January 31, 2011
ALDRIDGE’S ONE-MAN MEDIA BLACKOUT
There is a very strong clamor for Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge to play in the All-Star game this February. But Aldridge is not paying any attention to it due to his strong belief that he will not make it to this year’s annual spectacle. The 6-11 former University of Texas at Austin star is having a career season with career-high averages of 21.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg in 47 games so far with the Blazers. Aldridge says he has already bought a homebound ticket, where he plans to spend the all-star respite, according to the Oregonian.
“Yeah, because I don’t think I’m going to make it, so I can tune it out. We’ll see what happens, but I bought my ticket home, like three weeks ago. Is it a refundable ticket? I don’t know. We’ll deal with that when it happens. But I already bought my ticket to go home.”
O.J. MAYO AND HIS ENERGY DRINK
Yes, we have heard it several times, the usual alibi of accidentally buying prohibited drugs over the counter. I think the alibi is being abused or overused by pro athletes who got caught and tested positive of the banned substance. Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo was suspended by the NBA for ten games without pay for testing positive of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). In the aftermath, Mayo says he bought an energy drink in a gas station, in which he did not know that it contains the bad substance, according to ESPN. But would you believe him? Well as they say, a person remains innocent until he is proven guilty. Besides, Mayo has a clean record when it comes to drug-related issues. So the debate continues.
“I didn't know it had any bad substances in it, and it caused a 10-game suspension. It's not like I went to a GNC and got some Muscle Armor or ordered some supplement off the Internet or anything. It was just a local gas station that kind of got me hemmed up.”
IS CARMELO TRYING TO REVIVE TRADE TALKS WITH THE NETS?
After playing hard to get in the past which finally drew the ire of New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, Denver Nuggets disgruntled star Carmelo Anthony sounds like he wants to re-open negotiation talks once again with the Russian billionaire. It can be recalled that Prokhorov called off the deal with Anthony a few weeks back because of the time wasted and negative effects it has on several people including his own players. Anthony is hoping that he can still sit down with the Nets people, according to the New York Daily News.
“I really don’t know what is their mindset. I really don’t know if they can come back, if they’re willing to come back and say, “Let’s have a meeting,” or they’re still interested. Everything has died down. So I really haven’t had a chance to figure out what’s going on.”
THE GREEN MEAN MACHINE
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The Los Angeles Lakers lost an embarrassing 100-95 decision to the lowly Sacramento Kings last Friday night (Saturday morning, Manila Time) at home. It is not the kind of prelude they wanted as they go up next against perennial arch-rivals, the Boston Celtics. But the Lakers vow they are up to the challenge until they ran over into an immovable force called, “The Green Mean Machine” head on Sunday night (Monday morning, Manila Time). The Celtics prove to the world that the game seven defeat against the Lakers in the NBA finals last June was a fluke, as the Beantown boys took a resounding 109-96 road blowout. Not even the court side presence of entertainment and sports celebrities, such as Matt Damon, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Sandler, Brooklyn Decker, Nick Swardson, Red Sox pitcher John Lackey, Zac Efron, former Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest and director Robert Rodriguez, can help the Lakers cause. Boston now guns for a sweep of their regular season series against the Tinseltown outfit when they meet again on February 10 in their home turf, the TD Garden. Celtics captain Paul Pierce says it was an emotional win and it feels good to win at Staples Center again, according to Yahoo! Sports.
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“It’s another game, but it was definitely an emotional game, especially because we lost Game 7 here. It feels good to come back in this building and get a win.
"If we had home court last year, who knows maybe what happens in Game 7? We’re not looking ahead, but maybe if it comes down to another Game 7, maybe we’ll have it at home.”
