming?)

Round 2

Lakers vs. Jazz ? Had Lakers in 6, Lakers won in 6
Spurs vs. Mavs (Hornets) ? Had Spurs in 7, Spurs won in 7

Celtics vs. Cavs ? Had C's in 6, C's won in 7
Pistons vs. Raptors (Magic) ? Had Pistons in 6, Pistons won in 5

What's Left

I have the Spurs beating the Lakers in 6
I have the Celtics beating the Pistons in 6

Finals

I have the Spurs beating the Celtics in 7

I'm pretty thrilled to be in the top 84 percent of players entered, and to have the final four teams correct.

I'm pretty disappointed that I went with the Raptors in an upset because I didn't feel good about it when I put in the pick. I'm not sure why I was giving the Raps so much credit, but maybe if T.J. Ford would not have come back, it would have worked out. Sleeping on the Hornets against the Mavs? I don't feel bad about that one, but was a little scared that NO was going to take out the Spurs. I used to always root against the Spurs, calling them boring, dirty, machine-like, etc. But since then, I've come to terms with the fact they have the veterans who know how to win and one of the best coaches the league has ever seen. Parker is underrated (and not an especially great fantasy player), Ginobili is the guts of the team and Duncan is probably the best ever at his position. In my advanced age, I guess I've learned to appreciate the Spurs.

Do I feel good about having the C's beating the Pistons? Not especially. But I doubt the Celtics can play poorly in three straight series, and now that they've gotten by the teams they were overlooking, I'm guessing they step up their game against Detroit. They'll never admit it, but the Celtics slept on the Hawks, and then lost faith in themselves against the Cavs. But now they're right where they should be, regardless of how many games the inferior teams pushed them too. I'll also admit that I didn't really enjoy the Celtics' attitude/actions/play over the last few weeks, and am not as much of a "fan" as I once was. But I'm keeping an open mind and can only hope they start playing defense, get the stars back where they belong and make Boston proud of who they are as players. There's still time for that to happen, and no team should make it easier for them to do this than the Pistons. Do I trust Doc Rivers? Nope. And much like the Spurs, I have come to respect the Pistons. But if Ray Allen decides to show up (at all) and Kevin Garnett becomes aggressive, the C's can beat the Pistons in 6. Obviously, home court is key.

Regardless of what happens, the Final 4 is going to be an entertaining ride. The Pistons and Lakers have the momentum right now, but it can be argued that the Celtics and Spurs are the better teams. Let's get it on.

Lastly, if you are a Pavement or Stephen Malkmus fan, check out my latest name-dropper of a blog here. And if you already read the blog, sorry for sending you back again. Just allow me to glow in the fact one of my indie-rock heroes reads me on a daily basis. And SM ? If you're reading this ? I need you in the Indie Rock and Roll Fantasy League (along with Janet and Joanna). Come on, man! I've got some serious hoop junkies signed up so far!

The Week Ahead

I'm going to watch Tom Glavine and the Braves today at 1 p.m. (against the Mets) with my daughter, who is totally psyched. Am I a bad dad for pulling her out of school for this one? I think the opposite is true. The girl has perfect attendance anyway, and deserves a day off. Besides, they're probably just going to watch movies, as it's the last week of school, so it's not like she's going to miss anything. She's already seen The Water Horse.

But I'll be back Tuesday evening for the Draft Lottery at 8 p.m., which I plan on blogging at the Driftwood. Be there or be square. And then the Celtics will host the Pistons at 8:30.

And we're then treated to the Spurs at the Lakers on Wednesday, which should be a nice battle.

Lastly, congrats to my buddy Ben and his girl Liz, who welcomed Annabelle Elizabeth into the world on Monday morning. If you read enough of me, you know exactly whom Ben is.

I hope your teams are doing well, especially if you're playing in fantasy playoff leagues.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Is Hinrich on his way out?

Celtics beat Pistons in Game 1

The Celtics looked pretty good last night, despite another disappearing act from Ray Allen. But the Pistons didn't get much from Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups, either. Don't be surprised to see the Celtics get it turned around now that they're playing a team they can't afford to overlook.

Deep Thoughts While Watching Game 1

Thank God the Celtics were able to get Sam Cassell. "He's going to give us playoff experience. He's going to take the big shots at the end of games. He's going to inspire the kids. He'll have a cool head to run the offense late in important games." Oops. Eddie House looks just fine out there to me. Not to mention how good Rajon Rondo has turned out to be. The only thing Cassell has done is pushed borderline C's fans over the edge with his non-stop and annoying chatter, and made them officially root for the Pistons.
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Thank God the Celtics were able to get Ray Allen. Seriously. How much longer can he be this bad? No defense + no offense = where in the hell is Tony Allen?

Thank God the Celtics have Doc Rivers as coach. Otherwise, these last couple series would have been boring instead of seven-game thrillers.

Is Tony Allen buried under the new Yankee Stadium? If I wouldn't have seen him play 25 seconds last night with my own two eyes, I wouldn't have been surprised to see him hauled out from under the visitor's dugout soon.

Where do Rodney Stuckey and Rajon Rondo go in your fantasy draft next year? I'm not sure I've got the answer yet, but Rondo is going to be a Top 12 or so point guard, if not higher. He had five steals last night and is going to be among the league leaders for the next 10 years or so. As for him not being able to shoot? He hit 42% his rookie season, and 49% this year. It's time to give the kid some credit. Stuckey is having a very nice rookie year and just needs a chance to play next season. Even if he's still stuck on the bench, he's probably worth drafting in the 10th round or so. He should turn out to be the steal of last year's real draft.

Western Conference Finals Game 1 ? Spurs at Lakers

These two teams have combined for seven championships in the last nine years, with only the Heat and Pistons also winning it all since 98-99. Derek Fisher hit one of the all-time greatest shots in playoff history to beat the Spurs back in 2004, although the shot Tim Duncan hit over Shaq with 0.4 remaining was almost as good. This is going to be a great series and Game 1 is in L.A. tonight at 9 p.m. EST.

Draft Lottery ? Bulls Win, Bulls Win, Bulls Win!!!

The lottery was last night and the Bulls pulled off the biggest upset of the playoffs thus far by stealing the No. 1 pick. They already had a very good nucleus of players and can now add PG Derrick Rose, F Michael Beasley, or package any number of players or the pick in a trade. The possibilities are endless. Congrats to the city of Chicago and the Bulls. Steve Schanwald may be made a lifetime representative for the team, which would make sense since he's been with the organization since 1987. And as I blogged last night, Doris Burke actually introduced him as Stan instead of Steve, but I'm guessing he's OK with that. I'm also guessing he'll be known around the Bulls offices as Stan for a while, as it certainly turned out to be a good luck charm.

The Heat will pick second (hello, Beasley) and the Timberwolves will pick third (hello, O.J. Mayo?).

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Rip Leads Pistons in Road Win

Celtics Lose At Home Despite Rare Appearance By Big 3
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Ray Allen broke out of a slump, Kevin Garnett had a double-double and Paul Pierce chipped in with 26 points as the "Big 3" combined to score 75 points, hitting 29-of-51 in Thursday night's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. With numbers like that, and considering the Celtics out-rebounded the Pistons by eight, I would have bet that the Celtics won the game easily. But while we finally saw the so-called "Big 3" all get on the same page offensively, the Celtics gave up 103 points to the Pistons and lost by six. This was the first time the Celtics gave up 100 points in a playoff game this season, and the Pistons now hold home-court advantage in the series.

It's not the end of the world for the C's, as there was little chance they were going to stay undefeated at home, but they will now definitely have to win their first road game if they're going to beat Detroit. The good news is that Allen finally broke out of his slump, hitting 9-of-16 shots and two threes on his way to 25 points. He likely would have topped 30 points, but was in foul trouble for the entire second half of the game. "I would rather be sitting here saying I can't make a shot but we won the game," Allen said. "I knew at some point my shot had to drop." The C's got nothing from their bench and Rajon Rondo struggled against Chauncey Billups, hitting just 2-of-9 shots, but still nearly had a triple-double with 10 points, nine boars and eight assists.

Billups appeared to tweak his hamstring injury at one point, but played through it, finishing with 19 points, seven assists and two threes. Six Pistons scored in double figures and were led by Richard Hamilton's 25 points, while Rasheed Wallace added a double-double. While the Pistons are now in control of the series, they're certainly not invincible at home. The Sixers beat them in Detroit in Round 1 for their only home loss of the playoffs.

On Wednesday, the Lakers beat the Spurs 89-85 in a big comeback win at home. The Spurs were up 20 in the third, but were outscored 44-20 to close out the game. Kobe Bryant scored just two points in the first half, but went off for 25 after the break. Several players on both teams struggled a little (Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, Manu Ginobili, Michael Finley), while Kobe and Tim Duncan (30 points, 18 boards, four blocks) put on a show. If the Spurs are going to beat the Lakers in L.A., Manu is going to have to be better than he was on Wednesday. That said, he tweaked his ankle injury in Game 1, and was hurting a little. Tony Parker also played well, going for 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, with Game 2 tonight in L.A. The Spurs really blew an opportunity to back the Lakers into a corner and will still have to win a game at L.A. if they're going to win the series.

Draft Fallout

The Bulls have the No. 1 pick, but still don't have a coach. They're interviewing a lot of assistant coaches, but may not be close to reaching a decision. I still think they're going to take Derrick Rose with the pick, leaving Michael Beasley for the Heat at No. 2. But now Chad Ford is hinting that the Heat love O.J. Mayo, and may pass on Beasley. While it's completely possible that ends up happening, I am not buying it. Unless something weird happens in individual workouts, I can't see either the Bulls or Heat passing on Rose and Beasley. But there's no doubt that Mayo's stock is back on the rise, even if he did have to let his agent go yesterday.

