Category: NBA (Page 178 of 595)

      The Onion: Fluid Just Happy To Have Had Opportunity To Build Up In Kobe Bryant’s Knee

      May 21, 2010 /

      Hilarious…

      LOS ANGELES—Calling the experience “a true honor” and “the opportunity of a lifetime,” the infected synovial fluid recently drained from Kobe Bryant’s right knee told reporters Monday that there is no other basketball player it would rather have accumulated in.

      Describing itself as humbled and privileged to have affected the NBA All-Star’s mobility for even so short a time, the contaminated collection of mucin and albumin said it would always cherish every moment it spent collecting in Bryant’s appendage, from the initial stages of infection to its last moments of arthrocentesis.

      “Kobe Bryant’s is the knee all joint fluids dream of building up in,” the semi-viscous mix of blood and uric acid said during a press conference at the Lakers’ training facility. “There were times, especially during the first two rounds of the playoffs, when I had to pinch myself and say, ‘Holy crap! You’re inflaming Kobe Bryant’s right knee! Kobe Bryant. Not some role-playing knee like Andrew Bynum’s knee, or Kendrick Perkins’ knee, but Kobe freaking Bryant’s.'”

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, Humor, NBA

      Chris Bosh’s wish list is revealing…

      May 21, 2010 /

      …and not in the way you might think.

      Per ESPN…

      Chris Bosh’s agent has told the Toronto Raptors that he’s narrowed his list of preferred teams to five, two sources told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford at the NBA draft camp.

      The list of five teams — Toronto plus the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks, sources said — were given to Toronto management in case the Raptors want to construct a sign-and-trade deal (assuming he doesn’t re-sign with Toronto).

      Bosh likes that option, sources told Ford, because he’d get one more year on his contract and could make more money.

      I’m not sure why Bosh would give Toronto a list of sign-and-trade destinations that included the Raptors, but hey, sources are sources.

      There are no real surprises there. The Bulls, Heat, Knicks and Lakers have long been rumored as possible landing spots for Bosh. But the absence of a few other teams — namely, the Nets, Rockets and Thunder — is a bit surprising.

      In terms of potential sign-and-trade chips, each team on his list has at least one player the Raptors might want. Chicago has Luol Deng, though he’s a bit overpaid. The Knicks have David Lee, who would be a nice consolation prize if Bosh decides not to re-sign with Toronto. The Heat have Michael Beasley, but his stock continues to fall. And the Lakers have Andrew Bynum, but with his knee injuries, he’s not as enticing of a prospect as he was at the start of the season.

      But here’s what gets me about this story, if it’s accurate — Bosh may want that extra year on his deal, but it’s going to be tough for a team that already has the cap space to sign him to have to take a big hit in young talent and draft picks as well. In fact, this strategy reveals that Bosh is more concerned with the size of his own paycheck than he is with the strength and potential of his new team. I realize it’s a lot of money, but when a player says over and over that it’s “all about winning” and then turns around and forces his new team to give up a couple of prospects and/or draft picks so that he can pocket an extra $30 million (and an extra year on the deal), then clearly he’s being disingenuous.

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

      John Hollinger’s Draft Rater is back

      May 21, 2010 /

      Last year, John Hollinger’s Draft Rater really liked Ty Lawson and Tyreke Evans, and that turned out well. The year before, it liked Michael Beasley over Derrick Rose, who wasn’t even listed as the top point guard in the draft. It also liked Kevin Love (score) and thought Anthony Randolph was way overrated (fail).

      In the past, Hollinger’s system has been pretty accurate, all things considered.

      The Draft Rater has yet to miss a lottery pick who became an All-Star in its top 12 collegians list — although that string may end in another year or two thanks to a miserable 2008 performance (Russell Westbrook and Brook Lopez both were overlooked that year). And if it’s blown a couple of picks, look at the actual draft and you’ll find even more mistakes by the pro teams themselves.

      On the other hand, the Draft Rater has picked out five All-Stars that the pros missed among the first 12 collegians — Carlos Boozer, Rajon Rondo, Danny Granger, Josh Howard, and David West. No misses, five additions. I like that ratio.