SOFT AS HELL
The Washington Wizards are in a strong position to establish an NBA all-time record. Make that a dubious historical achievement. The Wizards has remained winless in their 23 road outings so far and could become the first and only NBA team ever to lose all of its 41 road games in a season. They are now closing in to the league’s all-time longest road losing streak to start a season, which was set by the 1992-93 Denver Nuggets squad at 29 games. Frustrations can now be felt everywhere in the Wizards camp and forward Al Thornton believes that the team’s road problems can be attributed to the softness in their game, according to the Washington Post.
“We're soft, man. Soft, that pretty much describes the way we played. Pretty soft. Soft as hell.”
THE HARSH REALITY OF NBA LIFE
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“He’s been an important part of us getting back on track the last four or five games. The decision comes down from the top, and it’s basically having [roster] flexibility going forward.”
INGLORIOUS EXIT FOR COACH JIM O'BRIEN
After watching the Indiana Pacers went down in another humiliating defeat to the Chicago Bulls on the road yesterday, 110-89, I still did not have any inkling that it would be the final game of Jim O’Brien as head coach of the Pacers. And what a way to go for the 58 year-old Philadelphia native after being ejected in the final half of his last Pacers game. It later became a double black-eye as Pacers President Larry Bird announced the firing of the nine-year NBA mentor. The Pacers were 17-27 at the time of O’Brien’s exit. O’Brien has an over-all NBA coaching record of 303-327 win-loss mark (.481) with the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and the Pacers. Assistant coach Frank Vogel will coach the Pacers on an interim basis. Bird says it’s time to move on for his team as they try to get back on track and take a possible shot at the playoffs, according to the Indy Star.
“We let Jimmy go today. I want to thank him for his three and a half years of service. He's going to be missed but we move on. Our players understand we're trying to do all we can to get back on the right track.”
Video: LATE BREAKER - INDIANA PACERS FIRE COACH JIM O'BRIEN
Video: CHRIS BOSH AND THE IMPACT OF HIS INJURY
January 30, 2011
January 28, 2011
EURO WONDER BOY SET TO JOIN T-WOLVES NEXT SEASON
A buyout is now in the making between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Regal Barcelona which could pave way for Spanish guard Ricky Rubio’s much awaited debut in the NBA next season. Rubio was the T-Wolves fifth pick over-all in the 2009 NBA draft. The 20 year-old Euro wonder boy has won countless awards in the tough International and Euro circuits such as FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship MVP, 2006 Spanish League Rising Star Award, three-time FIBA European Young Player of the Year (2007, 2008, 2009), two-time Spanish League Best Point Guard (2008, 2010), Mr. Europa European Player of the Year (2008), Spanish League Defensive Player of the Year (2009), Catalan Tournament MVP (2009) and Euroleague Rising Star (2010). T-Wolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn says he is certain that Rubio will be with the team next season, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
“Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn called a New York Times report this week on Ricky Rubio "much ado about nothing" and "not worthy of a response."
“The report quoted an unnamed source close to Rubio asking why the Spanish guard would ever play in Minnesota and stating the Wolves draft pick wants to play for Boston, New York or Miami when he decides to come to the NBA.
“Kahn said he remains "absolutely" certain Rubio will join the Wolves next season after a buyout with his Regal Barcelona team becomes affordable.”
A BLATANT DISRESPECT
Nine games and counting. Yes, nine DNP-CD for Rip Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons. What did the poor guy did to deserve such treatment from a franchise he has helped win its last NBA title in 2004? In fact, he has performed well in the 34 games that he played for the team this campaign with averages of 13.2 ppg, 2.6 apg and 2.2 rpg. If the Pistons don't want him anymore then trade him immediately. But please, put now an end to such kind of agony. Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets, whose backcourt partnership with Hamilton during the Pistons championship run is almost legendary, thinks it is a blatant disrespect by the Pistons on a player who has showed tremendous team loyalty, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“He's dealing with blatant disrespect, and I don't think that guys like Rip, (Tayshaun Prince) and (Ben Wallace) should be treated like that, especially for this team where they did so much. He's Pistons royalty. He's one of the greats, and his jersey is going up in those rafters, so he doesn't deserve to be disrespected like this.”