Redd

The Bucks are shopping Michael Redd and he could end up in Cleveland. The Cavs need an outside shooter and scorer like Redd, and he would be at home in Cleveland. He was born in Columbus, went to school at Ohio State and nearly signed with the Cavs when he was a free agent a couple years ago. My guess is that Redd is exactly what the Cavs need.

I saw Indiana Jones yesterday. I was fairly entertained, but am not really sure how I feel about it. I'll leave it at that. I'll be back on Monday. Have a good weekend.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Mock - Coming Up Roses
In honor of Tuesday's Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando, here's a mock draft I threw together for the lottery picks in this year's draft, which will take place on June 26. It was at last year's Orlando camp that all the chatter started because Kevin Durant could not bench press 185 pounds and ranked 78th out of 80 players in overall performance. Obviously, he came out of it OK. The first two picks were pretty easy to come up with, but the rest of it involves some pretty serious guesswork.

As for the playoffs, the Pistons evened things up at Detroit on Monday night in a relatively easy win over the Celtics. Game 5 is set for Wednesday night in Boston. The Spurs will look to even things up with the Lakers in San Antonio on Tuesday night.

1. Chicago Bulls

PG Derrick Rose, Memphis

I don't think there is a question of who is the No. 1 pick this year. Rose looks like the real thing and no team wants to risk missing out on the next Deron Williams, Chris Paul, etc. Especially the Bulls. What will be interesting is seeing who the Bulls hire as their coach, how many more times Joakim Noah will be busted with weed in his career, and where Kirk Hinrich ends up. But given the fact the Bulls were already shopping Hinrich before they (literally) won the lottery, he should be good as gone. Ben Gordon is also a candidate to be shipped out of town, but we'll have to see.

2. Miami Heat

PF Michael Beasley, Kansas State

Beasley is said to be this year's Al Horford, in that he's ready to play right now and will be a double-double machine. I can't imagine the Heat passing on such a sure thing, but Pat Riley has hinted that the Heat are taking a serious look at O.J. Mayo, whose stock is definitely back on the rise. A year ago, Mayo was the guy and he could end up being the best player in this draft. Then again, he could end up being a bust. Along with figuring out who to take with the No. 2 pick, the Heat are waiting to see if Shawn Marion is going to opt-out of his contract in the next few weeks. But regardless of what Riles is saying right now, unless something crazy happens this week in Orlando, look for Beasley to go to the Heat.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

C Brook Lopez, Stanford

Almost everyone has the Wolves taking Lopez here, although I don't thinks it's as much as a lock as some others do. But the bottom line is that the Wolves need a real center to pair with Al Jefferson and already have a stable full of up and coming swingmen. Anthony Randolph is also a possibility here, but Lopez makes more sense for Kevin McHale and his crew.

4. Seattle Supersonics

SG O.J. Mayo, USC

The Sonics aren't thrilled with Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson at point guard, but once Rose is gone, the fourth pick is probably too high to take Russell Westbrook or D.J. Augustin. If the Wolves and Heat pass the Mayo, he looks like a nice fit for Seattle, as Kevin Durant can slide over to small forward to allow Mayo to play SG. Anthony Randolph also makes sense here, but Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox will likely continue to clog the middle with mediocrity in Seattle again this year. I think Mayo's stock will get higher and higher as draft night approaches, and he really could go anywhere from the No. 2 to No. 10 pick, but No. 4 to Seattle seems to make the most sense.

5. Memphis Grizzlies

PF Anthony Randolph, LSU

Randolph could be just what the Grizzlies need after giving Pau Gasol away and then realizing just how awful Darko Milicic and Stromile Swift are. Oh, and don't forget about Kwame Brown. You can usually find some way to defend a team for making a terrible trade, but not this time. The last thing the Grizzlies need is more guards (although they're looking to move Mike Miller), but if Randolph goes at No. 4, they're going to be stuck with taking one. My guess is that they're hoping to see Randolph on the board when they pick.

6. New York Knicks

SG Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

Whatever he is (point guard, shooting guard, small forward), he's a great athlete and a very good shooter. Depending on how things go this week, Bayless could see his stock rise and could be taken at No. 3. The Knicks need a little bit of everything so I'm guessing they take the best player available. And Bayless should fit the bill, even if the Knicks already have several shoot-first, pass-second players. Mike D'Antoni wants a point guard, but unless they pull off a blockbuster trade with the Bulls, the one he's looking for is not in this draft.

7. Los Angeles Clippers

PG D.J. Augustin, Texas

This is too high for Augustin, but the Clippers still don't know what will become of Shaun Livingston and they're set at most other positions. They should take the best point guard available, which will either be Augustin, Bayless or Russell Westbrook.

8. Milwaukee Bucks

SF Joe Alexander, West Virginia

The Bucks are set at center and Ramon Sessions looks good at point guard, while they also have Mo Williams there. Michael Redd's name is hot in trade rumors, so they may be in line for getting another shooter, and they've got a lot of guys who can play forward, including Charlie Villanueva, Yi Jianlian, Bobby Simmons and Desmond Mason. Given their needs and the number of questions surrounding the team, the Bucks could really do anything here. But Alexander's stock has been on the rise and it wouldn't be shocking to see the Bucks take him here. They could also be looking for a shooting guard, in which case they'd probably take Eric Gordon.

9. Charlotte Bobcats

C DeAndre Jordan, Texas

The Bobcats probably don't want to take another power forward here after spending their 2004 and 05 picks on Emeka Okafor and Sean May, but May's career might be over and Okafor has yet to blossom into the all-star we've all been waiting for. Kevin Love might be the pick here, but do you really think the Cats want to go into next season with Nazr Mohammed as their center? The Pacers aren't going to be happy about it, but I doubt Jordan makes it past the Bobcats at No. 9.

10. New Jersey Nets

PF Kevin Love, UCLA

The Nets have taken a couple bigs in the last few drafts (Sean Williams and Josh Boone) and the results have been mixed. But Love is probably the best player they're going to get at No. 10, although Alexander, Darrell Arthur or DeAndre Jordan could end up here. Love appears to be a good fit for the Nets, who could use a big man who can score, but also need a shooter. Danilo Gallinari could end up in Jersey if they don't take Love.

11. Indiana Pacers
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SG Eric Gordon, Indiana

The Pacers really need a center with Jermaine O'Neal's knees being such an issue, and Jeff Foster being Jeff Foster, and all. But I don't think DeAndre Jordan will still be around when they pick. If he is, I don't see the Pacers passing on him. If he's gone, look for them to take hometown hero Eric Gordon. Gordon's stock isn't nearly as high as it was two years ago, but he's a very good player. He nearly led North Central High School (my alma mater) to a state championship and was named Indiana's "Mr. Basketball" in 2007 before a solid freshman season at IU. The Pacers have needs at nearly every position and Gordon will probably be the best all-around player on the board when they pick. Might as well keep him in Indy. If not, look for them to take the best point guard available, which would probably be Augustin or Russell Westbrook.

12. Sacramento Kings
sacramentokings.com
F Danilo Gallinari, Milan

It's tough to figure out if Gallinari is a small or power forward, but at 6-10, 220, he can play either position. He might have been set up for a Top 5 selection, but Andrea Bargnani and Yi Jianlian have scared people off for the time being. He's not the most athletic guy around, but there's no doubt that he knows how to shoot and pass. At No. 12 there's very little risk with taking Gallinari and the Kings could use another shooter, as well as a young power forward. If the Nets take Gallinari, the Kings could take Love.

13. Portland Trailblazers

PF Darrell Arthur, Kansas

Arthur is 6-9, 230 and quite athletic. He should be a decent NBA shot blocker and could become a double-double machine. He's not a great free throw shooter and is going to be foul prone as a rookie. In other words, it's probably going to take him a couple seasons to figure out how the NBA works. But he looks like a lottery pick and would appear to be a good fit in Portland.

14. Golden State Warriors

PG Russell Westbrook, UCLA

Westbrook is a super-sleeper and his stock just keeps rising. The Warriors may need a point guard if Baron Davis bails out, and are stocked at most other positions. Westbrook makes perfect sense here, if he's still available. The Pacers and Kings are also said to be interested in Westbrook.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Don't Sleep on the Blogs
This column is a fake. It's an exact replica of the blog I posted late on Wednesday night-Thursday morning. But because it's showing up here, chances are you'll read it. I'm going to keep this short and sweet, but if you're not reading what Rotoworld has to offer on the Blog front, you're probably missing out. Our blogs are only written by the editors for each sport: (FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, BASKETBALL and HOCKEY) and should be fun to read, as we can generally be a little more frank than we can be in general columns. They just aren't featured at the top of the page yet. And honestly, the news we're throwing up in our blogs should be just as witty and helpful as the news we're putting out there via columns. When it comes to Marvin Harrison's knee, Isiah Thomas' Siberian vacation or the mindset of Elijah Dukes on a tour of the White House, our blogs are probably the place to be. They're easy to find, as you simply have to cursor over the word "BLOGS" near the top of the Rotoworld home page and click appropriately, or click on the link provided above and bookmark accordingly. I'm guessing we're all updating them more often than we thought possible, but in any case, check them out and post some comments. We're waiting.

Incredibly, the NBA has released a statement that the officials missed the call in Game 4 on Tuesday night, when Derek Fisher appeared to foul Brent Barry on the game's final play.