      It’s a good read, but to sum up, the Rater thinks DeMarcus Cousins is the top player in the draft, with Evan Turner and John Wall reasonably close behind. Questions about Cousins’ coachability will likely hinder his draft stock, but I think he’s going to be a great player. You don’t rebound like he does and not love the game. He just needs to get into a good, stable situation with a solid coach and grow up a little bit.

      It’s going to be interesting to watch how he progresses through the draft process. Do we hear stories about how he’s texting his friends during interviews with NBA teams? Does he dog it in certain workouts? If he acts like a pro over the next month, it could mean he’s picked #2 or #3 instead of #5 or #6.

      The Rater also predicts some duds; Cole Aldrich, Patrick Patterson, Ekpe Udoh, Ed Davis and Hassan Whiteside are the big names on that list.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft

      Sixers hire Doug Collins

      May 21, 2010 /

      After years — literally years — of flirting with a return to the NBA, Doug Collins is reportedly set to become the 76ers next head coach. Per Philly.com…

      The 76ers have agreed to terms with Doug Collins, ending their search for a new head coach, an NBA source said Thursday night.

      An announcement is expected Friday. Collins could be formally introduced by the team as early as Monday.

      Another source confirmed that the two parties had agreed to a four-year deal, although the contract’s exact value was not known.

      Collins sure gets a lot of attention every offseason given his coaching record:

      Collins, currently working as an analyst with TNT, previously coached the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98), and Washington Wizards (2001-03). His career coaching record is 332-287.

      He has had winning seasons in four of eight seasons, and coached two teams to 50+ wins. He has never coached in the NBA Finals.

      His teams did show improvement in Chicago and Detroit. He has stayed relevant by becoming one of TNT’s top color commentators.

      Stephen A. Smith thinks that the signing is a coup for the franchise:

      Continue reading »

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

      Mark Cuban toes the tampering line

      May 21, 2010 /

      Did Mark Cuban’s big mouth get him in hot water again?

      Cuban, meanwhile, went public with his quest to acquire James in an interview this week posted on CNNMoney.com, in which he expressed his interest in James as a free agent and said that the NBA star needs to play in a place where he trusts the organization.

      “Come July 1st, yeah, of course, anybody would be interested in LeBron James, and if he leaves via free agency, then it’s going to be tough,” Cuban said. “If he does like I’m guessing, hoping he will, which is say, ‘I’m not going to leave the Cavs high and dry,’ if he decides to leave — there’s still a better chance he stays — then he’ll try to force a sign-and-trade, and that gives us a chance.”

      That’s fine, right? Everyone wants to sign LeBron, so what’s wrong with talking about it now that his season is over?

      Not so fast.

      Cuban’s comments could fall under the NBA’s tampering rules, although he dismissed that notion Thursday. In 2008, the league sent a memo to the 30 NBA teams detailing specific guidelines when discussing potential free agents with the media.

      The memo read: “If a member of your organization is asked by the media about a potential free agent prior to the July 1 following the last season covered by the player’s contract, or about any other person under contract with another NBA team, the only proper response is to decline comment.”

      Penalties outlined in the memo could include suspension, prohibition of the offending team from hiring the person being tampered with, forfeiture of draft picks and individual and/or team fines of up to $5 million.

      He certainly didn’t decline comment, so Cuban could be fined over this. Rockets GM Daryl Morey was recently fined $100 K for discussing the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement with Bill Simmons.

      It has to be tough to hear all the speculation surrounding LeBron’s future and refuse to comment when asked about it. But maybe Cuban should avoid interviews if he can’t follow the NBA’s rules.

      Or maybe the NBA’s rules should be a little more lenient. They’re trying to avoid certain teams getting a leg up on the courtship of LeBron James, but that’s no doubt already begun through back channels.

      Does anyone really believe that LeBron isn’t going to start thinking about this decision until July 1? If so, I’ve got a bridge to sell.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

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

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