Scot Castillo Blog: julho 2011

quinta-feira, 21 de julho de 2011

Kobe Bryant: Could Playing Overseas Diminish His Legacy with the LA Lakers?

Recently Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant's agent said the young star would consider playing overseas if the NBA lockout continues to linger, adding his name to a list of stars that includes New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams and is sure to grow if the work stoppage persists.

In my opinion stars who consider playing overseas publicly are only hurling idle threats at the NBA's owners, since a lost NBA regular season has the potential to kill the NBA as we know it.

America's love affair with the NBA is much more fragile than similar relationships with the NFL and MLB, as professional basketball players are usually viewed as the most spoiled and over-paid athletes by the general public.

Basketball players are also in a more exclusive club since teams have fewer players than professional football and baseball, and it's always easier to identify with a sport that you may have had an opportunity to play.

Fans love to marvel at the skill and athleticism of today's NBA players, but many of those same fans actually had the chance to play football or baseball at least on the high school level and that generates a level of interest basketball can never match.

Younger stars like Durant and Williams defecting to Europe could turn novice fans away from the NBA, but they are also both young enough to play a role in what is sure to be a long revival for the league if the 2011-12 season is lost.

But for an aging star like Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant a lost season is much harder to replace at this stage in his career, and there is a possibility that playing overseas could diminish his career as a Laker.

Bryant has not been as vocal as some of his peers about the prospects of playing elsewhere if the lockout continues to linger, but he has contemplated about playing in Europe in the past.

I can appreciate a player's desire to stay in game shape, and competing in Europe or somewhere else professionally certainly does serve that purpose. But one of the most important things about Bryant's legacy is connected to the uniform he has worn throughout his career.

Each one of Bryant's glowing accomplishments has been achieved as a member of the Lakers, and to some old school fans that exclusivity makes a world of difference.

For instance, there are some fans who consider Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be one of the top two NBA players of all time, but there are few Lakers fans who would consider Kareem as the top player in the franchise's history.

That designation usually goes to Magic Johnson or Jerry West, two hall of fame players who were also life-long Lakers.

Both West and Magic were great players by any measure, but the fact that they spent their entire career with Los Angeles elevates them to near mythical status in the hearts of Lakers fans.

To be fair Kareem is also loved dearly by Lakers fans, but the fact that he started his career in Milwaukee is not lost on those who bleed purple and gold.

The same applies for center Shaquille O'Neal who may have erased any good feelings from leading the Lakers to three consecutive championships in 2000-02 by retiring as a member of the hated Boston Celtics.

Bryant is already the leading scorer in franchise history, and he has won five NBA championships to go along with numerous other individual awards and accolades and he has done it all with one team.

Those accomplishments alone place Bryant in the same rarefied air with Magic and West, but how will history remember Bryant if he does decide to play overseas during the lockout?

Even worse, what if the last image anyone has of Bryant on a basketball court is in the uniform of a team that is not easily recognized by the casual NBA fan?

It's not a likely proposition, but the threat of injury does make it a possibility that if Bryant does decide to play overseas he might never step onto a NBA court as a player again.

If the lockout does continue to drag on there are some players who may carry through on their threats to take their talents overseas, and if the NBA does face another work stoppage during the season fans may be slower to return the next time around.

Eventually the beauty of the game will lure us back, but there are some fans who will never forget the players who did choose to play in Europe instead of focusing on saving the NBA.

For a player like Bryant that type of notoriety could over-shadow what has been a spectacular career in Los Angeles, and that's certainly not the final memory anyone wants from what could be history's greatest Laker.

Read more Los Angeles Lakers news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/766101-kobe-bryant-could-playing-overseas-diminish-his-legacy-with-the-la-lakers

Nate Thurmond Dave Bing Lenny Wilkens Robert Parish Joe Dumars

Derrick Rose Supports the City of Chicago on His Broad Shoulders

It may only be coincidence that Derrick Rose grew up in Chicago, the city of broad shoulders, but he DID carry his hometown Chicago Bulls all the way to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

I'm not one to credit fate, but some higher, universal power must have intervened.

Maybe it was David Stern.

In the two seasons prior to Rose's arrival in Chicago, the Bulls were slipping, missing the playoffs in 2007 and 2008 after three straight playoff appearances, and the front office duo of Gar Forman and John Paxson (a.k.a. GarPax) swung and missed on several trade offers for superstar players Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Pau Gasol.

The organization as a whole was heading in the wrong direction, and because of that, I can't think of a more symbolic player in the history of the NBA than Derrick Rose. Just his name alone has been the cause of many overused puns by the media (Rose in bloom, every Rose has its thorns, etc.).

Derrick grew up on the South Side of Chicago in the Englewood neighborhood. If you live in Chicago, you know that this area is notoriously dangerous and has a high crime rate.

Not many make it out, but Derrick was a rose that cracked through the concrete at Murray Park, where he learned how to hoop (See? It's too easy).

And, to (sort of) steal from the late comedian George Carlin, is there anything more heroic than a rose growing through concrete?

While he overcame those odds, the Bulls themselves somehow managed to overcome enormous odds (less than a two percent chance) to win the NBA draft lottery (Mr. Stern?).