"With the benefit of instant replay, it appears a foul call should have been made," said a statement by NBA spokesman Tim Frank.

Really? The Spurs, the entire TNT crew, Rotoworld, NBC, ESPN and the rest of the free world (outside of San Antonio) agreed that the no-call was the right call, yet the NBA decides to chime in and rub this in the collective face of Spurs' fans after the fact? So why don't we get a replay of the final play like the Heat got against the Hawks earlier this year? Why don't we just let Barry shoot his free throws prior to Game 5?

I am fine with the call being made or missed live, as it was close and up for debate. But for the NBA to come out the next day and publicly declare that the wrong call was made, when everyone had pretty much decided to move on? And with no "correction" offered? Now I'm wondering what the league's motives are and if there's not something to all these conspiracy theories? This is one of the most baffling things I remember seeing in the league, and my guess is David Stern did not give the OK for Frank to make his statement. The right thing for the league to do was to say, "Yes, there was contact with Barry, who chose to dribble the ball instead of shoot it. No, we did not feel like it warranted an automatic foul call, although it could have gone either way. But in light of the situation and the play at hand, we felt our officials did the right thing by not calling a foul."

Don't be surprised to see Frank soon leading the dog-sled team that is pulling Isiah Thomas through the Siberian mountains right about now. And really, NBA? You want to make this statement when Joey Crawford is officiating against Tim Duncan exactly one year after he threw him out of a game and challenged him to a fist fight for simply laughing while sitting on the bench? Really?

I'm in shock and don't know what else to say.

Nice win for the Celtics on Wednesday, although they still look (to me) like a young team that doesn't understand how to close out a game. Remember when Kevin Garnett was an angry young man and would ram it down his opponents' throat? Now he's a timid, middle-aged man who would rather pass, or shoot a fadeaway-J, than drive to the hole. He hit his shots tonight, so it didn't matter. But if the C's don't win it all, it will probably be because of KG's suddenly limited ideals on offense. I mean, the dude has shot nearly 50% from the floor and averaged 11.something rebounds per game for his career. You'd think he'd spend some time in the paint in the Eastern Conference Finals, right? bostonceltics.ws

The Celtics still have home court all the way through the Finals, and should still be considered the favorites to win it all, unless Detroit beats them back-to-back home and away this weekend.

The NBA also announced tonight that they will be fining players for flopping next year. While I'm all for the principles here, just wait until the first time someone is run over by Bruce Bowen, legitimately, and is fined for flopping. My money is on Pau Gasol getting crushed by Bowen in Week 1, and Gasol getting a bill for $5,000 while recuperating from the hit in the hospital for "flopping." The NBA...Where flopping draws penalties, unless it's the final shot of a crucial home playoff game and the offensive player doesn't do a good enough job of "selling" the foul to the officials." Huh?

Oh, and as for Joey Dorsey's claim that he knows the Bulls and John Paxson will take Michael Beasley with the first pick. Um, no Joey, incorrect. I guarantee you Paxson hasn't even had time to focus on that draft pick, as he's still trying to shuffle things together and find a frickin' coach! Once he does that (um, Mike D'Antoni is no longer available, Jerry Reinsdorf), then Pax and his mystery coach can get together and talk about whether it's Beasley or Derrick Rose (I say Rose - Duh). But out of all the stories I've heard, I believe Paxson. No way he has even given serious consideration to his draft choice at this point. He still needs to find a head coach, who will also have a say in the matter. And as for Reinsdorf still being in charge in Chicago? Turn the page.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Kobe Leads Lakers to Finals

The Lakers wrapped things up against the Spurs last night, taking the series 4-1 and setting up an "NBA dream matchup" against the Celtics in the Finals next week. Of course, the Celtics still need to dispose of the Pistons between now and Sunday, but the odds are certainly in their favor.

The C's will try to knock off the Pistons in Detroit tonight, and if they don't get that accomplished, they'll try again at home on Sunday.

Kobe Bryant, as usual, led the Lakers last night, finishing with 39 points in a big second half. For the second time in the series, the Lakers overcame a big deficit, coming back from 17 down last night. They also overcame a 20-point hole in Game 1. These playoffs have seen a lot of big "what if" situations, as a few bounces of the ball could have resulted in a completely different scenario.

What if Tim Duncan doesn't hit that 3-pointer against the Suns in Game 1? We could easily have had a Suns-Lakers matchup in the Western Finals.

What if the Spurs don't blow leads of 20 and 17 points against the Lakers? And what if Brent Barry shoots instead of dribbles while being fouled by Derek Fisher in Game 4?

What if Carlos Boozer had shown up for the Jazz against the Lakers?
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What if Gilbert Arenas had been healthy against the Cavaliers?

What if the Hawks would have gotten lucky and actually competed in one of their four games in Boston?

Anyway, now it's looking like the Lakers are going to win it all. They just seem to be dialed in on both ends of the court and Kobe is on a mission. And after complaining a year ago about the talent surrounding him on the Lakers, and demanding a trade every other day, Kobe is sitting in a dream situation. He finished second in the scoring race to LeBron James, his team posted the best record in the West and second-best record in the NBA (behind the Celtics, who faced inferior competition), and he'll finish the postseason as the league's leading scorer in the playoffs. He was the All-Star MVP in Vegas in 2007, but played just three minutes in this year's game due to a finger injury. And guess what happened? The West was throttled by the East, further adding evidence that Kobe drives that train. Now Kobe is primed to win his fourth ring and will then go to Beijing, hopefully wrapping up his year with an Olympic gold medal. Not bad.

I'm guessing many of you are able to look at Kobe without thinking about the incident in Colorado. And if you can do that, you can probably overlook the recent rumors about his alleged affair with a Lakers girl named Vanessa. Yep, she shares his wife's first name. And you have probably forgotten about the "I'm sorry, baby" million-dollar ring he gave Vanessa 1 after the Colorado incident. Everyone makes mistakes, but it was just a little strange last night hearing Jerry West talk about what a great role model to children Kobe is, etc.

The Lakers weren't thinking of him as a role model a year ago, when he indicated that his relationship with the team was damaged beyond repair. Or when he verbally destroyed Andrew Bynum in a mall parking lot. Or when he belittled Mitch Kupchak and the rest of the Lakers brass all summer. He would still probably be complaining if the Lakers wouldn't have been given the gift that keeps on giving all year long ? Pau Gasol.

But love him or hate him, there's no doubt Kobe's the best player on the planet right now. We haven't seen someone exude so much confidence and ability in the clutch since Michael Jordan. And after watching him drop 81 points on the Raptors a couple years ago, I usually don't miss a chance to watch him play. But it would probably be a more rewarding endeavor if he didn't come with so much baggage.

The Lakers seem poised to win it all. You have to think they'll win all three of their remaining games at L.A., which means they'll need to win just 1-of-4 games at Boston or Detroit. It just doesn't seem to be that difficult of a task for Kobe and company, and I'm guessing you can go ahead and chalk up another championship for the Lakers.

News and Notes

Doug Collins should be named the next coach of the Bulls in the very near future, unless talks break down over the weekend. I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Collins isn't much different than Scott Skiles, who was run out of town, while there may not be a coach in the league more opposed to running than DC. And as you know, running is the name of the game in today's NBA.

Clippers point guard Shaun Livingston has still not played basketball since his devastating knee injury but is getting closer to doing so. Even if he looks good when he finally does get on the court, the Clips are still going to be thinking point guard at the draft.

Just before posting this column, the Detroit Free Press reports that Richard Hamilton will play through his elbow injury tonight. I originally had this take, before the news. Rip Hamilton remains a mystery for tonight's game with an elbow injury. My guess is he starts and tries to play through it, but will be extremely limited. If this weren't an elimination game, my guess would be that he would not suit up tonight. Even though we now know there's a good chance he plays tonight, he's probably not going to be anywhere near 100 percent.

Rasheed Wallace was fined $25,000 for his post-game tirade against the officials Wednesday, when he was quoted as saying "those bleepity bleepin' bleeps bleeped my bleep out of the bleeping bleepity bleep, bleep bleepit," or something like that. In any case, Sheed's now just one technical foul away from a one-game playoff suspension, although it may not matter. I have a gut feeling the Celtics are going to win tonight. And f not tonight, they should win Sunday at home.

For the Celtics, Tony Allen will miss his second straight game with an Achilles' injury, not that it matters. He surprisingly wasn't playing much anyway.
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Donnie Walsh is said to be prepared to trade the Knicks No. 6 draft pick. He's also supposedly ready to draft Danilo Gallinari or Anthony Randolph with the pick.

On the rules front, Hack-A-Shaq will still be legal next year, but fines will be levied for flopping and instant replay will be used on more of a "common sense basis," which is probably a good thing. I am generally in support of the "no-flopping rule," but am not convinced that it's going to be easy to enforce. That should produce plenty of controversy next season.

The Hawks named Rick Sund their new general manager, and his first move will be to help decide the fate of Mike Woodson and his staff. Once that task is out of the way, they'll focus on figuring out how to keep both of their Josh's (Smith & Childress) around. Both players are restricted free agents this summer.

The Suns are still interviewing people for their head-coaching opening. They might be in the process of setting some sort of record for number of candidates interviewed, as no stone has been left unturned.

My wife got suckered into one of those annoying "Sex And The City" parties tonight, which would be fine if I wasn't going to be left stuck to deal with four kids while I try to enjoy the game. Oh well. On the plus side, I'm looking forward to there not being a game on Saturday night, now that the Western Finals are over

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Top 24 of 2008-09 - Edition 1

With a break from the playoffs before the finals start on Thursday, now seems like as good a time as ever for the Top 24 list for this fall's fantasy drafts. Last year at this time, I left Dwyane Wade out of the Top 24, and caught some heat for it. I also caught some heat for constantly telling you all to sell high on him this year, with the gloom and doom assumption that he would be shut down early.