THE ROCKETS MUST PLAY WITH THE SAME GRIT
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Houston Rockets head coach Rick Adelman knows his team very well and he knows too what is needed to make it to the next level. The Rockets are currently four games behind the .500 mark and remain at the cellar of the Southwest Division with a 22-26 win-loss card. Consistency seems to be the biggest problem for the Rockets this season as Adelman says they are not playing with the same grit as last season, when the Rockets, despite the injuries, finished the season with a winning record (42-20), according to The Houston Chronicle.
“To be honest with you, we're not playing every day, every game, with the same grit that we played with last year. That's the difference. Last year we didn't have a great big margin for error either, but we played every night, took it to teams every night. This year I don't believe we're doing that.”
THE KNICKS ARE THE MOST VALUABLE TEAM THIS SEASON
Nope, it’s not LeBron James entry into the Miami Heat but Amar’e Stoudemire’s joining the New York Knicks last summer which top the chart. The Knicks has toppled the Los Angeles Lakers to become the NBA’s most valuable team this season. Stoudemire was a goldmine for the Apple City franchise as it led to a 12% mark up from last season thus making the Knicks current worth at $ 655 million, according to Forbes.
“The New York Knicks replace the Los Angeles Lakers as the NBA’s most valuable team, worth $655 million, up 12% from last year. Signing Amar’e Stoudemire has been a big help both on the court and with sponsors. The Knicks sold out their full-season ticket inventory for the first time since the 2001-02 season. The Knicks’ parent company, Madison Square Garden, Inc., signed a sponsorship deal with JPMorgan Chase in September that’s worth at least $30 million a year over 10 years.”
O.J. MAYO IS IN A FREE FALL
As the career of 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls continues to soar, the same can not be said to his co-celebrated batchmate, O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies. This is fast becoming a nightmare of a season for the once highly touted guard Mayo. If his demotion from a starter to an off-the-bench player is not enough, the former University of Southern California star was suspended without pay by the NBA for 10 games for violating the league and union's anti-drug program. Mayo was tested positive of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). He is currently submitting career low norm of 12.2 points per game in 45 outings so far with the Grizzlies. Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley says he hopes this experience will help Mayo mature both as a player and a person, according to NBA.com.
“O.J. had a lack of judgment but has shown complete accountability. We will continue to support O.J. during this time as we have from the moment he joined the team in 2008. He has unselfishly done everything we have asked of him, and we expect him to grow as a player and a person from this experience.”
WHERE TO TROY MURPHY?
The honeymoon is now over and disgruntled big man Troy Murphy and the New Jersey Nets are headed for a divorce. Murphy, who came to the Nets as part of a four-team trade last August, has fallen out of Avery Johnson’s rotation. The 6-11 former Notre Dame star has seen action in only 18 games for the Nets this season and averaged career-lows of 3.6 ppg and 4.2 rpg in limited minutes. Murphy is now reportedly being shopped around by the Nets. Murphy obviously wants a team that could use him extensively so he could regain his confidence and his old form back. There are two teams which I believe represents as an ideal place for Murphy:
BOSTON CELTICS – With Jermaine O’Neal in and out of the line-up, Murphy could be an ideal backup at the number four spot for Kevin Garnett. He can also see some action at the slot as reliever to Kendrick Perkins and especially if Shaquille O’Neal is out of commission. Murphy’s strong inside presence will definitely boost the interior game of Doc Rivers’ charges.
ORLANDO MAGIC- Not a few says the Magic are just one big man away from getting back into the NBA finals. With Marcin Gortat gone for good, Murphy could be the perfect sub for franchise player Dwight Howard. He and Howard can even play together at the same time thus creating a powerful inside combo for the Magic, in which it could also help clear out spaces for their outside gunners like J.J. Redick, Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas.
Nets General Manager Billy King admits that there are no more minutes for Murphy in their rotation, acccording to ESPN.