Now Rose is the hometown hero, and we're all left to praise GarPax on the Bulls' draft pick and, more recently, their offseason acquisitions.

How quickly a team's fortunes can turn in this league.

It only takes one player, and the Bulls' front office took its sweet time waiting for the right one. Never before has it been alright to pass on players like Kobe, Garnett or Pau—unless it's for Derrick Rose.

Maybe that was the plan the whole time. Who knows? Only David Stern can know for sure.

But we can all be certain of one thing heading into the future: Derrick Rose brought a city that seemed to be stuck in a winter depression since the Jordan era into a blooming spring.

A new beginning.

Chicago, the city of Derrick Rose.

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/773375-derrick-rose-and-the-city-of-his-broad-shoulders

Jason Kidd Paul Arizin Dave Cowens Tracy McGrady Patrick Ewing

Yao Ming: 10 Best Games of His Houston Rockets Career

Including the postseason, Yao Ming played in 514 games with the Houston Rockets.

Yao announced his retirement from basketball at a press conference Wednesday from Shanghai, so now is the perfect time to recall the 10 best games of the Chinese legend's NBA career.

Picking a small handful from a heavy litter of phenomenal performances was an arduous task. A few of his monster postseason performances were left out because the Rockets were on the losing end. One in particular was hard to overlook and had to be included.

Everything from the magnitude of the game to the opponent to his statistical output was considered when putting the list together.

If nothing else, this display will remind us what could have been if injuries hadn't cut him down in his prime.

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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/773129-yao-ming-10-best-games-of-houston-rockets-career

Jason Kidd Paul Arizin Dave Cowens Tracy McGrady Patrick Ewing

From Musty Digital Files, The Nets Reconstruct Their History

When you can't talk about the present and your future is freighted with the possibility of a lost season and the certainty of a Brooklyn move, what do you talk about if you're the Nets? Well, the past, or should we say, history. The Nets have compiled what they are calling "Nets History 101" on the official website in hopes of reinvigorating traffic.

With the trusty Ben Couch acting a curator, the History 101 includes, for starters, a photo gallery of Drazen Petrovic and another covering the Nets' origins in the ABA. There's also the Nets' Timeline, year-by-year Draft History, Season-by-Season records and features on the highly successful 1981 draft and Petrovic's greatness.

NETS: History 101 - New Jersey Nets

Source: http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/7/20/2285046/from-the-musty-digital-files-nets-reconstruct-their-history

Neil Johnston Isiah Thomas Steve Nash Allen Iverson Elvin Hayes

NBA Trade Rumors: 4 Ways to Pry Josh Smith from the Atlanta Hawks

The marriage of Josh Smith and the Atlanta Hawks appears to be coming to an ugly end.

After growing tired of being labeled as a scapegoat for the Hawks' playoff shortcomings, Smith privately told friends around the NBA that he wants out of Atlanta.

According to Yahoo! Sports Analyst Adrian Wojnarowskl, the Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets top the list of Smith's preferred destinations.

With the NBA locked out and the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement expired, it's difficult to say for sure what various trade packages for Smith would look like.

However, we'll go ahead and take a look at the four potential ways Smith's desired team's can pry him from the Atlanta Hawks.

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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/773976-nba-trade-rumors-4-ways-to-pry-josh-smith-from-the-atlanta-hawks

Steve Nash Allen Iverson Elvin Hayes Bill Sharman Scottie Pippen

quarta-feira, 20 de julho de 2011

Philadelphia 76ers: Time for a True Overhaul, the "Keep 3" Strategy

Speaking as a follower and fan of the team, last year was a fun year to be a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The team seemed to re-achieve relevance, depending on your definition of that word, and actually generated more than its fair share of interest from a Philadelphia fan base that had collectively forgotten them over the previous two years.

Quite a bit of last year's success can be attributed to head coach Doug Collins, as well as his players' willingness to "buy in" to his methods.

Let me just get one cheap shot in: Another big factor was the complete and total "addition by subtraction" that was not having one Samuel Dalembert!

Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand were two key cogs in last year's turnaround, and they are to be commended for their team play, positive attitudes and influence, and respective work ethics.

Lou Williams is a nice off-the-bench performer, whose energy and ability to create are difficult to refute.

Maurice Speights shows flashes of brilliance.

Andres Nocioni, though clearly done in terms of talent, and Spencer Hawes at least try to play hard.

Jodie Meeks can shoot.

Jason Kapono used to be able to at least shoot.

Having said all of that, all of these players need to go. No, not eventually. No, not next year or the year after. Today. Yesterday. As soon as humanly possible, if it is indeed possible at all.

Does this sound a touch harsh? Hey, I'll be the first guy to say that it is harsh. Most of these players are good, quality players who bring serious effort on a nightly basis. Why should I want them all gone with one sweep of the GM broom?

As I said, these guys are good players. However, with the current core in place, the 76ers will never be better than a lower-tier playoff team.

That is the simple, irrefutable truth. Even if the young players fulfill, and, moreover, surpass their potential, the players that are there around them right now will only serve to hold them back.

There are three (and possibly only two) players on this team that should be kept for their development.