According to the good folks at BasketballMonster , Wade finished at No. 21 overall on a per-game fantasy basis and when you mix in the fact that he shut it down after just 51 games for the second straight year, he was a huge waste if taken in the first or second round of your draft. And on the flip side, Chris Paul was not in my Top 24 at this time last year, and finished as the best fantasy player on the planet. Oops. However, I did eventually have him as a second-round pick in the Draft Guide. I'm not sure I've got anything quite as groundbreaking on this early Top 24 list, but I'm sure some of you will take issue with it.

I'm ignoring turnovers and counting free throw percentages. Obviously, if you're in a league that doesn't count turnovers and uses free throws made instead of percentage, go ahead and put Dwight Howard in the No. 1 slot.

Also, if you're in a league where center values are inflated because you have to start two of them, take this with a grain of salt. Obviously, depending on your league's rules, lists will vary. I did not give the center position much, if any preferential treatment here.

Where each player ranked per game and cumulatively for this season is included.

Round 1

1. LeBron James ? F ? Cavaliers
Ranked No. 3 per game, No. 4 cumulative

LeBron was not the No. 1 fantasy player this year. He also wasn't number two either, but I don't care. His free throws are obviously his biggest problem, but I suspect he's going to get better from the line at some point. He's built like a Mack truck and has missed just 19 games in five seasons. Reliability is possibly the most important aspect when picking your fantasy team, and LeBron has it. He also gets it done in scoring, rebounds and assists, while also putting up nice numbers across the board. He may not finish as the No. 1 fantasy player again next season, but there's almost no way he's not in the Top 5. And I'm not betting against him.

2. Kobe Bryant ? G ? Lakers
Ranked No. 2 per game, No. 2 cumulative

This year's MVP should pick up another ring and a Finals MVP award in the next couple weeks, and then win a gold medal this summer. Unlike LeBron and his free throws, Kobe doesn't really have any weaknesses in his game. His rebounding and assist numbers aren't as strong as LeBron's, and he doesn't block many shots, but he also won't hurt you anywhere and you know he's going to have the ball in his hands as much as any player in the league. He also doesn't miss games and played in all 82 this season. Just keep in mind that after his run to the Finals and Olympics, he could come into the season tired.

3. Chris Paul ? PG ? Hornets
Ranked No. 1 per game, No. 1 cumulative

If Paul was easily the No. 1 fantasy player last season, why is he not No. 1 on this list? It's a great question. You can pretty much throw the Top 3 up in the air and pick whichever one you like best. It's very trendy to build your team around a point guard right now, and Paul is the cream of the crop. He led the league in both steals and assists, doesn't turn the ball over, and his percentages are great. All indications are he's going to be even better next season, so he can be taken anywhere from No. 1 to No. 3. He still feels a little fragile to me, but he only missed two games this season. I like LeBron and you might like Paul. I just feel like LeBron (and possibly Kobe) are a little safe picks than Paul, but you can't argue with what the kid did this year.

4. Amare Stoudemire ? PF/C ? Suns
Ranked No. 4 per game, No. 3 cumulative

Stoudemire has really earned my respect after coming off of microfracture surgery the season before last. He remarkably played in 82 games that season, and then came back and was good for 79 games this year. Now that I'm finally on board with him, I could see knee problems arising this year, but it's tough to argue with what he has done over the last two campaigns. He averaged 25 points, nine boards and two blocks this season and shot it very well from both the field and the line. He also knocked down five treys this season and could push that number up to 10 this season, if his new coach will let him fire from downtown. It should be interesting to see what Stoudemire can do in a full season without Shawn Marion around.

5. Dwyane Wade ? G ? Heat
Ranked No. 21 per game, No. 87 cumulative

Wade was not healthy coming into the season or when he shut it down after just 51 games. However, he's on pace to be at full strength for the Olympics, and barring any setbacks, should be good to go for the upcoming season. He was Top 10 in both per game and cume ranking during the 2005-06 season, and on a per game basis in the 06-07 season, he was No. 1 overall, but played in just 51 games. The bottom line is, if Wade is healthy, he's an elite fantasy player and possibly worth the first pick in your draft. I think the chances of him staying healthy all year long are rather slim, but I also don't expect him to need surgery during the upcoming season. If he makes it through the Olympics in one piece, he should be worth a Top 5 pick this Fall.

6. Gilbert Arenas ? G ? Wizards
Ranked No. 57 per game, not ranked cumulative

Will I be taking Arenas at No. 6 this year if I have the pick? I'm not sure. His return to the Wizards is up in the air, as he's set to opt out at the end of the month, and we'll have to make sure he's healthy going into the year. If he's still a Wizard and is 100 percent healed from his knee injury, there's no reason he shouldn't be worth a pick this high. The question is, will you be brave enough to take him in front of guys like Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett and Allen Iverson? Arenas could end up being further down the list come draft time.

7. Steve Nash ? PG ? Suns
Ranked No. 12 per game, No. 7 cumulative

Nash missed just one game this season, despite struggling with back and shoulder issues for much of the year. Paul averaged more assists on the year, but Nash was close behind, while the rest of his numbers remained steady, although he scored less than 17 ppg (16.9) for the first time in three seasons. He's still a great shooter and has proven to be very reliable from a health standpoint. There are no sure things in fantasy hoops, but Nash is pretty close to it.

8. Shawn Marion ? F ? Heat
Ranked No. 7 per game, No. 32 cumulative

Marion played just 62 games this year, explaining his low cumulative ranking. He wasn't exactly dominant in his time with the Heat, showing more inconsistency than anything else. But it's a new season and the Heat have a new coach, a high draft pick and should have a healthy Wade. Marion probably could have finished the season if he was playing for a contender and should come into the season at full strength. There's no guarantee that he'll be playing for the Heat this year, but regardless, he should return to having solid fantasy value again. But his final pre-season value won't be determined until we see what happens this summer.

9. Dirk Nowitzki ? F - Mavericks
Ranked No. 11 per game, No. 10 cumulative
dallasmavericks.com
Despite the Mavericks' early exit from the playoffs (again), Dirk's season ended on a much better note than it did last year. He played well for the entire season and was also solid in the playoffs, allowing Josh Howard to be this year's scapegoat for Dallas. Dirk's lack of blocks and threes from where they once were is annoying, but is also just a fact of life. I am not sure if I'll have Dirk at No. 9 at the end of the summer, but it sounds about right for him. If not, he could show up closer to No. 12 than No. 9.

10. Kevin Garnett ? F - Celtics
Ranked No. 10 per game, No. 15 cumulative
bostonceltics.ws
KG missed 11 games with his abdominal strain and looked much better during the regular season than he has in the playoffs. His recent lack of determination on the offensive end of things is disturbing to potential fantasy owners, as the last thing we want to see him do is pass up open 5-footers on a nightly basis. His free throw shooting hasn't been too clutch recently and his fantasy numbers during the regular season took a hit with the arrival of Ray Allen and strong play of Paul Pierce. Garnett is still a beast, but you have to think all the minutes he's played since 1995 have taken their toll. If he can stay healthy next year, no. 10 sounds about right.
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11. Allen Iverson ? G - Nuggets
Ranked No. 8 per game, No. 6 cumulative

Iverson didn't miss a single game this season, which is hard to believe given the fact it was his 12th season and he only made it through one other one (02-03) without missing a game. The days of the Answer averaging 30-plus points per game are probably over, but his shot selection is much better these days. In fact, he just missed setting a career high by hitting 45.8 percent of his shots last year. I always worry about injuries with AI, but he is a true warrior, and played through a nasty finger injury for much of the past season. We'll need to see what happens with Denver this summer, but for now, I'm guessing this will be the last year that Iverson will still be worthy of a first-round fantasy pick.

12. Josh Smith ? F - Hawks
Ranked No. 23 per game, No. 12 cumulative

Smoov, in his fourth season, averaged career highs in scoring, steals, assists and field goal percentage, and should only get better from here on out. If you owned him, you probably loved him, except for the occasional dreadful shooting night. He also attempted nearly one less 3-pointer per game last season, which was part of the reason his field goal percentage was the best of his career, and his first respectable number since his rookie season. I am obviously biased on Smith, but it's hard to argue with nearly three blocks and 1.5 steals per game, to go along with 17 points, eight boards and three assists. And it would not be surprising to see all those numbers go up next season. Throw in the fact that he doesn't miss games (for the most part) and he's a fantasy star on the rise. There's a chance he could be playing for a contract in the upcoming season as well, and if that's the case, I'll probably bump his pre-season ranking even higher.

Round 2

13. Baron Davis ? PG - Warriors
Ranked No. 5 per game, No. 5 cumulative

Last year was a big deal for Davis, who stayed healthy all season and actually played in every single game for the Warriors. Well, we'll call it 81.5 after Nellie sat him for that one controversial half. We still don't know if he'll return to the Warriors next season, and now that we know for sure that Nellie's coming back, it's possible that Baron may try to get out of town. I'm still not sure why, but I never started telling everyone to sell Davis high last year, even late in the year. I just had a feeling he was going to make it through most of the season. That said, the odds of him making it through another one without incident are slim to none, and his late-season collapse should not be ignored. As of now, I'm back to the philosophy that you should draft Baron early, use him up by January, and then trade him for whatever you can get.

