Author: John Paulsen (Page 639 of 937)

      Isiah Thomas overdose?

      October 24, 2008 /

      It looks like Zeke might be involved in an “accidental” overdose.

      A 47-year-old man was taken to the hospital and treated for an accidental overdose of sleeping pills at the suburban home of former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, police said on Friday.

      Police would not identify the victim, except to give his age. Thomas is 47. Harrison Police Chief David Hall said the case was not a suicide attempt.

      The New York Post and WCBS-TV in New York reported that the man who overdosed was, in fact, Thomas. The station cited unidentified sources in the report.

      Madison Square Garden spokesman Barry Watkins told The Journal News newspaper, “Isiah is fine.” WCBS Radio reported that the call involved an “issue with sleeping pills.”

      It has been a tough couple of years for Thomas. Let’s hope he’s okay.

      NBA

      2008 NBA Preview: #4 San Antonio Spurs

      October 24, 2008 /

      Offseason Movement: The Spurs were pretty quiet this offseason, apparently content with their roster. They re-signed Michael Finley and Kurt Thomas, and drafted George Hill, a combo guard that could really score in college.
      Keep Your Eye On: Manu Ginobili’s ankle
      Manu Ginobili will be out of action until mid-December after undergoing left ankle surgery. The Spurs won the title in 2003, 2005 and 2007, and I would pick them this year if not for the uncertainty surrounding Ginobili’s health. If he comes back at 100%, the Spurs have a great shot at a fourth title in seven years. Ginobili’s ankle is especially worrisome considering his style of play. He’s most effective when he’s able to drive to the hole, and a shaky ankle may limit his ability to get to the rim.
      The Big Question: Do the Spurs have another title run in them?
      Ginobili (31 years old), Tim Duncan (32), Michael Finley (35), Bruce Bowen (37) and Kurt Thomas (36) are all pretty long in the tooth and they’ll all be playing a major role in the Spurs’ rotation this season. Obviously, Ginobili and Duncan are the keys – if they are healthy and can play at a high level, the Spurs are going to be a very tough out, especially considering that the 26 year-old Tony Parker is just hitting his prime.
      Outlook: Same ol’ same ol’. The Spurs recipe for success is pretty simple. They’ve signed their stars to reasonable contracts and with regard to the supporting cast, chemistry outweighs ability or upside. Duncan is signed for four more seasons, which would make him 36 in the final year of his contract. Realistically, the team has a 2-3 year window in which to win another title. Duncan is still playing at a high level, but there’s no guarantee that at 34 or 35, he’ll still be able to post franchise-cornerstone numbers. There is no doubt that the clock is ticking. This season probably represents the Spurs’ best chance for another title.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Santonio Holmes found with the marijuana, out Sunday

      October 24, 2008 /

      Mike Tomlin said today that Santonio Holmes will not play Sunday due to an incident involving “the marijuana”…a.k.a. weed…ganja…grass…Mary Jane…

      Pittsburgh police charged Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes with possession of marijuana Thursday afternoon.

      According to police, Holmes was driving a sport utility vehicle with out-of-state license plates near Mellon Arena. The vehicle matched the description of one linked to a crime, so officers made an investigatory stop.

      “When they pulled him over, they found there was a smell of burnt marijuana in the vehicle,” said Sgt. James Vogel of the Pittsburgh Police Department. “Mr. Holmes was very cooperative with officers and turned over some items to us and was subsequently summoned for those items. A couple of marijuana blunts.”

      Police said Holmes turned over three marijuana cigars. Officers charged Holmes with one misdemeanor count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was given a summons to court and released.

      Vogel said Holmes was very cooperative, respectful and wasn’t impaired. He thinks that should be taken into account when it comes to any potential action taken against him by the Steelers and the NFL.

      From the story, it sounds like Sgt. Vogel is a Steeler fan.

      From a fantasy perspective, Nate Washington gets a big bump for those owners needing a quick fix at wide receiver. It is not clear at this point what, if any, action the NFL will take in this matter.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      2008 NBA Preview: #5 Utah Jazz

      October 24, 2008 /

      Offseason Movement: The Jazz exercised a couple of no-brainer contract options on Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap, and signed Deron Williams to a long-term deal. The other main acquisition was center Kosta Koufos via the draft.
      Keep Your Eye On: Carlos Boozer
      Boozer has another year on his deal, but it’s a player option, and considering he can make more on the open market, he’ll probably opt out. That doesn’t mean that he’s leaving Utah, but given Boozer’s history, the team is justifiably worried. Utah has a lot of money tied up in Andrei Kirilenko (three years, $49 million) and it would be much better spent on a new deal for Boozer. Complicating matters is Mehmet Okur, who can also opt out next summer. The good news is that the Jazz locked up Deron Williams, so that should encourage both Boozer and Okur to stay.
      The Big Question: Is this group good enough to get over the hump?
      Utah has a nice roster, but it’s unclear if the current core – Williams, Boozer, Okur, AK-47 – is good enough to get past the West’s elite. Can Williams and Boozer raise their respective games? Will another player (Brewer, Koufos) turn into a star?
      Outlook: The Jazz are right on the cusp and they’ll always play hard for Jerry Sloan, so they’ll be in the thick of things come playoff time. That means that they’re likely to advance to the Western Conference Semis or Western Conference Finals and meet a roadblock like the Lakers, Hornets or Spurs. I’d like to see Jerry Sloan make another trip to the Finals, but the odds are against that happening this season.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      2008 NBA Preview: #6 Houston Rockets

      October 24, 2008 /

      Offseason Movement: The team acquired Ron Artest from the Kings in exchange for Bobby Jackson and draftee Donte Greene. Trading for Artest is a risky move, but one that the Rockets pretty much had to take. The window is closing on the Tracy McGrady/Yao Ming combination and the team had to make a bold move to shake things up. And any move that puts Ron Artest on your roster is a bold move. The Rockets also re-signed forward Carl Landry, who was very productive in limited minutes last season.
      Keep Your Eye On: The Rockets’ injury report
      If T-Mac, Yao Ming and Ron Artest can all play 75+ games and are healthy for the playoffs, this team will be very competitive. But as history has shown us, that is a HUGE “if.” Yao hasn’t played more than 57 games in any of the last three seasons and McGrady is averaging 61 games played over the same span. So the Rockets can’t really hope that the duo will stay healthy, they just have to hope that whatever injuries T-Mac and Yao do sustain aren’t of the season-ending variety.
      The Big Question: Assuming health isn’t a factor, how will Ron Artest fit in?
      With the acquisition of Artest, three of the Rockets’ top four players are actually small forwards. Luckily T-Mac can play off guard and Shane Battier can play a little power forward and come off the bench. Known for his…um…fiery personality, Artest rehabbed his image while with the Kings, and for the most part he was a pretty good citizen. Anytime you add a player of his caliber, the other guys are going to have to make an adjustment. The silver lining to the T-Mac and Yao injury concerns is that the team will probably need Artest to play a major role at some point this season.
      Outlook: Along with T-Mac, Artest, Battier and Yao, the Rockets have a nice group of role players that helped the team catch fire last season after they lost their center. Luis Scola gave the team inside scoring and rebounding (though he was absolutely lost on defense) and Landry provided some much-needed toughness in the paint. Brent Barry provides some outside shooting, while Aaron Brooks is developing into a nice backup for starter Rafer Alston. The team can go nine deep, which gives them the necessary depth to withstand a short-term injury to one (or both) of their stars. If everyone is healthy for the playoffs, watch out for the Rockets. If T-Mac or Yao sustains another season-ending injury, the Rockets might elect to blow the team up and start from scratch.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

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