“Right now, there’s no minutes to play.”
THE PHILIPPINE PATRIOTS: "DON’T EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HEART OF A CHAMPION!"
To borrow Rudy Tomjanovich’s legendary phrase, “Don’t Ever Underestimate The Heart Of A Champion!” is just appropriate for the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) defending champions, the Air Asia Philippine Patriots. The Patriots, which struggled to a 9-6 win-loss mark in the eliminations, completed a sweep of the third-seeded Westports Kuala Lumpur Dragons as they blasted the host squad, 95-92 in a pulsating game two of their best-of-three semi-final series. The Mikee Romero-owned Patriots now awaits the winner in the other semis match-up between top-seed Chang Thailand Slammers and the Singapore Slingers. The Patriots survived the physical game of the Dragons despite the three fouls of import Gabe Freeman in the first half. Guard Benedict Fernandez buried a crucial howitzer in the last 16 seconds that sealed the game for the visitors. Patriots head coach Louie Alas was elated with the win but he also take note of some defensive lapses of his charges, which kept the Dragons in the game.
“That was the biggest shot of the night (Fernandez 3-point shot). We had some lapses defensively but Benedict bailed us out of trouble.”
January 27, 2011
THE NEW DOUBLE-BARRELED SHOTGUN OF THE MAVERICKS
Dallas Mavericks franchise player Dirk Nowitzki has every reason to be optimistic of their chances of figuring out prominently in the NBA playoffs this season. The German Bomber is extremely elated with the entry of Croatian hotshot Peja Stojakovic to the Mavericks fold. These two Europeans had made their marks in the NBA with their outstanding outside shooting. The duo has an amazing combined total of 2,885 3-points shots made in their NBA careers. After their first shoot-around practice together with the Mavericks, Nowitzki says he is convinced that Stojakovic still has that deadly shot which has beaten him several times during the said workout, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“I just shot with him, and he beat me every single time. We all know what he did in this league. He’s one of the best shooters in this league. And his stroke is still there.”
LOVE IS SWEETER THE 2ND TIME AROUND FOR HEDO TURKOGLU
After disastrous stints with the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns, Hedo Turkoglu is enjoying his NBA life once again as he found himself back with the team which made him a star, the Orlando Magic. Together with Dwight Howard, Turkoglu led the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009. Since being traded by the Suns last December 18, Turkoglu is averaging 11.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 5.8 apg as a starter in 19 outings so far with the Magic. The 6-10 sweet-shooting Turkish forward says how he wish he did not made the decision to leave the Magic in the summer of 2009, according to NBA.com.
“I never thought that I would be back, especially not this soon. I wish I had never left. I wanted and expected in those places to be the guy that could do the things that I'm comfortable doing. I wanted to be making plays, a facilitator, someone who is good with the ball and creates open shots for his teammates. Instead I was used in a different way in both of those situations. I don't have an answer for that. They tried to use me as a guy off the ball, a spot-up shooter.
“I respect those teams and maybe what their plans were. I went out there and tried to do my best in those situations. But it wasn't me. It wasn't who I can be. But what I hate the most is having people think I didn't try hard or do much for 1 ½ years and wasted that time.”
A WARRIOR ALL THE WAY
“There is no need for all that. To me it’s a headache. I wasn’t going to cause no type of problems when I’m trying to fix this problem over here and then have to come around and deal with this over here. We have loyal fans every night. They come by to support me. This is my second home. They gave me my opportunity. I’m just going to wait it out and see what happens. I have three years left after this (season). We will play it out. We’ll turn it around. We’re so close. I don’t need a trade or demand a trade because we are right there.”
Video: BEYOND THE BOX SCORE - GS WARRIORS
January 26, 2011
WHY THE JAZZ ARE STRUGGLING?