14. Deron Williams ? PG - Jazz
Ranked No. 15 per game, No. 9 cumulative
utahjazz.com
Williams has established himself as one of the best point guards in the league, and should be treated as such by fantasy owners. I'm thinking No. 14 might be a little to low for Williams, and I can see bumping him up the list by the end of the summer. Then again, I'm not sure how much better he can get and last year's numbers support taking him early in Round 2. I'm not sure how he did it, but Williams hit a career-best 50.7 percent of his shots last season, and finished with career highs across the board. Yes he can get better, and surely will, but I'm not sure he outdoes those numbers by much, if at all, in the upcoming season.

15. Caron Butler ? G/F - Wizards
Ranked No. 5 per game, No. 35 cumulative

Obviously the huge differential in Butler's rankings is due to the fact he played just 58 games last season, but was productive when he played. And the fact he was No. 5 per game was likely a direct result of the fact that Arenas was down for most of the year. But Butler has proven to be worthy of at least a second-round pick over the past couple years and should be solid again this season. If Arenas somehow ends up somewhere other than Washington, Butler's value will increase. Injuries have become a bit of a concern with "Tough Juice," but not enough to have much of an impact on his fantasy draft position.

16. Marcus Camby ? C - Nuggets
Ranked No. 14 per game, No. 8 cumulative

Like Baron Davis, Camby was able to make it through most of the season without a significant injury, missing just three games and dominating several big-man categories on his way to winning Defensive Player of the Year. I'm not sure that Davis and Camby can catch lightning in a bottle and stay healthy for two straight seasons, but Camby will be a steal at No. 16 if he plays in 76 games or so.
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17. Carlos Boozer ? F - Jazz
Ranked No. 19 per game, No. 11 cumulative
utahjazz.com
Boozer faded out in the playoffs, likely due to fatigue, but has put injury concerns behind him after missing eight games last year and just one game this season. His rebounding, scoring and shooting are all nice, but he doesn't block many shots for a big man. He also has some competition for rebounds and shots with Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur on the same team, but Boozer seemed to be the alpha dog of that trio this season.

18. Rudy Gay ? F - Grizzlies
Ranked No. 38 per game, No. 26 cumulative

The numbers say Gay was a solid third-round pick last season and nothing more. That's true, but no player seems to have as much upside for the next two seasons as Gay does, either. There's really nothing he can't do, from blocking shots, to hitting threes, to grabbing steals and to scoring points. After the first month of the season, he only failed to hit double figures in scoring in three games. He played in 81 contests this season, and I recorded at least two blocks 19 times, two steals 34 times and two 3-pointers 38 times. Several of his statistical categories doubled between his first and second seasons, and his third year, which is the upcoming season, should see him fully breakout. The sky's the limit for Gay, and I would not hesitate to grab him at almost any point of the second round.

19. Carmelo Anthony ? F - Nuggets
Ranked No. 16 per game, No. 19 cumulative

Melo improved his rebounding to the point he's become very reliable second-round pick, but I'm not sure he's well-rounded enough to become a first-rounder any time soon. It's concerning that his scoring dropped by more than three points this year, but his rebounds, steals and blocks all went up, while he committed less turnovers per game. Melo's a good shooter and should not hurt you anywhere, making him a safe and consistent second-round pick.

20. Manu Ginobili ? G - Spurs
Ranked No. 13 per game, No. 18 cumulative

Perhaps no player is more misused from a fantasy owner's perspective than Manu. On a "per-minute" value scale he comes in at No. 5 overall, although that's misleading since Jerome James and Ian Mahinmi come in at No. 1 and 2. However, No. 3 is Chris Paul, No. 4 is Amare, No. 5 is Manu and No. 6 is Kobe. So, if Manu could ever get more than 31 minutes from his coach, his value would skyrocket. That said, he averaged a career high 31 minutes per game this season and averaged career highs nearly across the board. Changes are likely coming for the Spurs which could result in Manu seeing more run. But until we know for sure, treat him like the second-round pick he is. And he's not getting any younger, either, as evidenced by that growing bald spot.

21. Chris Bosh ? F/C - Raptors
Ranked No. 17 per game, No. 33 cumulative

Ironically, just as I started to write up Bosh, the Family Feud that my wife happened to be watching was some NBA stars against their moms for charity. Bosh sealed the win in the final round, which was thrilling. Bosh's knee is always going to be a concern for potential fantasy owners, and injuries held him to 67 games this season. He'll hit the occasional three and is a good free throw shooter, to go along with the typical big-man categories. I thought he'd be a little more beast-like with blocks, but he comes in at just 1.0 per game. And while his scoring is extremely consistent from year to year, his rebounding fell off this season, as he came in at just 8.7 per game, down two from last year.

22. Paul Pierce ? F ? Celtics
Ranked No. 22 per game, No. 12 cumulative
bostonceltics.ws
Pierce missed just two games and was clearly the member of the Big 3 with the most consistency for the Celtics this season. He's going to be another year older and may not have the same drive if the Celtics win it all this year, but that shouldn't be a major concern with the Lakers being favorites to take the title. Pierce would have to have another season of not missing games next year to stay in the Top 24, and I could see him being replaced on this list by a guy like Andre Iguodala or Joe Johnson at the end of the summer.

23. Danny Granger ? F - Pacers
Ranked No. 25 per game, No. 17 cumulative
indianapacers.com
Granger just missed being Top 24 on a per-game basis, but he belongs there next year after his breakout season. His field goal percentage took a hit, but I expect it to bounce back next year. Twenty points, a block, a steal, two 3-pointers and six boards per game is nothing to sneeze at. And it's hard to imagine Mike Dunleavy having back-to-back big years, so I would not be surprised to see Granger flirt with having first-round value next season. Don't be surprised if he's not higher on this list in the Fall.

24. Al Jefferson ? F/C - Timberwolves
Ranked No. 39 per game, No. 25 cumulative

I originally had Jason Richardson here, but with the arrival of Larry Brown and the fact he's another year older, I just couldn't do it. I'm also not sure Jefferson belongs here, but the only thing really holding him back is his free throw shooting, and it's not really that bad. He came in at 72% last season. He seemed to run out of gas near the end of the season, but he's only going to get better from here on out. Taking him in Round 2 feels more right than sticking him in Round 3. And you can say the same thing about Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard and Yao Ming. But Duncan's got to lose his edge at some point, Howard's free throws and turnovers qualify as disastrous, and Yao's constant leg problems for the last three years are just scary. Jason Kidd, Andre Iguodala and Gerald Wallace are some other guys, along with Richardson, who could end up cracking the list by the end of the summer.

Crazy Train

I'm taking the kids to the Braves game tonight and they love riding the MARTA train into downtown. (Video probably not safe for work/swearing) I'm just hoping that this person isn't on the same train tonight.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Agent Zero Opts Out

It's a strange time of year for fantasy hoops junkies. It's too early to start planning for next year, but there's not much going on outside of the Finals and upcoming draft. But I just got my Rotoworld Football Draft Guide in the mail and despite the fact I'm in the industry and should be getting to the point that I'm burnt out on actually playing fantasy sports, it always feels like Christmas morning when I get that magazine in my hand. As far as I know, there is no grading system for fantasy hoops mags, but there are some for the football guides. And Rotoworld's was ranked No. 1 by two web sites, as well as given an award by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.

One of my leagues is a 12-team keeper (keep 5) and I've got the following guys to choose from: Adrian Peterson, Joseph Addai, Larry Johnson, Torry Holt, Roy Williams, Lee Evans and Eli Manning. I'm obviously keeping AP and Addai, and am leaning toward going with Larry, Holt and Williams. I'm a little concerned about not having a decent QB once I finally get a pick, and am actively trying to trade Larry, which would also free up my first-round pick. But in a keeper league this deep, the first pick of the draft will basically be for about the 40-50th best player. I was already concerned about LJ being a total bust this year and after reading the Guide yesterday, I've never seen a guy who is almost guaranteed to go in the first round surrounded by so much negative energy. But it's not like he was helpful to fantasy owners last year before his foot injury, either. Now I just have to hope the guys I'm trying to trade him to aren't reading this. Anyway, let's talk some hoops.

Finals

The Celtics have a 2-0 lead over the Lakers with Game 3 tonight in L.A. Game 4 is Thursday and Game 5 is Sunday, and are also in L.A. I'm still not sure why the NBA is using the 2-3-2 format for the Finals, when they use the 2-2-1-1-1 format for the rest of the playoffs. Yeah, it's East vs. West and some travel time is involved, but it's not like the old days when teams had to figure out how to get a bus into Fort Wayne, Indiana, either. In the era of team planes and charters, there's no reason not to give the team with home-court advantage games 1, 5 and 7 at home. If the Lakers are going to pull this off, they're basically going to have to win four straight games. Good luck with that one.

Doc Rivers has done a great job of managing his team thus far and the Celtics D has finally risen to the occasion. I think they were playing down to their competition in the first three rounds and it took Kobe and company to light their defensive fire. The Lakers will need for Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol to all elevate their games starting tonight, while it's arguable that no team starting Vladimir Radmanovic deserves to win a championship. He's one of those players that I avoid in fantasy like the plague and I still can't believe that Luke Walton is not a starter for that team. Maybe that's Phil Jackson's biggest mistake in the Finals?

Leon Powe scored 21 points in less than 15 minutes on Sunday and was immediately placed into Celtics history and folklore, alongside guys like Scott Wedman, M.L. Carr and Cedric Maxwell. Powe's story is pretty amazing, as he came out of an incredibly tough childhood to make it to the NBA. I remember my buddy Kelin telling me a couple years ago that Powe was a super-sleeper in the draft. I think I may have bumped him up a bit in my rankings, but I don't think anyone could have predicted he'd have such a huge impact in the Finals this year. If Kevin Garnett wasn't around, Powe would be a nice sleeper for next season, but he can only do so much in a reserve role.