Jrue Holiday has the potential to be a very strong, if not truly spectacular, point guard in this league. He is a decent defender, both on and off the ball, and can create for others as well as himself.

Even Turner, though he had his up and downs as a player during his rookie campaign, showed exactly how strong a player he could become during the Sixers' playoff series against the Miami Heat. Specifically, in the last game he provided exceptional defense against the great LeBron James, which is really no fluke. I will be the first one to admit that Turner needs quite a bit of experience, but the talent and court IQ are definitely there.

The third player that I'd like to see kept is Thaddeus Young. This may prove imprudent, as Young could be offered an amount from another team that, if the 76ers were to match it, might hurt the franchise down the line, not unlike the Iguodala signing.

Having said that, Thad Young is the type of player that you want on your team. He may not even be a starter, but the guy gives every fiber at his disposal to win a basketball game. He has a terrific team player-type attitude, and is the type of player that can only blossom under Collins.

Are these three players a "can't-miss" core? Absolutely not. However, right now, they are young, talented and cheap!

Each one of them is the type of player that Collins loves to coach, and they could very well combine (with others) to give the 76ers the type of core that could go beyond that lower level playoff team that they are today.

The million dollar (or multi million dollar, I should say) question remains: How are we supposed to get rid of all of these players? Some of them have salaries that are not justified by their output.

Are we ready for the ultimate cop-out? Hey, I'm not a GM. That's for them to decide.

My position rests on the theory that maybe, just maybe, the team would do well to cut the fat and think about the future now, rather than in two years, because we always seem to be two years away.

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/773689-philadelphia-76ers-time-for-a-true-overhaul-the-keep-three-strategy

Charlie Villanueva Caron Butler Andre Miller Joe Johnson Rasheed Wallace

Barclays Interior Designs Released

Barclays Center, now officially called "Barclays Center of Brooklyn" released the latest designs for the arena's interior, including updated images of the Main Concourse and VIP Entrance as well as a first look at the arena's beer garden, to be known as "Beers of the World."

"SHoP wanted the design of the interiors of the Barclays Center to be focused on bringing the energy of Brooklyn street life into the arena," said Gregg Pasquarelli, Principal of SHoP Architects PC. "The design uses a simple yet tactile palette of industrial materials to create an urbane experience open to all."

The Main Entrance, known as the Arena Atrium, will feature views of the arena and Nets' practice facility, as well as access to the Box Office and Team Store, all across a "smooth terrazzo floor". In addition, the architects released designs for the plaza outside the Main Entrance as well as the Event Level Suite and Suite Level Bar.

Meanwhile, the two reigning heavyweight boxing champions, Ukrainian brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko said they were excited about the possibility of bouts at Barclays in front a big Russian crowd. "Let's do it," said Wladimir.

Barclays Center of Brooklyn Interior Designs Unveiled - Barclays Center
First look at Nets new arena - Rich Calder - New York Post
Developers Reveal Interior Plans For Barclays Center Arena (Video) - NY1
Separate and unequal at the Barclays Center - Daniel Bush - Brooklyn Paper
SLIDESHOW: Luxe Treatment for VIPs at the Barclays Center - Patch
Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, reigning heavyweight champions, visit New York Daily News office - Tim Smith - New York Daily News
Renderings of arena interiors (by SH0P) "unveiled," though "subject to change" - Norman Oder - Atlantic Yards Report
Rhetoric check: arena now dubbed "Barclays Center of Brooklyn," taking advantage of Brooklyn connection - Norman Oder - Atlantic Yards Report

Source: http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/7/19/2283541/barclays-interior-designs-released

John Havlicek John Stockton Walt Frazier Neil Johnston Isiah Thomas

After Signing, Not Exactly a Good Week for Williams and Besiktas

The Turkish club he signed to play with has two top officials in jail. Its accounts have been frozen. Although his salary will reportedly be paid by an oil company owned by the club president, plans to recruit other NBA stars are on hold. Not to mention that other Americans who played for his club in the past didn't get paid at all!

Meanwhile, one of his lesser teammates has signed with a bigger, more respected rival that plays in an arena with almost five times the capacity of his club...as does the Nets' second round pick! And David Stern is meeting with FIBA officials today and presumably the validity of his contract is on the agenda.

Deron Williams' decision to sign with Besiktas of Istanbul may have gotten initial praise and a lot of headlines, but the news out of Turkey is not exactly a confidence builder. Now comes a columnist out of Salt Lake City who writes about what D-Will should expect, quoting a Utah college player who once toiled in Turkey. It's not pretty. Just to keep up, we've added a link, under "Sources", to the English language edition of Zaman, Turkey's big newspaper

Deron Williams, other NBA stars head for rude awakening overseas - Gordon Monson - Salt Lake Tribune
FIBA, NBA leaders meeting in New York - Chris Sheridan - ESPN
NBA Players Urged To Play Abroad During Lockout (Audio) - Steve Inskeep - NPR
NBA PM: Is Europe Losing Its Leverage? - Alex Raskin - HoopsWorld
Deron’s Turkey move pends FIBA approval - Hurriyet Daily News

Source: http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/7/20/2284683/after-signing-not-exactly-a-good-week-for-d-will-and-besiktas

