Category: NBA (Page 484 of 595)

Pat Riley thinks that Shaquille O’Neal deserves to play in this year’s All-Star Game.

“I really think that the 12 most deserving players should get it. I do,” Riley said. “The most deserving should get it and I think the commissioner should always have the right, for somebody who has done so much for the league, for whatever reason, to add a 13th guy to come and be part of the whole thing.”

So it’s Riley’s opinion that despite Shaq’s injury-riddled 14-point, 8-rebound 2007-08 campaign, which has led to the Miami Heat posting a 9-37 record, he should be awarded a special spot in the All-Star Game because he “has done so much for the league.”

Hmmm.

For his part, Shaq doesn’t want any handouts.

“I appreciate my coach for sticking up for me, but I don’t want to be handed anything,” said O’Neal, whose run of 14 straight selections matched Jerry West and Karl Malone as the most in NBA history.

At least Shaq isn’t going crazy.

I’d really rather hear from Tim Legler, but here’s Stephen A. Smith commenting on the Gasol trade:

He’s a bit harsh on Kwame – he can defend a little, but otherwise this is a no-brainer for the Lakers. And anyone who calls Gasol soft doesn’t understand the finesse side of basketball. The guy is an athlete, not a banger.

This has yet to be confirmed by either team, but…

The Commercial Appeal has learned that the Grizzlies have traded Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Kwame Brown, rookie guard Javaris Crittenton and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010.

Wow.

At first glance, this looks like a terrific deal for the Lakers, who get an All-Star caliber post player at the expense of Kwame Brown’s expiring contract, a nice young point guard prospect in Crittenton (who is expendable because of Jordan Farmar) and a couple of (probable) late first round picks.

Gasol is dinged up with a back injury, but it must not be too serious for this trade to go through. He could be going through the physical process, which may be the reason for the delay in the announcement.

Assuming this goes through, Gasol can play center until Andrew Bynum comes back, and then he is capable of moving to power forward with Lamar Odom sliding to small forward, giving the Lakers a potent lineup that will include Farmar/Derek Fisher, Kobe, Odom, Gasol and Bynum. If that group gels, the Lakers are suddenly a serious contender in the West.

Gasol will provide the Lakers with their first true back-to-the-basket post threat since Shaq left in 2004.

Kobe isn’t going anywhere, folks.

Here they are:

EAST
Chauncey Billips (Detroit), Chris Bosh (Toronto), Caron Butler (Washington), Richard Hamilton (Detroit), Antawn Jamison (Washington), Joe Johnson (Atlanta), Paul Pierce (Boston)

WEST
Carlos Boozer (Utah), Steve Nash (Phoenix), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas), Chris Paul (New Orleans), Brandon Roy (Portland), Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix), David West (New Orleans)

As a reminder, Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard are the starters for the East, while Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan and Yao Ming are the starters for the West. (It’s funny, because the email I received from NBA.com regarding the reserves has T-Mac in the group of images at the bottom, which are supposed to represent the starters. It’s good to see that the coaches didn’t select him when there were far better first half performances in the West.)

So, compared to my picks from two weeks ago, in the East, Rip Hamilton and Joe Johnson replaced my picks of Ray Allen and Josh Smith. With Boston’s recent slip, I can see why the coaches took Rip over Ray Ray, though I think Hedo Turkoglu would have made a better choice. I still think Josh Smith is the best player in Atlanta, though Joe Johnson has a bigger name at the moment.

In the West, Brandon Roy and David West replaced my picks of Baron Davis and Shawn Marion. Man, knowing how much importance he places on getting props, I bet the Matrix is pissed. He’s been a good citizen all year and is playing great ball, but he doesn’t make the All-Star team (and Amare Stoudemire does). I have no problem with the David West pick. New Orleans is on fire and West is a terrific complement to Chris Paul. I think it came down to the fact that the coaches couldn’t justify three Suns and only one Hornet, so they went with West, who probably deserves the honor given the Hornets’ recent play.

Roy is a great young guard, but Portland’s success is a team effort in every sense of the word, so it’s tough to take him over Davis who has better numbers and has led the Warriors to a better record.

Don’t look now, but the New Orleans Hornets are in first place in the Western Conference.

The Hornets are getting great play from David West and Tyson Chandler, and Chris Paul deserves to be in the MVP conversation.

The West is really bunched up, with 10 teams within eight games of first place. If the season ended today, Denver and Houston wouldn’t make the playoffs. The battle for the last few spots in the West is going to be brutal.