Agent Zero

Gilbert Arenas officially opted out of his contract on Friday and is now an unrestricted free agent. The Wizards say they will do whatever they can to re-sign both him and fellow URFA Antawn Jamison, while Agent Zero has even said he'll take less money if it helps keep Jamison around. We'll know soon enough if Arenas is telling the truth or not, but all indications are that both parties want to keep him in Washington. Arenas is going to likely go to the highest bidder though, and is looking for six years and $120 million clams. Arenas will be an automatic first-round pick next year in Washington, but as with other soon-to-be free agents, his value could take a hit if he were to sign with the wrong team.

Coaching Carousel

The coaching carousel appears to be grinding to a halt, although we're still waiting to learn the fate of Mike Woodson and his staff in Atlanta. I get the feeling Rick Sund is going to keep them around, but who knows?

Jerry Reinsdorf is catching a ton of heat in Chicago for letting Mike D'Antoni and Doug Collins get away, and then signing the least expensive guy possible in Vinnie Del Negro. Vinnie has never spent a second on an NBA bench as a coach, but was the assistant GM in Phoenix. Prior to that he was in the Suns' radio booth and a player for the Spurs. The Chicago media has been brutal on Reinsdorf, who seems to care much more about his baseball team than he does his hoops team. I guess the same could be said of some fantasy owners playing multiple sports, but we don't have the entire city of Chicago wanting our head on a platter. Personally, I tend to agree with the critics and think that Reinsdorf should have waited and try to hire Tom Thibodeau after the Finals, or should have taken a look at Avery Johnson or hired Dwane Casey. I can't imagine any Bulls fan looking at the Del Negro hiring and thinking to themselves, "Sweet!"

Terry Porter will get another chance in the NBA with the Suns. He was run out of Milwaukee after less than a couple seasons and should have better luck after being handed Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O'Neal and company.

Michael Curry is now the Pistons coach and should do a nice job. He already has the respect of his team, which is more than can be said of Flip Saunders. Saunders lost the team and Chris Webber deserves some credit for throwing that out there at halftime on TNT a few weeks ago.

Tidbits
Carmelo Anthony, Michael Redd, Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups are all being mentioned in numerous trade rumors, although Melo's agent came out and said that Melo's not being traded. The Nuggets probably have to do something to shake things up, so I would not be surprised to see Melo get moved.

UNC point guard Ty Lawson made the dumbest move since Marshawn Lynch last weekend, getting pulled over for thumping his sub woofer too loud and then getting busted for drinking and driving. Several teams were targeting him between the 10th and 20th picks, but he might be headed back to Carolina now. I know the Pacers won't be willing to take a chance on him now, as they've got enough public relations concerns without adding Lawson to the mix. But I also know they were looking at him before the bust. And the same can probably be said about the Nuggets, who have been burned by several non-flattering Melo moments over the past several years.

The latest news on Shaun Livingston's not great. He still needs 90 minutes of therapy before he can participate in non-basketball drills and still isn't playing full court basketball. I would love to see him make a comeback, but it's hard to imagine his knee ever being strong enough to do so. I mean, he was fragile and injury prone before his knee turned sideways. There's now talk of him coming back as a small forward, but that would still require him to run and cut on his knee. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I'm not sure we'll ever see him play in the NBA again.

Dwyane Wade says his knee is feeling great and he should be ready for the Olympics. Hopefully he comes out Beijing in one piece and can go back to being a fantasy stud again next season.

Josh Smith and Josh Childress are restricted free agents, and along with figuring out who their coach is, the Hawks have to come correct with some big offers for these two young studs if they want to keep them around. If the Hawks fail to sign them to big deals this summer and they end up signing qualifying offers, they're gone after this season. And as a Hawks fan, that won't sit well with me. Here is a free agent list for you to think about this summer.

Restricted Free Agents ? Guys who will be "playing for a contract" if they sign a one-year qualifying offer with their team. If they do so, they'll become unrestricted free agents next summer.

Hawks - Josh Childress, Josh Smith, Salim Stoudamire, Mario West
Celtics - Tony Allen
Bobcats - Ryan Hollins, Emeka Okafor
Bulls - Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Demetris Nichols
Cavaliers - Daniel Gibson, Dwayne Jones, Delonte West
Mavericks - Jose Barea
Nuggets - Yakhouba Diawara, Bobby Jones, J.R. Smith
Pistons - Walter Herrmann
Warriors ? Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis
Rockets ? Carl Landry
Pacers ? David Harrison, Andre Owens
Clippers ? Paul Davis, Shaun Livingston
Lakers ? Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic
Grizzlies ? Andre Brown, Juan Carlos Navarro
Heat ? Chris Quinn, Dorell Wright
Timberwolves ? Ryan Gomes, Chris Richard, Craig Smith, Kirk Snyder, Sebastian Telfair
Nets ? Nenad Krstic
Knicks ? Randolph Morris
Magic ? James Augustine
Sixers ? Louis Amundson, Herbert Hill, Andre Iguodala, Shavlik Randolph, Lou Williams
Blazers ? Von Wafer
Sonics ? Mickael Gelabale, Robert Swift
Raptors ? Jose Calderon, Carlos Delfino
Jazz ? C.J. Miles

Unrestricted Free Agents - These guys are free to sign with any team this summer. Not a great summer for big-named free agents.

Celtics ? Sam Cassell, Eddie House, Scot Pollard
Bobcats ? Derek Anderson
Bulls ? Shannon Brown, Chris Duhon
Cavaliers ? Devin Brown
Mavericks ? Malik Allen, Devean George, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, Jamaal Magloire, Antoine Wright
Nuggets - Anthony Carter, Eduardo Najera
Pistons ? Juan Dixon, Jarvis Hayes, Lindsey Hunter, Theo Ratliff
Warriors ? Matt Barnes, Austin Croshere, Patrick O'Bryant, Mickael Pietrus
Rockets ? Dikembe Mutombo
Pacers ? Kareem Rush
Clippers ? Dan Dickau, Quinton Ross
Lakers ? Ira Newble
Grizzlies ? Kwame Brown, Casey Jacobsen
Heat ? Earl Barron, Ricky Davis, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Williams
Bucks ? Royal Ivey, Michael Ruffin, Jake Voskuhl
Timberwolves ? Michael Doleac
Nets ? Darrell Armstrong, DeSagana Diop, Bostjan Nachbar
Hornets ? Ryan Bowen, Bonzi Wells
Knicks ? Fred Jones
Magic ? Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Maurice Evans, Pat Garrity
Sixers ? Kevin Ollie
Suns ? Gordan Giricek, Sean Marks, Eric Piatkowski, Brian Skinner
Kings ? Anthony Johnson, Beno Udrih, Lorenzen Wright
Spurs ? Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Robert Horry, Kurt Thomas
Sonics ? Francisco Elson
Raptors ? Primoz Brezec
Wizards ? Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Roger Mason

Option Players - PO = Player Option. Player can opt out of contract and become unrestricted. TO = Team Option. Team decides whether to re-sign or make player unrestricted free agent. ETO = Early Termination Option. Player can end his contract and become unrestricted free agent. This is where most of the big names are lurking (Iverson, Brand, Maggette, Marion, etc.)

Celtics ? James Posey (PO)
Bobcats ? Jermareo Davidson, Othella Harrington (TO)
Mavericks ? Eddie Jones (PO)
Nuggets ? Allen Iverson (ETO)
Warriors ? Kelenna Azubuike (PO), Baron Davis (ETO)
Rockets ? Steve Francis (PO), Steve Novak (TO)
Pacers ? Stephen Graham (TO), Jermaine O'Neal (ETO)
Clippers ? Elton Brand, Corey Maggette (ETO), Smush Parker (PO)
Lakers ? Trevor Ariza, Chris Mihm (PO)
Heat ? Shawn Marion (ETO)
Bucks ? Awvee Storey (TO)
Nets ? Stromile Swift (PO)
Hornets ? Melvin Ely, Jannero Pargo (PO)
Knicks ? Stephon Marbury ? (ETO)
Magic ? Keith Bogans, Adonal Foyle (PO)
Sixers ? Calvin Booth (PO)
Suns ? Grant Hill (PO)
Blazers ? James Jones (PO), Raef LaFrentz (ETO)
Kings ? Ron Artest, Kenny Thomas (ETO)
Spurs ? Jacque Vaughn (PO)
Raptors ? Rasho Nesterovic (PO)
Jazz ? Jason Hart (PO), Paul Millsap (TO)

[SIZE=+1]NBA Draft Lottery Mock[/SIZE] - This one varies slightly from the last one I posted, which is here. I'm sure I'll change my mind again next week. The killer is Memphis. They've got enough guards already and would love to see Lopez fall to them. But I don't see Lopez getting by Minnesota, leaving the Grizzlies with a Kevin Love or Anthony Randolph at No. 5. Or they can take the best player available, which would be O.J. Mayo or Eric Gordon. The Bobcats are also confusing, but could really use a center. I'm just not sure that DeAndre Jordan is the answer. I could also see them taking Danilo Gallinari at No. 9. Out of all the mocks I've seen, I've got Gallinari the lowest, but I just can't find a place to put him. If I wasn't convinced the Clippers will take a point guard, it would probably make things easier on me. Most mocks have the Clips taking Gordon, who can probably play some point guard in the NBA. Gordon's more of a scorer and I'd rather take a true PG like Westbrook or Augustin if I'm locked into taking one. But in the scheme of things, I think Gordon might end up being the third best player in this draft. We'll see. Draft night should be fun, as I don't remember there being this many question marks in previous years. I'm almost certain I won't get off to the blistering start I did last year, when I picked 8-of-8 to start and just had No. 9 and 10 reversed. I don't see that kind of success coming my way this time around, but things may become a little clearer once the Finals end and the beat writers start digging deeper into draft coverage.