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The Utah Jazz are one of two teams (the others were the San Antonio Spurs) which I love to watch because of their fundamentally sound type of game. The offensive and defensive patterns of Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan are sights to behold for many years now due to its continuity and fluidity. Until an unusual occurrence this season saw the Jazz dropped five straight games and surrendered the Northwest Division leadership to the surging Oklahoma City Thunder. For sure, there is something wrong with the seemingly flawless system of Sloan. Jazz star guard Deron Williams says it is frustrating to see the team struggle with its offensive game lately, according to the Deseret News.
“It's just been different. Everybody knew the offense (last season) to start. Everybody understood the spacing and the timing of every play. We haven't really worked on it this year a lot. It's definitely been frustrating, I think, for everybody. We just can't figure out how to get it going, how to start games out better.
“We just haven't had a game, where everything seems right, the whole offense is flowing and guys are just coming off when they're supposed to be, screening when they're supposed to be. We just don't have that.”
HUMPHRIES SHINES IN NEW JERSEY
One of the few bright spots in the New Jersey Nets this season is the improved game of power forward Kris Humphries. The 6-9 former University of Minnesota stalwart is currently having a career season with the Nets. Humphries is submitting career-high norms of 8.8 ppg and 9.4 rpg in 45 outings so far with the Nets. He has also started at the number four position in 27 games. Obviously, his game has flourished under Nets head coach Avery Johnson. With Humphries set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, Johnson says he wants the Minnesota native to stay with the Nets and be a big part of the team’s future, according to ESPN.
“We want Humphries back. With what the Nets are all about and where we're going, Humphries is our kind of player. We've told him that. I've told him 'We'd love to have you a part of our program as we move forward.”
NO END IN SIGHT FOR SCOTT’S WOES
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Things are getting real ugly in the Forest City. The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered their 18th straight defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics, 112-95. Included in the woeful streak was a 55-point blowout by the Los Angeles Lakers a couple of weeks ago. Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott is now sitting on pins and needles and unless he is able to do something quick to arrest the skid, the inevitable will happen. Celtics coach Doc Rivers says he knows how tough the situation is for Scott right now and how hard it is to convince one self of winning everytime the team enters the court, according to the Boston Herald.
“What’s tough for a coach is every game you have to convince yourself you’re going to win that game. Then emotionally when you lose, it’s difficult. You get down, but I don’t know if you’re discouraged. Maybe that’s why we’re nuts. You just do your job. You really work at it, you watch a ton of film. It’s horrible.”
HASSAN ADAMS BRINGS HIGH-WIRE ACT TO MANILA
Even with the ongoing All-Philippine Cup finals, Filipino cage fans can’t help but talk about the imports that will see action in the PBA 2nd Conference (Commissioner’s Cup) set to start on February 18. One by one, they started to hit town such as Titus Ivory of the Powerade Tigers, Paul Harris of the Talk N Text Phone Pals, Eddie Basden of the Alaska Aces, Anthony Danridge of the Meralco Bolts and Hassan Adams of the Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters. So far, only Basden and the high-flying Adams can boast of being NBA veterans. The 6-4 Adams, who is a former star of the University of Arizona Wildcats, was the 54th pick over-all in the 2006 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets. He played two seasons (2006-07 and 2008-09) with the Nets and the Toronto Raptors and submitted averages of 2.5 ppg and 1.2 rpg in 73 total games. He had a stellar college career with the Wildcats and averaged 17.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg in 31 games during his senior year. Adams, 26, is also a veteran of the Italian League where he suited up for Ignis Novara in 2007 and Siviglia Wear Teramo in 2008, respectively. The scouting report on Adams says he is a pure physical specimen, who has an outstanding leaping ability with good lateral quickness, according to Draft Express.
“Adams is a pure physical specimen. He has tremendous athleticism, highlighted by his outstanding leaping ability, to go along with a very strong frame, which he knows how to use. He also possesses excellent length. He has a very explosive first step and has that same explosiveness on his leap. He runs the floor very well, is pretty coordinated, and plays with a good level of fluidity.