Pau Gasol Andrea Bargnani Brandon Roy Mo Williams Chris Bosh

First Cup: Wednesday

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "With the door to the NBA that swung open nine years ago closed to him, Yao Ming on Wednesday chose 'a new life.' Yao announced his retirement in a ceremony and news conference in Shanghai, citing the repeated injuries to his left foot and ankle. 'At the end of the last year, my left foot had a third fracture,' Yao said. 'Today, I need to make a personal decision. I will stop my basketball career and I will formally retire. Today, thinking back and thinking of the future, I have been very grateful. First of all, I need to be grateful to basketball. It has brought happiness to many people including myself. Life is my guide. Just follow it and it will open doors. Out of each door, there will be beautiful world outside. Since I am retired, one door is closed. But a new life is waiting for me. I have left the basketball (court), but I will not leave basketball.' He also will not leave Houston, and sent a message to his 'second hometown.' 'I’d like to thank you for giving me a great nine years in my career,' Yao said. 'Nine years ago, I came to Houston as a young, tall, skinny player. An entire city and team changed me to a grown man, not only as a basketball player. I gained my first daughter over there. I feel I’m a Houstonian and I will always be with you.' "
Gene Wang of The Washington Post: "Yao has influenced countless Chinese to take an interest in basketball, either picking one up and playing or following his games on television. The NBA averages 30 million Chinese viewers every week, and in 2007, 100 million watched Yao play against Yi Jianlian, at the time a rookie with the Milwaukee Bucks. Last season Yi played for the Wizards. Yao’s popularity was such that despite missing essentially all of last season, he was voted as the starting center in the NBA All-Star Game thanks primarily to fan balloting in China. In 2005, Yao received 2,558,278 all-star votes, breaking the record Michael Jordan had established. Yao’s drawing power has made his financial imprint far-reaching and considerable as well. The NBA has become the most popular American sports league in China thanks largely to Yao, and that devotion has generated rapid economic growth for NBA China. Goldman Sachs valued NBA China at $2.3 billion when it launched in 2008, and its revenues are estimated between $150 and $170 million, according to a Sports Business Daily report last year. It remains unclear how Yao’s departure will affect the NBA’s marketability in China, although a recent poll on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter with more than 21 / 2 times the subscribers, indicated that 57 percent surveyed would stop watching if Yao retired."
Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun: "Canadian hoops star Steve Nash recently told the Arizona Republic he’d 'love to play overseas' if NBA players are locked out this fall. Sadly, that doesn’t include playing for Team Canada. And I don’t get that. Nash has turned his back on the national team, yet the media and Canadian basketball fans seem to be okay with it. Yes, he’s put in his time with the Team Canada in years past — at the 2000 Sydney Olympics he led Canada to a solid seventh-place finish. And, yes, he was miffed when Jay Triano was let go as the national team coach in 2005. But if there was ever a perfect time for Captain Canada, as he’s ironically still called, to rejoin the program, it’s now. Think about it. Both his parents are British, and once lived in London, England. Nash adores soccer and his favourite team is Tottenham Hotspur, the English Premier side located in North London. And ... his NBA team, the Phoenix Suns, aren’t going to challenge for an NBA title anytime soon. So wouldn’t competing at the 2012 London Olympics be the perfect swan song for the 37-year-old hoopster?"
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: "Derrick Rose indeed is scheduled to join NBA stars for an exhibition in the Philippines this weekend, a source close to the reigning most valuable player confirmed. Though not all players are confirmed, reports out of the Philippines listed Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant as joining Rose. The Los Angeles Times reported players association President Derek Fisher also will play against the Philippine Basketball Association's all-star team and the Smart Gilas national team at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The agreement calls for a return trip in August, a source said."
Janis Carr of The Orange County Register: "With the help of a little photo-doctoring, Tracy McGrady put himself in a Lakers uniform and then asked his Twitter followers 'Yes or No'. What would the Lakers say? For all his talent, McGrady never has achieved the success he seemed destined. Injuries have robbed him of his explosiveness in getting to the rim and after 14 seasons, he no longer can muscle past younger, stronger opponents. T-Mac has averaged 20.4 points per game, 4.6 assists and 5.8 rebounds over the course of his career but the seven-time All-Star hasn’t averaged double figures since the 2008 season. Plus, McGrady needs to dominate the ball in order to shine and that’s not going to happen on the Lakers. He would have to get in line behind Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. But maybe coming off the bench is something he also pictures himself doing in the future. And for the Lakers, a team desperate for bench scoring, maybe they should say yes."
Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman: "We pored over the minutiae. The Thunder was scheduled to play 15 games across major networks ABC, ESPN and TNT and nine games on NBA TV, an astronomical jump for a team that had been scheduled for only three games when the schedules were released the previous two seasons combined. It was playing the Heat and the Lakers in Sunday home games. It was playing early in the day and late in the evening. Dissecting the whole thing was grand fun. But now? It feels like torture. I mean, I'd love to get excited about the opening weeks of the Thunder's season. It's a gauntlet of games against the likes of the Lakers, the Mavs, the Knicks and the Bulls, and only one of the team's first six games is at home. It should be a fun run of games. But will it be? ... Pore over the schedule if you must. Analyze the matchups. Imagine the possibilities. Just remember that this schedule has an asterisk."
Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun: "Leo Rautins, the head coach of the Canadian men’s basketball team, gets so frustrated talking about Matt Bonner that he’s almost at a loss for words. And that’s saying quite a bit. Rautins is, after all, a professional commentator. The fact Bonner, a former member of the Toronto Raptors and current forward with the San Antonio Spurs, has been unsuccessful in procuring his Canadian citizenship, despite getting the ball rolling back in 2008, upsets Rautins to no end. ... The main stumbling block seems to be the fact that Bonner, a native of Concord, N.H., spends most of the year in the United States. But he has no choice. He plays for San Antonio. Rautins said Canada Basketball has tried to make that point to the federal immigration ministry, but to no avail. ... Still, Rautins is optimistic that Bonner’s citizenship will come through in time for the Red Rocket to help Canada qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. There are two qualifying tournaments left for Canada, later this summer in Argentina, and next year at a still unnamed location."
Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee: "With the NBA in the midst of a lockout that has no end in sight, the Drew could be the best chance to see NBA players for some time. ... Oklahoma City All-Star Kevin Durant was the latest NBA player to show up and bring attention to the Drew. Durant's highlights quickly made the rounds on the Internet, as did a video of a player dunking on Pooh Jeter, who played for the Kings last season. ... Jeter's Drew team, which he runs with friend Brandon Heath, includes Tyreke Evans. Omri Casspi played when he was in Los Angeles, and Jeter said Dont� Greene will be on his team – known as Da Fam – when he's in town. Jeter said it was a collective effort by NBA players from the greater Los Angeles area to play in the Drew this summer, as well as telling more players to come to Southern California for competitive games. That led to Oklahoma City's James Harden, Washington's Nick Young and Golden State's Dorell Wright being among the regulars. Besides Durant, Ron Artest, Michael Beasley and Evans are among the NBA players who have found good games in South Central."
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times: "Andrew Bynum has spent much of his six-year NBA career either in a wheelchair or on crutches because of his numerous knee injuries. But these aren't one of these times, with Bynum finally finishing a season without needing extended off-season treatment on his knees and feeling healthy enough to take some boxing lessons. So there's absolutely no excuse for Bynum, as shown in these photos obtained by NBC4, to double park his black BMW recently across two handicap spots. It wouldn't be surprising if he made some type of forced apology much like the way he did two days after delivering a forearm shove to Dallas guard J.J. Barea, marking the third player to whom he has delivered a cheap shot as they drove into the lane. But Bynum didn't even do that, as he reportedly slammed his car door and drove off when NBC4 questioned him about the allegations. To make matters worse, this isn't the first time Bynum's been caught showing disrespect toward the handicapped spaces that help the physically disabled. The Times' T.J. Simers received an e-mailed photo in May from a reader catching Bynum in the act of parking across a white-and-blue painted handicapped space directly in front of a blue handicapped sign outside a Bank of America in Playa del Rey."
Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News: "'My middle name is redundant,' Herb Magee said yesterday as he prepared to take the court that bears his name. 'My other middle name is tedious.' Magee met Evan Turner for the first time last week. They spent most of their time talking, getting to know each other, an introduction to what would happen next. Magee watched Turner shoot - straightaway shots close to the basket, then a step back, a step back, a step back. Watched him do some three-spot shooting - right elbow, foul line, left elbow. Turner never got near the three-point line. ... The Philadelphia University coach hosted Turner for a more serious shooting session yesterday. Turner, who just completed his rookie season, had called him to set up the tutorials. Magee first wanted to see how serious Turner was about it. Once he got his answer, the legendary shooting guru, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next month, was all in. ... Magee had Turner shoot all those one-handed shots because he wanted to show him he had good form. Wanted him to see the ball go in the basket. The problem is when Turner puts his left hand (or guide hand) on the ball. His left hand flies out the side. It looks as if he is waving to an imaginary crowd in the stands with that hand. The guide hand is just that. It is not supposed to help shoot the ball. Shawn Werdt, a Philly U. assistant, was the rebounder/passer. 'He's essentially shooting with two hands,' Werdt explained. Which is why Turner is spending time with Magee. He can shoot midrange jumpers. He is a terrific free-throw shooter. He just does not have NBA shooting range."
Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune: "Lance Allred has a piece of advice for Deron Williams and other NBA players who think they’re going to weather the lockout by signing with and playing for teams overseas: Watch out. Since college, Allred, who played at East High School, the University of Utah and Weber State, has made a living for himself playing basketball on every continent except Antarctica. He’s played in France, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Greece, Ukraine, Croatia, Serbia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Australia, New Zealand, China, Morocco and in Cleveland for the Cavs. When he heard that Williams was headed for Turkey and that he was going to get paid $200,000 a month, Allred’s reaction was … 'I saw that number, and I laughed,' he said. 'Deron could be above the fray with that sort of high-profile signing. That team might not want to have the reputation of not paying him, but that increases the chances that the other players will leave. If Deron gets his money, a lot of other people on that team aren’t going to get theirs.' Allred said he’s taken a poll of his peers playing overseas for the past two years: 'They’re averaging about half of what they were guaranteed to make. … The finances are going to be risky. Always.' A few years ago, Allred signed a deal to play in Italy for $160,000. 'I didn’t receive a dime of it, even though it was FIBA-guaranteed. The team folded two months later. It’s such a crapshoot.' "
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "Nearly three weeks into the NBA's labor lockout, the Timberwolves have laid off between 10 and 12 employees on the operation's business side, a league source said.Those decisions follow the NBA's move last week that reduced 114 employees to save $50 million long term as well as layoffs made by other NBA teams."

