Author: John Paulsen (Page 74 of 937)

      Holy Family basketball coach collides with player in practice [video]

      February 23, 2011 /

      Holy Family University basketball coach John O’Connor was suspended after footage from a practice showed that he collided with a player during a rebounding drill. It looks from the footage like the coach intentionally threw his shoulder into the player, knocking him to the ground.

      The footage from practice starts at around the 1:05 mark…

      MyFoxPhilly.com scored an interview with the suspended coach.

      O’Connor says in the midst of a practice drill called “combat rebound.”

      “Now obviously, they’re coming to get the ball at the same time I am, so, I instinctively grab it with both hands and kind of in what they call basketball terms, and I just kind of cleared my space.”

      The blow apparently drew blood and sent the player to the floor, injuring his wrist. The coach kicked him out of practice.

      O’Connor says that the players are coming to get the ball the same time he is, although if you watch the drill, the coach is generally not involved in getting the rebound. It looks to me like he was unhappy with the way the player went after the ball and decided to level a blow even though the kid wasn’t expecting it. Coaches are not involved in drills for this very reason.

      Did he go too far? Absolutely. If a coach wants to demonstrate how to box out or how to contest a shot, fine, but laying a kid out with a shoulder is not the way to coach.

      College Basketball, External Sports, Video

      Five trades that should happen (but won’t)

      February 23, 2011 /
      Phoenix Suns Steve Nash stands next to head coach Alvin Gentry in the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City on January 17, 2011. The Suns defeated the Knicks 129-121. UPI/John Angelillo

      GMs around the league were worried that there wouldn’t be much action leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, but once the Carmelo Anthony trade went down, there has been a flurry of activity highlighted by the Nets’ acquisition of Deron Williams.

      Here are five more trades that should happen, but probably won’t. They generally include one older player on a bad team that isn’t going anywhere.

      Click on each trade’s headline to see it in the ESPN Trade Machine.

      1. Steve Nash to Atlanta for Jamal Crawford and two first round picks
      Free Steve Nash! The Hawks aren’t the ideal destination for Nash, but the Hawks really need a floor leader and the team has the defensive frontcourt (Josh Smith, Al Horford) to make up for Nash’s weakness on that end of the court. Smith and Horford would work well in Nash’s patented screen-and-roll and he would take the pressure off of Joe Johnson to create as the shot clock is winding down. The Suns aren’t going to get much out of this deal other than cap relief (Crawford’s deal is expiring) and a couple of first round picks, but Nash is 37 years old and deserves to play in the postseason. The Suns aren’t going anywhere anyway.

      2. Rip Hamilton to Chicago for Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer
      Rip can still play. He’s averaging 13.3 points per game and his shooting 40%+ from 3PT even though his minutes are sporadic. He works hard on defense and has kept himself in great shape throughout his career, so he should be able to contribute for the remainder of his contract. His spot up jumper would be a nice fit alongside Derrick Rose in the Chicago backcourt. The Pistons would be rid of the headache of keeping Rip on the roster without playing him and would get a couple of youngish wings in Korver and Brewer that could actually contribute.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Breaking down the Deron Williams trade

      February 23, 2011 /
      Utah Jazz Deron Williams drives calls out a play against the Washington Wizards during the first half at the Verizon Center in Washington on January 17, 2011. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      Holy surprise blockbuster, Batman! The Nets just acquired Deron Williams.

      Al Iannazzone of NorthJersey.com broke the story:

      The Nets have acquired All-Star point guard Deron Williams in an out-of-the-blue blockbuster. In the deal, the Nets will send Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and two No. 1 picks to the Utah Jazz. Williams is averaging 21.3 points and is third in the league in assists, dishing 9.7 per game.

      The deal has been agreed upon. It’s pending league approval and everyone passing their physicals.

      Nets fans should be dancing in the streets. The team missed out on Carmelo Anthony, but I believe that Williams is actually a better acquisition for the franchise, assuming he doesn’t bolt after the 2011-12 season.

      This is a curious move for the Jazz, who are giving up a two-time All-NBA 2nd Teamer, and a player who has been jockeying with Chris Paul for best point guard in the league honors for the last couple of seasons. He’s a franchise player, and the Nets just wrestled him away for Devin Harris, a raw prospect, and two first round draft picks. Favors is a nice acquisition, but the Jazz are already set at power forward with Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson. I guess the idea is that Harris isn’t too much of a downgrade from Williams — only he is — while Favors can develop in a supporting role behind Millsap and Jefferson, and eventually turn into a star. For this to work out for the Jazz, Favors needs to develop into an All-Star and Utah has to strike gold with at least one of those draft picks.

      Williams clearly burned some bridges this season with his role in the Jerry Sloan resignation along with the rumors that he wanted to join the Knicks in 2012. The Nets are in a good position to add another top tier free agent that summer if they stay the course financially, even with a new collective bargaining agreement. So they have a decent shot at keeping him around for the long-term, especially with their pending move to Brooklyn.

      What they don’t need are any more contracts like the one they gave Travis Outlaw last summer that averages $7 million a season. That deal really made me question the Nets’ decision-making, but this trade for Williams more than made up for it. Other than Outlaw, the Nets don’t have any contracts that extend past the 2012-13 season, so there’s an opportunity to quickly remake this roster and turn it into a winner.

      After missing out on LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in the last eight months, it sure looked like the Nets would always be the bridesmaid and never the bride, but today they are the bride, and in a big way.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Did the Knicks give up too much to get Carmelo?

      February 22, 2011 /

      ESPN’s John Hollinger answers this question with an emphatic “yes.” In his trade grades column, he gave the Knicks a D+ in this deal.

      The worst part, of course, is that this deal proves that no matter how many advantages New York gains from its magnetic appeal to potential free agents, owner James Dolan will screw them up. Leaning on the genius of Isiah Thomas — because it worked out so well for the first time — he fell hook, line and sinker for every bluff thrown his way by the Nuggets and Melo’s people. (Yes, Melo’s people participated — Anthony needed to make sure he got a lucrative contract extension under the current salary rules before being traded.)

      New York still gets its Melo-Stoudemire nucleus, but now lacks the supporting pieces to do anything important with that core. And by extending Melo now, they agree to lock him up at such an expensive price that, in concert with Stoudemire’s deal, it likely precludes making a run at Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Dwight Howard in 2012.

      The Knicks were bid up by the Nets, who never really had a chance at acquiring Carmelo in the first place. It would have been worth all of this to acquire a Top 5 player like LeBron James or Dwight Howard, but Carmelo is in the second or third tier of NBA stars and by acquiring and extending him now, they’re going to be paying a premium for his services for the next three or four years. His contract could make things especially tough if there’s a hard(er) cap.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