“Slashing is definitely Adams’ best weapon, where he makes great use of his strength and quickness to create high-percentage shots in the lane. He is very creative with the ball and is certainly not afraid of contact. When Adams wants to, he can usually get to the hole with one or two short, but powerful dribbles. He uses his explosive first step to blow past his man, then with his combination of strength, creativity, and leaping ability, finishes very well at the rim. His strength allows him to maintain good balance even after contact, helping to ensure a high-percentage shot attempt. He utilizes a hop-step move especially well to make use of his explosiveness once in the lane.
“Adams also has a pretty decent mid-range game when spotting up with his feet set. He hits these mid-range shots with a pretty good frequency, which in turn helps open up his slashing opportunities. He also moves pretty well without the ball, putting himself in good position for either a mid-range shot or a drive to the basket once he gets the ball.
“Adams is at his best in the open floor, where he can really make use of his athleticism for some tenacious finishes. He frequently gets out in transition to put himself in position for easy baskets.
“Defensively, Adams has all the tools a swingman could ever need. He has good lateral quickness, length, reflexes, and strength. He can lockdown an opponent when he really wants to. He plays very aggressively on defense, especially when picking at the ball using his great hands. He gets a lot of steals this way, as well as by anticipating and reacting in the passing lanes.
“Adams is also a very good rebounder for his position. He makes it a priority to attack the boards on both ends of the court, especially offensively. His strength and athleticism benefit him here greatly.”
January 25, 2011
ALASKA ACES SIGN EX-BULL EDDIE BASDEN
An ex-Chicago Bulls swingman is all set to take the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) by storm come this 2nd Conference which starts next month. Popular PhilStar Columnist and PBA TV Analyst Quinito Henson texted me this morning that Eddie Basden, who saw action for the Bulls during the 2005-06 season, was signed up by Alaska Milk Aces as its reinforcement in the next conference, which has an import height limit of 6-4. Henson also confirmed the arrival of imports Paul Harris of Talk N Text and Hassan Adams of Rain Or Shine, respectively. The former University of North Carolina at Charlotte standout averaged 2.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg and shot .800 from the FT line in 19 games for the Bulls. Basden also saw action for two seasons in the NBA D-League with career averages of 12.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.1 apg in 52 games with the Tulsa 66ers and Austin Toros. He is also a Euro League veteran having suited up for Fenerbahce, Cholet Basket, Telekom Bonn and Antalya Buyuksehir from 2006 to 2009. Basden was described as an outstanding defensive player and has excellent rebounding, strength and terrific hands, according to Draft Express.
“Best attribute as far as the NBA is concerned is his outstanding disruptive defense, both man to man and team. Capable of locking down anyone from the 1-3 positions. An instinctive defender, sees things before they happen and always seems be in the right place at the right time. Terrific anticipation skills, gets in the passing lanes, comes up with a lot of steals, but without risking his defensive positioning excessively. Speed is not an issue as his lateral movement is fantastic. Has excellent strength and terrific hands. An excellent rebounder, despite his size.
“Offensively, he's not a scorer, but he won't hurt you in the team concept. Has good ball-handling skills and is capable of bringing the ball up the floor. Will score some baskets if you give him an open look, by getting in the passing lanes and coming up with steals, or simply by being in the right place at the right time. Good unselfish passer, who understands the game and how to fit in within it. Averages almost 4 assists per game, which is excellent for a swingman who doesn't always have the ball in his hands.”
January 22, 2011
B-BALL MAGAZINES EXTRAVAGANZA
Today is a special day for me as my wife finally got back
home after a two-week official trip in Fuyong
SLAM’s Khalid Salaam wrote
about the current issue:
“Based upon the players there I had my assumptions, but
after going to a Celtics game and seeing it up close I know it for a fact now:
The Celtics are the most entertaining team in the League. I’m not talking about
on and off the court. The locker room (which, btw, is physically small compared
to others I’ve been in) is basically a comedy show. Dudes clowning each other
on music or clothes choices, media members laughing as much as interviewing
(Glen Davis is remarkably funny—he is very candid to say the least.) and just
an overall lack of formality makes it an interesting place. Included in this are
the Celtic team employees.