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/31181/first-cup-wednesday-167

Billy Cunningham Artis Gilmore Chris Webber Wes Unseld Kevin McHale

NBA Free Agents 2011: 5 Teams That May Lure David West from New Orleans Hornets

David West—power forward on the New Orleans Hornets—will be one of the most sought-after free agents in the 2012 class once (if) the NBA lockout ends.

West finished the 2010-11 season early because of a left knee injury that required him to get reconstructive surgery. However, in the 70 games that he was in the lineup, West was one of the best big men in the league.

In 35 minutes per game he averaged a team-high 19 points on 51 percent shooting. West also rebounded well, pulling down 7.6 boards—including two offensive rebounds a game.

With numbers like these, West has the potential to be a game-changer for a team on the verge of making a championship run.

There's still a chance that West will remain in New Orleans, but he has made it clear that he wants to be on a team that will win. In an article by USA Today West qualified his desire to enter free agency saying:

It's not taking New Orleans out of the equation, just an opportunity to sign a better deal, and an opportunity to make sure the decision I make for the next three to four years puts me in the best possible situation to win—not just winning and making the playoffs, but legitimately having a chance to compete for championships.

With that said, here are five teams that may be able to lure David West away from the New Orleans Hornets.

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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/768206-nba-free-agents-2011-5-teams-that-may-lure-david-west-from-new-orleans-hornets

Rudy Gay Jose Calderon Blake Griffin Kevin Martin Charlie Villanueva

LA Lakers: 5 Players Kobe Bryant Should Help Recruit to Los Angeles

It's no secret by now that the Lakers could enter next season virtually unchanged from last year except for the rookies. They may only be able to one or two free agents and I've already discussed potential free agent targets that folks aren't talking much about but should be high on the Lakers list.

This list is more for guys who Kobe Bryant should take an interest in bringing to the team for various reasons. They're players that Bryant would respect. Mostly veterans who know their role and can be counted on to be reliable cogs in the Lakers' quest for the 2012 NBA title.

Without further adieu, here's the players that the Black Mamba should take a special interest in recruiting to his aid.

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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/773324-la-lakers-5-players-kobe-bryant-should-help-recruit-to-los-angeles

Isiah Thomas Steve Nash Allen Iverson Elvin Hayes Bill Sharman

NBA Trade Scenarios: 5 Players L.A. Lakers Should Make a Run for Post-Lockout

The NBA lockout has put a hold on all of the free agent happenings that would normally be taking place this time in the offseason.

This article will look at five possible players the Los Angeles Lakers should consider signing or trading for when the lockout is lifted.

While the players in the following slides may not be the biggest stars the league has to offer, they are realistic additions for the Lakers when one considers their biggest weaknesses: point guard play, three-point shooting and a legitimate backup for Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum.

Let’s take a look.

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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/765767-nba-trade-scenarios-5-players-the-lakers-should-make-a-run-for-post-lockout

Monta Ellis Raymond Felton Carlos Boozer Mario Chalmers Carmelo Anthony

The 2011-12 Raptors Schedule - A Month-by-Month Breakdown

Bosh and the Heat come to town to face Bargnani and the Raptors much earlier next season.

The HQ takes an in-depth look at the Toronto Raptors' 2011-12 schedule...that is if the schedule isn't thrown out the window come November...

Yesterday the NBA announced its schedule for the 2011-12 season, almost a full month ahead of last year's release date.

82 games of basketball delight assuming the season isn't shortened or cancelled altogether thanks to the current labour situation.

In fact based on said situation, the early release in fact is a bit ironic considering that there's an increasing likelihood that the whole thing could be null and void. Last time the NBA had to shorten its season due to a work stoppage, the schedule was reissued altogether in shorter form, a point I forgot yesterday when noting that missing the first two months of play might actually be a good thing for the Toronto Raptors.

However as has been the case this off-season, we're going to soldier on under the belief that the season will begin in November.

This means then our usual breakdown of the NBA schedule, month by month, with a view towards the Raptors' final record based on this schedule.

Last year we were close, estimating 27 wins for the DInos based on the 2010-11 schedule's ebb and flow and again this year, we'll give it a shot using the current roster as the basis for our comparisons to opponents.

November

No October games for the Raps this year as they open their season on November 2 at home versus the Philadelphia 76ers. This is a potentially winnable one, as Toronto has played Philadelphia quite well the past few seasons.

However it only gets tougher from there.

Of the 14 games in the opening month, only six are at home, and only games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves look like solid W's.

Other opponents include the Grizzlies, Thunder, Celtics (twice), Heat, Magic and NBA Champion Mavericks.