1. Bulls ? PG Derrick Rose (Memphis)
2. Heat ? F Michael Beasley (Kansas State)
3. Wolves ? C Brook Lopez (Stanford)
4. Sonics ? G Jerryd Bayless (Arizona)
5. Grizzlies ? F Kevin Love (UCLA)
6. Knicks ? G O.J. Mayo (USC)
7. Clippers ? PG Russell Westbrook (UCLA)
8. Bucks ? SG Eric Gordon (Indiana)
9. Bobcats ? C DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M)
10. Nets ? F Anthony Randolph (LSU)
11. Pacers ? PG D.J. Augustin (Texas)
12. Kings ? F Danilo Gallinari (Italy)
13. Blazers ? F Darrell Arthur (Kansas)
14. Warriors ? F Joe Alexander (West Virginia)

[SIZE=+1]2008-09 Fantasy Top 24 Update[/SIZE] I left Elton Brand off last week, so here's a quick revision. A "maybe" next to a player's name means they might be on the verge of becoming a free agent.

Round 1

1. LeBron James ? F ? Cavaliers
2. Kobe Bryant ? G ? Lakers
3. Chris Paul ? PG ? Hornets
4. Amare Stoudemire ? PF/C ? Suns
5. Dwyane Wade ? G ? Heat
6. Gilbert Arenas ? G ? Wizards (maybe)
7. Steve Nash ? PG ? Suns
8. Shawn Marion ? F ? Heat (maybe)
9. Elton Brand ? F ? Clippers (maybe)
10. Dirk Nowitzki ? F - Mavericks
11. Kevin Garnett ? F - Celtics
12. Josh Smith ? F ? Hawks

Round 2

13. Allen Iverson ? G ? Nuggets (maybe)
14. Baron Davis ? PG ? Warriors (maybe)
15. Deron Williams ? PG - Jazz
16. Caron Butler ? G/F - Wizards
17. Marcus Camby ? C - Nuggets
18. Carlos Boozer ? F - Jazz
19. Rudy Gay ? F - Grizzlies
20. Carmelo Anthony ? F - Nuggets
21. Danny Granger ? F ? Pacers
22. Chris Bosh ? F/C - Raptors
23. Paul Pierce ? F ? Celtics
24. Al Jefferson ? F/C ? Timberwolves

My Morning Jacket's new record, Evil Urges is out today and I really like what I've heard, although I'll admit I haven't had enough time to fully absorb it yet. The two songs they played on Saturday Night Live last month (Evil Urges and I'm Amazed) are here, and are probably my two early favorites on the disc. The third song, Highly Suspicious, is generating a lot of buzz on the internet due to the fact it kinda sounds like Jim James is channeling Prince in one of the most experimental songs the band has ever put on record. It's definitely a different sound, but it's growing on my quickly and is kinda fun. You'll know what I'm talking about when you hear James sing the lyric "peanut butter pudding surprise!" for the first time. It really reminds me of the first time I heard It Ain't Nothin' To Me on Tom Petty's Southern Accents. It was different and didn't seem to fit in, but I wouldn't have that song removed from that album even if I could. It belongs there and I want it there.

Evil Urges will definitely play well as a live record and I can't wait to see them play 'Suspicious live, as I'm guessing it will bring smiles from all in attendance, including the band. EU sounds like a new MMJ record to me and is perfect for the summer, as I get the feeling it should be listened to outdoors. They're playing Bonnaroo this weekend and if you're lucky enough to be going, send me a note and tell me about your weekend.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

Free Agent Breakdown

This early in the offseason ? oops ? it's not even the offseason yet. Despite the fact it's mid June and your fantasy hoops league has likely been over for two months and the winners have received their checks, the season is still lingering on. Free agency news will pick up in the next few days as players will start opting out and then negotiations can start in July. Here's a look at this summer's restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents and option players, who could end up back with their teams or a free agent.

Restricted Free Agents ? Guys who will be "playing for a contract" if they sign a one-year qualifying offer with their team. If they do so, they'll become unrestricted free agents next summer.

Hawks - Josh Childress, Josh Smith, Salim Stoudamire, Mario West
Celtics - Tony Allen bostonceltics.ws
Bobcats - Ryan Hollins, Emeka Okafor
Bulls - Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Demetris Nichols
Cavaliers - Daniel Gibson, Dwayne Jones, Delonte West
Mavericks - Jose Barea dallasmavericks.com
Nuggets - Yakhouba Diawara, Bobby Jones, J.R. Smith
Pistons - Walter Herrmann
Warriors ? Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis
Rockets ? Carl Landry
Pacers ? David Harrison, Andre Owens indianapacers.com
Clippers ? Paul Davis, Shaun Livingston
Lakers ? Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic
Grizzlies ? Andre Brown, Juan Carlos Navarro
Heat ? Chris Quinn, Dorell Wright
Timberwolves ? Ryan Gomes, Chris Richard, Craig Smith, Kirk Snyder, Sebastian Telfair
Nets ? Nenad Krstic
Knicks ? Randolph Morris
Magic ? James Augustine
Sixers ? Louis Amundson, Herbert Hill, Andre Iguodala, Shavlik Randolph, Lou Williams
Blazers ? Von Wafer
Sonics ? Mickael Gelabale, Robert Swift
Raptors ? Jose Calderon, Carlos Delfino
Jazz ? C.J. Miles utahjazz.com

Restricted Free Agent Notes - Josh Smith, Emeka Okafor, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis, Carl Landry, Andre Iguodala and Jose Calderon are the big names on this list. Teams are going to come calling, but most of these players will remain with their current teams. Their offers will be matched by their current teams, they'll work out a new deal with their new teams, the offer won't be matched and they'll move to a new team, or they'll sign a qualifying offer which will allow them to become unrestricted free agents next summer.

Unrestricted Free Agents - These guys are free to sign with any team this summer. Not a great summer for big-named free agents.

Celtics ? Sam Cassell, Eddie House, Scot Pollard bostonceltics.ws
Bobcats ? Derek Anderson
Bulls ? Shannon Brown, Chris Duhon
Cavaliers ? Devin Brown
Mavericks ? Malik Allen, Devean George, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, Jamaal Magloire, Antoine Wright dallasmavericks.com
Nuggets - Anthony Carter, Eduardo Najera
Pistons ? Juan Dixon, Jarvis Hayes, Lindsey Hunter, Theo Ratliff
Warriors ? Matt Barnes, Austin Croshere, Patrick O'Bryant, Mickael Pietrus
Rockets ? Dikembe Mutombo
Pacers ? Kareem Rush indianapacers.com
Clippers ? Dan Dickau, Quinton Ross
Lakers ? Ira Newble
Grizzlies ? Kwame Brown, Casey Jacobsen
Heat ? Earl Barron, Ricky Davis, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Williams
Bucks ? Royal Ivey, Michael Ruffin, Jake Voskuhl
Timberwolves ? Michael Doleac
Nets ? Darrell Armstrong, DeSagana Diop, Bostjan Nachbar
Hornets ? Ryan Bowen, Bonzi Wells
Knicks ? Fred Jones
Magic ? Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Maurice Evans, Pat Garrity
Sixers ? Kevin Ollie
Suns ? Gordan Giricek, Sean Marks, Eric Piatkowski, Brian Skinner
Kings ? Anthony Johnson, Beno Udrih, Lorenzen Wright sacramentokings.com
Spurs ? Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Robert Horry, Kurt Thomas
Sonics ? Francisco Elson
Raptors ? Primoz Brezec
Wizards ? Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Roger Mason

Unrestricted Free Agent Notes - Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Kwame Brown, Ricky Davis, Bonzi Wells, Fred Jones, Carlos Arroyo, Gordan Giricek, Beno Udrih, Michael Finley, Kurt Thomas, Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison are the guys on this list who will garner some attention. Obviously, Arenas and Jamison are easily the cream of the crop here, and both players are talking about re-signing with the Wizards. But anything can happen between July 1 and the start of the season, so it's impossible to try to predict what will happen with these players. Dikembe Mutombo hopes to return to the Rockets, while Alonzo Mourning doesn't want to shut it down just yet, hoping to return to the Heat. We'll see.

Option Players - PO = Player Option. Player can opt out of contract and become unrestricted. TO = Team Option. Team decides whether to re-sign or make player unrestricted free agent. ETO = Early Termination Option. Player can end his contract and become unrestricted free agent. This is where most of the big names are lurking (Iverson, Brand, Maggette, Marion, etc.)