“For instance, there’s a bathroom to the left of the media
dining room with a broken door (it could be fixed now but it was broke in
December). So I’m in there washing my hands before dinner (I’m civilized like
that) and I reach for the door and it doesn’t turn. So I’m like, OK, it must be
still locked. It wasn’t. Well maybe I didn’t turn it hard enough, so I tried
again. Nothing. So I pull on it. Nothing. I turn and pull with extra strength.
Nothing. There’s a bunch of people outside the door and I’m trying to maintain
a sense of dignity and not just wild out so I stop and wait for about 3 or 4
seconds. Now I’m pulling the door with all my might, I mean straight trying to
pull this joint off its hinges hard. I’m cursing too. And I’m loud at that.
Remember I finished washing my hands a good 2-3 minutes ago and I’m stuck
inside a bathroom at the TD BankNorth Garden. Then I hear a voice from outside
the door. “Turn the door knob all the way to the right and then let me push.”
“So I do it. Nothing. Then the guy says, “Did you turn I all
the way?”
“I’m like “YEAH! What’s up with this door?”
“He tells me to try again. This time it opens and he
explains that “it happens sometimes” and that “it’s a good thing it wasn’t
later at night when there’s less people around.”
“How can this happen? I responded by saying “this is a
multi-million dollar arena, this is madness!” and then he said “NO! THIS ..IS
..BOSTON
“So I get up to get another glass of Sprite when Kendrick
Perkins rolls in real regular like. He was in line making jokes about the food,
which wasn’t readily available since the Garden has changed vendors. For some
reason that I didn’t totally understand the new food vendor didn’t have any
food ready for pre-game dining so everyone was restless. Perkins was pretty
funny and apparently always comes in and makes jokes. I’ve been to a lot of
games and a lot of media dining rooms. I’ve never, ever seen players come in
there before. A cart of candy bars and corn chips comes out and all the NESN,
WEEI, and ESPN people go hard for it. I join them and take two Kit-Kats to my
arena seat.
“I say this all to reiterate what an interesting team this
is. KG, Shaq, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Nate Robinson all give good quotes. So
does Coach Rivers
“We talked about his prep days—“In HS I pretty much
dominated bball in Kentucky
“His time at the university
of Kentucky —“My proudest moments at Kentucky
“And what it’s like to be a leader of a team with this much
personality—“I don’t think you have to have great camaraderie to win a
championship but it helps a lot to get along. You don’t have to do these things
but we go out to eat together, we go to the mall together, just little things
we do off the court. Every different city we go places together. We play cards
together, we don’t gamble though (again we both but out laughing after his
gambling clarification. He says everything with sort of a deadpan delivery, so
for a microsecond you’re not sure he’s joking but then he laughs so it’s
obvious. I get the sense that Rondo is aware of his quiet rep and though it
doesn’t bother him, he wants people to know that he can be funny when he wants
to be), we just do fun things on the plane. We all understand each other and we
come from similar backgrounds. Its like being with your brothers.”
“I purposely didn’t ask about his injury situation, which
was newsworthy then and moreso a couple of games later. I just didn’t care
really. Nor did I ask him about the Heat (which one reporter did to Robinson
post-game, which created yet another funny moment) nor about the age of his
teammates. All of these have been asked a thousand times. I no more want to ask
then they want to answer. While writing this story I watched a lot of Celtics
games (and listened to the new Cee-Lo joint and the instrumental of “Devil In A
New Dress”) and was initially surprised they didn’t struggle more but good
teams often can withstand not having a key player for a few games. A prolonged
absence though, diminishes this team greatly. I saw last night that he had 16
assists and that’s certainly a good sign. This Celtics team is a team that’s
hard to dislike. They energy and skill in which they play on both sides of the
court makes them fun to watch. I have no predictions about the playoffs in
early January but I will say that with the Magic reloaded and Lebron and Wade
vying for the 1st ever Co-MVP Award, the Eastern Conference should be fun to
watch in the next few months.