Filling out the first month are matches against teams like Milwaukee (twice), Phoenix and the LA Clippers but it's certainly no cake-walk start. A gruesome three game road trip against Boston, Miami and Orlando, followed by a home date with the Celtics again helps bring the month to a close so November certainly presents its fair share of challenges.

Record prediction for November- 5 and 9.

December

"Hey Toronto - November was tough, how about starting December with a match against the Miami Heat, and soon after heading out West to face the Warriors, Kings, Lakers and Blazers?" "That sounds like fun right?"

Think the NBA schedule-makers were saying something like that when drawing up next year's basketball blueprint?

December holds as much potential for struggles as November thanks to the level of competition (Dallas again, San Antonio and the aforementioned road trip), although the club does get two more home games. And matches against lesser opponents like Indiana, New York, New Jersey and Detroit don't hurt.

But part of the big issue with analyzing this schedule is that numerous teams last year that looked like easy wins, now are possible W's at best. New York is certainly not the team it was this time last year, nor is Indiana, and both were playoff clubs last season.

So while it's better than an onslaught of matches against the Heat, the reality is that of Toronto's 16 games in December, only six are against teams that weren't in last year's post-season.

Record prediction for December- 5 and 11.

January

A 14 game January brings another Western road swing but arguably not as tough a trek as the one in the previous month.

The Clippers, Suns, Jazz and Nuggets make up the roadie this time, and games against clubs like the Wizards and Kings, Cavs and Nets at home mean there's a strong potential for the Dinos to go .500 in Jan.

It may be little solace though for fans considering the team could be entering the month with a 10 and 22 record...

Record prediction for January- 6 and 8.

February

February starts off with a match in Boston and ends with a road trip to New Orleans.

Not exactly friendly bookends and the matches in the middle aren't exactly a walk in the park either.

Sure, there's a handful of games against clubs like Washington, Detroit and Cleveland but again we're talking about a month where Toronto plays 8 of its 13 games against playoff teams.

Ouch.

Record prediction for February- 4 and 9.

March

As the NBA tends to do each year, the schedule goes "home game heavy" towards its conclusion for Toronto.

The team plays 9 of its 15 matches in March at home, and a slew of contests against teams like Golden State, Detroit, Charlotte and New Jersey mean that the club could grab a decent share of wins in the season's second last month.

Even their away games aren't too arduous and despite what looks to be a 20 win total heading into the month, the hope is that new coach Dwane Casey keeps the team locked in, and perhaps pulls a surprise win or two out of his hat as the season begins to wind down.

Record prediction for March- 6 and 9.

April

If the club's record follows my prognostications to any degree, it will be heading into the final month of the season with a record of 26 and 46.

This would represent an improvement already over the previous year, but it's still nothing to write home about.

Toronto's final 10 games then would decide if the team could crack the 30 win plateau and with two matches against Washington, as well as contests against the Timberwolves, Bucks, Pacers and Nets, it's not out of the question.

There's no finishing match against the Heat this year (no, the Dinos take on the Wizards on the road) and really, the only matches that look like sure-fire losses is April 6 to the Bulls.

So again, if you're keeping score at home, 30 wins is not such a preposterous mark.

The question of course is if you're rooting for an incremental improvement such as this, or if you're actually hoping for 22 wins again or less, taking an improved draft class into account.

I'd like to see the team continuing to move in the right direction one way or another, and I think regardless of April record, the club's previous months will help do this.

Record prediction for April- 5 and 5.

Final 2010-11 Record - 31 and 51

Now are things guaranteed to unfold as I discussed?

Of course not, that's why they play the games.

And that's again IF they a) actually use this schedule and b) if there are games at all.

Factor in injuries and potential free-agent and trade acquisitions and even Dwane Casey's impact and the final number of course could vary to some degree.

But right now I would put 31 wins as the upper echelon for the club as presently composed.

I expect the D to improve a bit, and improvements from youngsters like Davis, DeRozan and Bayless etc could result in a few more W's.

But a .500 record or playoffs?

I think there would have to be some major upgrades made personnel wise first before either occur...

Source: http://www.raptorshq.com/2011/7/20/2284529/the-2011-12-raptors-schedule-a-month-by-month-breakdown

Moses Malone David Robinson Bob Pettit Kevin Garnett Charles Barkley

2011-12 Nets Schedule Features Another Trip to London

Despite the on-going lockout, the NBA released the 2011-12 schedule on Tuesday, and it features another overseas trip for the Nets. The team will once again travel to London in early March, this time to take on the Orlando Magic for two games. And once again, the Nets will be the host for both games, meaning they will have just 39 home games in Newark.

For the second straight year, the Prudential Center schedule will begin with a visit from the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, Nov. 5 at noon. The season opener will be in Washington three days earlier. The last game in Newark will be against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, April 18. And weeknight home games have been moved back to a 7:30 start time.

Deron Williams will make his return to Utah on Saturday, January 14. That's one of five NBA TV games on the Nets' schedule (two of the other four are the London games). They're not scheduled to appear on ESPN or TNT at all.

All of the above, of course, is subject to change should the lockout truncate the season.