Celtics ? James Posey (PO) bostonceltics.ws
Bobcats ? Jermareo Davidson, Othella Harrington (TO)
Mavericks ? Eddie Jones (PO) dallasmavericks.com
Nuggets ? Allen Iverson (ETO)
Warriors ? Kelenna Azubuike (PO), Baron Davis (ETO)
Rockets ? Steve Francis (PO), Steve Novak (TO)
Pacers ? Stephen Graham (TO), Jermaine O'Neal (ETO) indianapacers.com
Clippers ? Elton Brand, Corey Maggette (ETO), Smush Parker (PO)
Lakers ? Trevor Ariza, Chris Mihm (PO)
Heat ? Shawn Marion (ETO)
Bucks ? Awvee Storey (TO)
Nets ? Stromile Swift (PO)
Hornets ? Melvin Ely, Jannero Pargo (PO)
Knicks ? Stephon Marbury ? (ETO)
Magic ? Keith Bogans, Adonal Foyle (PO)
Sixers ? Calvin Booth (PO)
Suns ? Grant Hill (PO)
Blazers ? James Jones (PO), Raef LaFrentz (ETO)
Kings ? Ron Artest, Kenny Thomas (ETO) sacramentokings.com
Spurs ? Jacque Vaughn (PO)
Raptors ? Rasho Nesterovic (PO)
Jazz ? Jason Hart (PO), Paul Millsap (TO) utahjazz.com

Option Player Notes - Jermaine O'Neal will be "opting in," meaning he'll stay with the Pacers unless he's traded, and then become a free agent next summer.

Elton Brand, Shawn Marion and Baron Davis are the big question marks here, and could be opting out. Allen Iverson, Corey Maggette, Stephon Marbury and Ron Artest seem to be leaning toward opting in, but you never know. Gilbert Arenas already opted out, so he's in the UFA group now.

Keith Bogans is said to be opting in, while Adonal Foyle will opt out with the Magic

 

[Hache Man]

Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008

When I Win the Lottery

Ty Lawson is headed back to Carolina, along with teammates Wayne Ellington and Danny Green, making the Tar Heels the early favorite to win the NCAA title next season. Lawson's return was a surprise, but he apparently wasn't able to get a guarantee that he'd be taken in the Top 20. His recent alcohol-related arrest certainly didn't help his cause. Chase Budinger is also heading back to school, and in honor of the draft class being set, here's my shot at the top picks we'll see on June 26th at the NBA Draft.

1st Pick: Chicago Bulls ? Derrick Rose, PG, Memphis

The Bulls worked out Michael Beasley on Tuesday and liked what they saw. I still think Rose is the No. 1 pick in this draft, but it would not be shocking to see Beasley go here instead. There's a little bit of pressure on the Bulls here, as they could make a huge mistake by taking the wrong player, if the other turns out to be a full-blown superstar. My money is on Rose playing in Chicago.

2nd Pick: Miami Heat ? Michael Beasley, F, Kansas State

If the Bulls don't take Beasley first, the Heat almost have to. Yes, there has been some O.J. Mayo chatter here, and it's also very possible the Heat could trade the pick. But if they don't, Beasley should be their man.

3rd Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves ? O.J. Mayo, G, USC

I have been predicting big men in this spot, but it's starting to look like Kevin McHale is going to go with the surest thing he can get with the No. 3 pick, which would appear to be Mayo. He's already got a core of young guards with Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, Corey Brewer and Sebastian Telfair, but the reality is Mayo could end up being the best player in this draft. But if they draft by need instead of taking the best player available, Kevin Love or Brook Lopez should go here.

4th Pick: Seattle Supersonics ? Jerryd Bayless, G, Arizona

This pick looks to be a sure thing, but you never know. It seems like everyone in cyberspace has Bayless going to Seattle, and I have had it that way for a few weeks now.

5th Pick: Memphis Grizzlies ? Brook Lopez, C, Stanford

I have no idea what Memphis will do here, but a big man like Lopez or Kevin Love makes sense. Pau Gasol was given away, Kwame Brown is possibly the biggest bust in the history of the league, Stromile Swift is?I'm not even going there. And Darko Milicic appears to be ready to give Kwame some competition for his ugly title. And now Memphis is doing a lot of talking about bringing Gasol's brother, Marc, over, although who knows when and if that will happen? They need a big man, and Lopez or Love fit the bill.

6th Pick: New York Knicks ? Eric Gordon, G, Indiana

I think the Knicks really, really want Mayo here, but he should be long gone. I could also see them taking a big man like Anthony Randolph or a point guard like Russell Westbrook here. But I think Gordon will be the best player on the board here and he is trying to convince people he can play point guard, as well as shooting guard, which should highly interest the Knicks.

7th Pick: Los Angeles Clippers ? Russell Westbrook, PG, UCLA

Yes, Shaun Livingston has been cleared for basketball exercises. No, he's not close to playing at full speed again yet, and may never be again. The Clippers have a gaping hole at point guard and I'm not sure they can afford to pass on Westbrook or D.J. Augustin here.

8th Pick: Milwaukee Bucks ? Kevin Love, F, UCLA

I have no idea what the Bucks are going to do here. There are rumors they'll trade the pick, there are rumors that they're going to trade Charlie Villanueva and Yi Jianlian, there are rumors Michael Redd is going to Cleveland and they've got a new GM. They don't really need a Love at this point, but might if they make some moves. Joe Alexander is going to the Bucks according to Chad Ford, but there is too much uncertainty in Milwaukee to really nail this one down. And if Eric Gordon is still sitting out there when the Bucks pick, go ahead and put him in a Bucks jersey.

9th Pick: Charlotte Bobcats ? Joe Alexander, F, West Virginia

The Bobcats are another mystery team who would probably gladly take Love or Lopez if they're still available at nine. That would allow Emeka Okafor to focus solely on playing power forward. They could go point guard to find some relief for Raymond Felton, or they could need Alexander if they end up trading Gerald Wallace, as some rumors say they're going to do. I could easily see the Bucks ending up with Alexander and the Cats then taking Love, but we'll have to wait and see.

10th Pick: New Jersey Nets ? Danilo Gallinari, F, Italy

If you believe the chatter coming out of Dave D'Alessandro and New Jersey, the Nets have promised to take Gallinari at 10. That doesn't mean that another team, including the Bobcats, couldn't take him before that. But as of now, Gallinari to the Nets is about the closest thing we have to a sure bet, along with Bayless to Seattle.
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11th Pick: Indiana Pacers ? D.J. Augustin, PG, Texas
indianapacers.com
The Pacers could use a little bit of everything. They are still trying to replace Reggie Miller, Jermaine O'Neal is on his last legs and is about to be put out to pasture, and Jamaal Tinsley is about as welcome in Indy as Michael Vick is at the humane society. I think PG is their top priority, but they could take Love if he's still on the board, or Anthony Randolph. But if Augustin, Westbrook or Gordon are still available here, look for them to take that player.

12th Pick: Sacramento Kings ? Anthony Randolph, F, LSU
sacramentokings.com
The Kings have a boatload of power forwards, but they're all pretty bad. I'm not sure Randolph will even get by the Knicks at No. 6, but if he's on the board when it's the Kings turn, is looks like a match made in heaven.

13th Pick: Portland Trailblazers ? Darrell Arthur, PF, Kansas

Arthur is 6-9, 230 and quite athletic. He should be a decent NBA shot blocker and could become a double-double machine. He's not a great free throw shooter and is going to be foul prone as a rookie. In other words, it's probably going to take him a couple seasons to figure out how the NBA works. But he looks like a lottery pick and would appear to be a good fit in Portland. But there's also a great chance the Blazers will trade this pick.

14th Pick: Golden State Warriors ? Brandon Rush, G, Kansas

I haven't had Rush listed in the Top 14 up to this point, but he will probably be a lottery pick. Had he not hurt his knee last year, he might have been a lottery pick then, as well. Monta Ellis is a free agent and things have gotten dicey between Don Nelson and Baron Davis. Rush should be a very solid pro and the Warriors may need a good shooting guard in the near future. Especially after the Sarunas Jasikevicius and Marco Belinelli experiments failed over the last couple years.

Ongoing Ranking Lists

Other sites run a fantasy list of the Top 50 or so fantasy players, updated constantly throughout the year. I've considered doing something similar, but it doesn't seem to make much sense since there are so many scoring formats. Dwight Howard, for instance, is ranked so differently depending on your format.

Per Basketballmonster.com:

Leagues counting 9 cats, inc. TO and FT% - 87th
Leagues counting 8 cats, no TO, and FT% - 49th
Leagues counting 8 cats, no TO, and FTM - 2nd

So my question is, would you guys like to see an ongoing rankings list for the Top 100 or so, or are you like me, and think it's basically useless unless we created three or four lists, one for each of the most popular scoring systems?

Tiger

While it's off topic, I'll say a few words about Tiger Woods, since most of you probably couldn't help but follow the action for Monday's historic playoff win against Rocco Mediate.

I've seen several online takes that A. Tiger's knee injury will end his career before he gets Jack Nicklaus' record, and B. That he's not the greatest athlete of all time because he plays golf, which isn't a "real sport."

I don't know if Tiger is the greatest athlete in history or not. Muhammad Ali, Pele, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, maybe a pre-roids baseball player or two, might have something to say about that. But in my mind, he is the greatest clutch performer in the history of sports. And he is easily the most talented golfer we've ever seen. Like his dad says in the new commercial. "Tiger, I promise you that you'll never meet another person as mentally tough as you in your entire life. He hasn't, and he never will."

As for the knee injury, yes, it is a concern. But keep in mind the guy hadn't played in a couple months, let alone even walked 18 holes. He was fresh off of knee surgery and knew he was playing much sooner than he should have been. But unless he did more damage to the knee by playing, once he lets it fully heal, he should be good to go. He's had three knee surgeries, but that's one of the benefits of being a golfer. He doesn't have to run or cut on it. Torque is obviously his No. 1 enemy at this point.

He's only four major championships short of Jack's record, and I still think he's going to break it, even if he only plays six times per year the rest of his career. I really haven't watched much golf at all this year, but am really pleased with the return on the investment of my 10 or so hours in front of the television on Sunday and Monday.