“One thing on a different topic for all my fellow Eagles
fans (GREEN AND SILVER!, GREEN AND SILVER!), who have been through a crazy
year. I predicted a 6-10, 7-9 type of year. So 10-6 is awesome and I think
we’ll beat Green Bay
“However, after GB, we would play Atlanta
“Green and Silver…..Green and Silver….”
January 21, 2011
IT AIN’T OVER YET FOR LARRY BROWN
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| (AP Photo). |
One thing for sure, you have not seen the last of legendary mentor Larry Brown. The 70 year-old Brown stepped down as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats last December after a poor 9-19 win-loss start. Brown, who has been a coach in the NBA and the ABA for the last 30 years, has a career coaching record of 1,327-1,011 win-loss slate (.568). He is a three-time winner of the ABA Coach of the Year award and also was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2000-01 season. He led the Detroit Pistons to the 2004 NBA championship, which is the only time he won an NBA title. Brown says he is feeling bored without basketball and he also did not like the way things ended in his Bobcats tenure, according to ESPN.
“I would like to coach again. I don't want to end the way this one ended. Right now, the most important thing is I'm getting time with my family.”
A CLIPPER FOREVER
The Los Angeles Clippers are well known in the NBA circles as a poorly run franchise which have let go of many quality players who went on to become stars with other teams. Some notables were Danny Manning, Lamar Odom, Elton Brand and Sam Cassell. Others refer to the Donald Sterling-owned Clippers as the "other team" or the "other guys" in Tinseltown. But all those tags were removed when Blake Griffin came on board as the number one pick over-all in the 2009 NBA draft. Griffin, with help coming from veterans Baron Davis and Chris Kaman plus other young turks like Eric Gordon, Randy Foye and DeAndre Jordan, has quickly transformed the Clippers under youthful head coach Vinny Del Negro to an exciting and up-and-coming squad. Clippers General Manager Neil Olshey says they won’t commit the same mistakes in the past and has guaranteed that Griffin will be a Clipper forever, according to ESPN.
“I can guarantee you he (Blake Griffin) will only ever be a Clipper. If [Oklahoma City Thunder general manager] Sam Presti arrived on Kevin Durant's doorstep at midnight on July 1st with an extension, understand that Blake Griffin lives two blocks away from me in Manhattan Beach so it's going to be a much shorter commute for me.
“When it comes time for him to be a free agent, we won't be losing. We're not losing now. We're 10 out of 14 now with our All-Star center [Chris Kaman] sitting around in a suit. The future looks pretty good. The only question will be, in two or three years with Blake, is how much more we'll be winning.”
ARENAS STRUGGLES WITH SVG
The soonest he’s able to adjust, the better it will be for Gilbert Arenas and his new team, the Orlando Magic. Arenas is visibly struggling with his current point guard chores under Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy. The conflict starts and ends with playing time. Arenas had not scored in double figures in the last five games all because of limited playing time. To be effective, Arenas says he needs more PT but Van Gundy counters how can he grant more minutes to Arenas if he is not playing up to par and lacks the aggressiveness he wants from a point guard, according to NBA Fanhouse.
Gilbert Arenas: “I'm used to playing 40 minutes, where you don't have to be aggressive all the time. That's one of the problems. Used to be, I'd pass it, pass it, get everyone going, then usually have time to find my groove. But by the time that happens here, I'm usually out of the game.”
Stan Van Gundy: “Gil is struggling right now, and the biggest thing he is struggling with now is me. I'm harder on point guards than anyone else. He's not playing with a great deal of enthusiasm. He's not enjoying playing. And I'm a big reason. There is an adjustment he's going to have to make.”
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