Author: John Paulsen (Page 673 of 937)

      Monta Ellis out 3-4 months after ankle surgery

      August 27, 2008 /

      On the heels of signing a monster contract, Warriors’ guard Monta Ellis will miss the next 3-4 months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn deltoid ligament in his left ankle.

      In an afternoon conference call with local reporters, Warriors executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin said that Ellis informed the club that he injured himself last Thursday playing pick-up ball in his native Mississippi.

      It was about a month ago that Ellis received a six-year, $66 million contract extension from the Warriors. Ellis’ ankle will now be immobilized for six weeks, followed by at least six weeks of off-court rehab before the 6-foot-3 guard can return to basketball workouts, ruling Ellis out for all of training camp and the preseason and at least the first month of the regular season.

      This is clearly a major blow to the Golden State franchise, which isn’t having the best of offseasons. Ellis is moving from off guard to point guard, and needed training camp and the first part of the season to become acclimated with his new role. Even if he’s ready to go by January, it’s not like they just plug him in and expect everything to work. Given how difficult it is to make the playoffs in the Western Conference, I just don’t see how Golden State stays in the hunt, but stranger things have happened.

      The newly-acquired Marcus Williams will have a shot to run things in Ellis’ absence. He’s been something of a disappointment thus far in his career, but he now has a second life in the Bay Area.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Fantasy Football Update: 8/27

      August 27, 2008 /

      I know many of you are heading into your drafts this weekend, so here are a few things that are going on in the world of fantasy football:

      Peyton Manning returned to practice, but HC Tony Dungy said that he was “iffy” for the season opener. Apparently, he looked good, so plan on Peyton keeping his consecutive games streak alive in Week 1… HC Marvin Lewis says that even though Chris Perry is atop the depth chart at running back, Rudi Johnson could win his job back with a good performance on Thursday night. The vibe seems to be that Rudi is on the way out of Cincy, but you never know. Perry is a nice late-round pick, as is Kenny Watson, who was the team’s most productive back last season… Jeff Fisher says that he plans to split touches between LenDale White and rookie speedster Chris Johnson. “I would assume it would be close to 50-50, maybe 60-40,” he said. “We’re going to use them both depending on the game plans and it makes sense to take advantage of both of their abilities. I think we’ll have a better gauge once we get to the middle part of the season.” Johnson’s stock has risen of late and while White is pretty solid between the tackles, the rookie is more of a home run threat… The Packers plan to get Brandon Jackson more involved in the running game in an attempt to reduce the pounding that Ryan Grant takes over the course of the season. The idea is to limit Grant to 300 carries (which is still a lot) and use him more in the passing game, which means that Grant’s value is enhanced in PPR leagues.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      The NBA should take a cue from FIBA…

      August 26, 2008 /

      …not the other way around.

      FIBA (the governing body of international basketball) plans to extend its three-point line from 20’ 6” to 22’ 2” effective 2010. They’re also getting rid of the trapezoidal lane in an effort to standardize the game worldwide. The NCAA is extending its three point line from 19′ 9″ to 20′ 9″ starting this season. The NBA’s three-point line is 23’ 9” from the hoop.

      I like the international line where it is. Doug Collins said during the Olympic broadcast that “too many players are able to shoot that shot” as a reason that it should be moved back. I say… who cares? I think most basketball purists agree that the international game (and the college game) is more fun to watch than the NBA game. I’m not talking about the talent of the players – I’m talking about how the game is played. Part of that has to do with the pressure that the three-point line puts on the defense. If a good portion of players can hit that shot, it forces more defenders to get out and guard those players. This, in turn, creates more spacing inside the arc and allows for more free-flowing, dynamic offense, which is good for the game.

      Plus, the three-pointer makes the game more exciting. Underdogs have a better chance of pulling an upset, comebacks are easier, big scoring runs are more frequent and scores are higher. Aren’t these good things?

      Then there’s the NBA’s shot from the side. It’s a different distance (22’) from the rest of the arc, which in and of itself is just silly. But at least once a game, a player will step out of bounds because he is trying to spot up behind the three-point line when he’s catching the ball. This is just a drag that slows the game down, and it would be virtually eliminated if the league moved the line in.

      I’d rather see the NBA adopt the international 20’ 6” length than see FIBA extend its arc.

      I know, it will never happen. People conform to David Stern and the NBA, not the other way around.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, The Olympics

      Review of “10 Yards” – a fantasy football documentary

      August 25, 2008 /

      Fantasy football teams are like assholes… everyone has one. Okay, not everyone has a fantasy football team, but an estimated 20 million people do and the number seems to be growing every year. The game’s exploding popularity makes it ripe for a documentary and filmmakers Hunter Weeks and Josh Caldwell stepped in to fill the void.

      “10 Yards” follows three friends, Hunter, Josh and J. Fred (a.k.a. “The Commish”), who own and operate three of the 15 teams in the Intergalactic Championship League. Hunter and Josh travel around the country interviewing different fantasy football players, real football players and analysts (including Boomer Esiason and Shannon Sharpe) to get insight into why the game has become so popular. Meanwhile, The Commish chimes in with his weekly diary covering all the league happenings as well as his random ramblings. Over the course of the film, a full season is played and a champion is crowned.

      Like “King of Kong,” “Air Guitar Nation” and “Word Wars” before it, “10 Yards” attempts to take a humorous slant on the hobby of a subsection of society. Unfortunately, the cast of characters in “10 Yards” isn’t nearly as unique or as engaging as those of the aforementioned docs. They’re not trying to set the world record score in Donkey Kong, flying to Europe to compete in an air guitar compeition or entering cutthroat Scrabble tournaments. They’re regular, average Joes, just like you and me, and truth be told, we’re just not that interesting. The film has its moments, but too much of its humor comes off as shtick.

      That said, Weeks and Caldwell do a nice job of moving from one topic to another, all the while keeping the season-long storyline – the retirement of The Commish – in sight. The graphics and transitions are smooth and the film is well constructed. “10 Yards” is a worthwhile distraction for hardcore fantasy footballers and for those that want to learn about the game (or about those who play it).

      Starting August 21 and running for two weeks, OurStage.com is offering a download of the film if you register with the site. (It’s free.) SnagFilms.com will stream the movie for free and allow for viral sharing via its widgets. A nationwide DVD release rolls out on September 30.

      Fantasy Football, NFL, Video

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