Category: Fantasy Basketball (Page 227 of 274)

      Cavs pursuing Mo Williams?

      August 11, 2008 /

      This is one of those rumor-of-a-rumor stories, but the Cavs could be talking with the Bucks about point guard Mo Williams.

      A league source said the Cavs might be pursuing Bucks point guard Mo Williams. All the details aren’t known, but the Cavs, Bucks and Oklahoma City (formerly Seattle) are reportedly involved.

      If Williams is headed to the Cavs, however, would Delonte West be included in such a deal? He’s a restricted free agent who has been a regular at Cleveland Clinic Courts for much of the summer. It wouldn’t make any sense to have Williams and West on the same roster since both expects to be starters.

      Some have questioned how Redd would have fit in with superstar LeBron James. The same questions could be asked about Williams, who is a prolific scorer who is used to getting his shots.

      He’s shredded the Cavs over the years. He’s not known as being a top defender, even though he boasts quickness and speed.

      He averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 assists and shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the 3-point arc last season.

      I love these stories. The Cavs “might” be pursuing Mo Williams? That could be said about any player and any team.

      Anyway, as a Bucks fan, I’d really like to see how Mo and Michael Redd respond to new head coach Scott Skiles before jettisoning either of them. Neither is a great defender, but if Skiles can at least get them to put forth the necessary effort on that end of the court, the Bucks would quickly become a playoff contender.

      From the Cavs point of view, Mo would be a pretty nice fit. He’s a terrific scorer and a capable playmaker, and his salary isn’t bad for the production he brings.

      8/12 Update: The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Bucks Blog is reporting that a three-way deal (involving the Cavs) for Mo is indeed in the works. Reportedly, the Bucks are targeting Luke Ridnour of the newly-founded Oklahoma City franchise. I’m not sure what the Bucks are thinking here, unless they are certain that Scott Skiles and Mo Williams can’t co-exist. Ridnour has proven to be a backup in this league, and while he’s a pass-first point guard, he isn’t known at all for his defense.

      Fantasy Basketball, General Sports, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Redeem Team blows by China, 101-70

      August 10, 2008 /

      It was a rough start for Team USA in its Olympic opener as China made eight of its first 12 three-point shots. After that run of hot shooting, China was still within three (35-32) with 4:10 to play in the second quarter, but the U.S. outscored the Chinese 66-38 over the last two and a half quarters to win, 101-70.

      Dwyane Wade came off the bench to lead Team USA in scoring with 19 points, shooting 7 of 7 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line. LeBron James had an outstanding games, posting 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks, including two spectacular rejections in the first half.

      The U.S. was sloppy at times and struggled to get good inside shots against China’s 2-3 zone. Shooting is still a team weakness as the U.S. made just 7 of 24 from long range. But the Americans’ overall athleticism was just too much in the end.

      For China, Yao Ming posted 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, and looked pretty active coming off a foot injury. Yi Jianlian, who was drafted by the Bucks but was recently traded to the Nets, had a pretty rough game, missing his first seven shots and finishing 4 of 13 from the field. China is going to need him to play better to make the medal round.

      Team USA’s next game is Tuesday morning against Angola. Check your local listings.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft, The Olympics

      Hawks match Grizzlies’ offer to Josh Smith

      August 9, 2008 /

      In what looks like a very easy decision, the Atlanta Hawks elected to match the Memphis Grizzlies’ offer to Josh Smith. The deal “is believed” to be for five years and $58 million.

      I estimated Smith’s value to be $13-$14 million per season, so if the Grizzlies’ offer was indeed for that reported length and total compensation, they did the Hawks a favor by enabling them to lock Smith up for less than $12 million per season without having to go through the rigmarole of a contract negotiation.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Team USA still has trust issues

      August 7, 2008 /

      Call me unpatriotic, but at times during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, it was tough to root for the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team. Helmed by Larry Johnson (boy was that a bad choice), Team USA was young, fragmented and couldn’t shoot. For the most part, the competition in Athens played together, proving the old adage that a sum can be greater than total of its individual parts. Teams like Greece and Argentina ran fluid, smart offense and played gritty defense – stuff that would make James Naismith proud.

      Truthfully, the bronze medal finish was just what American basketball needed. It served as a wake up call that the rest of the world hadn’t just caught up to Team USA, it had passed them by.

      Enter former Suns owner and four-time NBA Executive of the Year, Jerry Colangelo, who became the national director of Team USA. He immediately decided to hire legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to helm the team. Tired of the revolving door access to Team USA, in 2005 Colangelo required a three-year commitment that would take the program through the 2008 Bejing Olympics.

      While the team has made progress defensively and (generally) playing together, offensively things are still a little rough. Team USA is at times sloppy, playing too fast and chucking up bad shots when an open jumper is two passes away. It’s difficult for NBA stars to check their egos at the door and pass up what they believe to be a good shot to eventually get a great one.

      The team looked pretty good in a recent series of warm-up games against Turkey, Russia and Lithuania. They did not, however, look very good against Australia, even though they were playing without the Milwaukee Bucks’ Andrew Bogut.

      The team added long range bomber Michael Redd (right) to shore up its shooting, but only he and Carmelo Anthony are consistent deep threats. Anyone on the team can get hot, but only the perimeter shooting of ‘Melo and Redd strikes fear in the hearts of the opposition. I’m afraid what will happen if both players have a bad game.

      ESPN has been running a series called “Road to Redemption” that follows Team USA in its preparation both on and off the court. Essentially, it’s a fluff piece with all the players talking about how great everyone is and how much fun it is to play on Team USA. The footage from the meetings reveals a serious side to all of this; there is incredible pressure on the team to return with the gold medal. Failure is not an option.

      Team USA opens up on Sunday at 10:15 AM ET against Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and the rest of the Chinese team.

      Here’s the complete schedule:

      vs. China: Aug. 10, 10:15 a.m. ET
      vs. Angola: Aug. 12, 8 a.m. ET
      vs. Greece: Aug. 14, 8 a.m. ET
      vs. Spain: Aug. 16, 10:15 a.m. ET
      vs. Germany: Aug. 18, 8 a.m. ET
      Quarterfinals: Aug. 20
      Semifinals: Aug. 22
      Finals: Aug. 24

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Television, The Olympics

      Ron Artest headed to Houston

      July 30, 2008 /

      First, he decided not to opt out.

      Then he regretted not opting out.

      Now Ron Artest is heading to Houston.

      NBA front-office sources confirmed to ESPN.com that Artest will be dealt to the Rockets in exchange for Houston’s first-round draft pick in 2009, ex-King Bobby Jackson (who arrives with a $6.1 million expiring contract) and the draft rights to Donte Greene. The Kings will also receive more than $1 million in cash, according to The Houston Chronicle, but the deal can’t be announced before Aug. 14 because Greene is not eligible to be traded before then.

      If Artest had opted out, the Kings wouldn’t have received anything for him, so his mistake was their good fortune. Now they’ll get a nice prospect in Greene along with a 2009 first round draft pick as compensation. That’s the way to rebuild.

      On the flip side, Houston seems like an odd fit for Artest. Two of their best players – Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier – are really small forwards, and now the team is adding a third. The Rockets can play McGrady at off guard, Artest at small forward and Battier at power forward. Defensively, Artest and Battier will provide a formidable 1-2 punch at forward.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft, Rumors & Gossip

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