2011-12 New Jersey Nets Schedule - NBA.com
Nets final game in New Jersey sheduled for Apr. 18 - Fred Kerber - New York Post Nets Blog
Bulls to send Nets packing - Fred Kerber - New York Post
Nets’ (tentative) 2011-12 schedule released - Al Iannazzone - In the 'Zzone
Nets' 2011-12 schedule is released - Al Iannazzone - The Record
Highlights of Nets lockout-pending schedule - Stefan Bondy - The InterNets
Nets to open 2011-12 season against Wizards - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
New Jersey Nets 2011-12 Schedule Released - Ryan Jones - SB Nation New York
NBA coming back to London* - Colm Heaney - Daily Mirror
Magic, Nets set for London in 2012 - MVP24
TV slight of Magic won’t calm restless Dwight Howard - Brian Schmitz - Orlando Sentinel

Source: http://www.netsdaily.com/2011/7/19/2283318/2011-12-nets-schedule-features-another-trip-to-london

Marvin Williams Jameer Nelson Trevor Ariza Manu Ginobili Lou Williams

NBA: Best Leader on Each Team

Each team in the NBA has its own dynamic. However, each team cannot expect to do well unless there is one person on that team who can lead them through thick and thin. Without someone to tell the team what to do, it can devolve into and egotistical mess. Here is the list of the people that each team looks to for leadership.

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Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/772460-best-leader-on-each-nba-team

Oscar Robertson Karl Malone Kobe Bryant Hakeem Olajuwon Julius Erving

Mike Brown: Could He Actually Work out as Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach?

The dominant storyline about the hiring of new Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown is that Brian Shaw should have been hired instead. Because he was a Lakers assistant. Because he didn't coach LeBron. Because Kobe wanted Shaw.

People critical of Brown often bring up the Rudy Tomjanovich debacle of a few years ago, which was really a perfect storm that was more a question Rudy T's health problems and the Lakers changing four of their starters from 2003-2004 to 2004-2005 than any questionable hiring practices.

In trumpeting Shaw, they seem to forget the "success" that Kurt Rambis, the last Lakers assistant to land a head coaching job, has had (32-132 and fired). They also forget that if Brown is going to have any longevity with this team, he will coach it after Kobe has hung up his sneakers, and that Kobe is now well past his temper tantrum years.

Here are three reasons why the Brown hire will work.

Head Coaching Experience

If you look at the teams that make it to the NBA Finals, the last NBA finalist whose coach was in his first year of NBA coaching was the 1991 Lakers under Mike Dunleavy. The last first-year head coach to lift the O'Brien Trophy was Pat Riley in 1982. In both cases, these teams were heavily talent-laden and led by Magic Johnson (note that when I say first year of coaching experience, I mean anywhere, not just with the present team).

Although the Lakers made it work then, it appears experience counts more heavily now, as very few coaches have even been able to lead their team into the playoffs in their first season of head coaching—Tom Thibodaux being the most notable exception. Brown, who is younger than Shaw but still has more coaching experience and much more head coaching experience, fits the experience mold.

And lest we forget, Brown was 272-138 in Cleveland, which is nothing to shake a stick at.

Defensive Specialist

Although the Lakers were ninth in points allowed per game, that stat belies the many defensive lapses the Lakers had throughout the season. They would continually allow teams to get back in it, or put the Lakers out of it, by sloppy miscues in the third and fourth quarters. This was exacerbated when the people the Lakers had signed to be lockdown defenders, Matt Barnes and Theo Ratliff, got hurt.

Brown will likely make these defensive lapses fewer and farther between, which can only help the Lakers.

Player Development

Wait, player development? It's debatable as to how successful Brown was at molding young players around LeBron. Despite the fact that the Cavs won, players like Mo Williams did not see an increase in stats under Brown when compared with previous coaches and teams.

However, Brown is still an improvement over Phil Jackson, who has repeatedly admitted he does not attempt to develop young talent, and whose teams are built on signing and dealing for veteran play.

If Brown is sticking around town, he will have to skipper a post-Kobe Lakers team under a more restrictive salary cap that will probably have to rely on player development to be successful.

Read more Los Angeles Lakers news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/766286-los-angeles-lakers-could-make-brown-actually-work-out-as-coach

Andre Miller Joe Johnson Rasheed Wallace Rashard Lewis Jason Terry

Nancy Lieberman looks back on the season

Otto Kitsinger/NBAE/Getty Images
After one season on the bench, Nancy Lieberman will move into the Texas Legends' front office.

As Marc Stein reported on Sunday, Texas Legends head coach Nancy Lieberman will be moving from the bench to the front office.

Lieberman was the first women's coach of a men's professional basketball team associated with the NBA when she signed on to coach the Legends, the Mavericks' D-League affiliate, last summer.�Lieberman's hire was historic, but in many respects not all that radical. Lieberman is a basketball lifer, a Hall of Famer who had coached professionally in the WNBA.

At the same time, there were very few, if any, male professional basketball players who had played under women at any level. When I asked about that last summer, Lieberman responded, "As far as I know, guys have been told what to do by women their whole lives."

While Lieberman was telling her players what to do, the Legends went 24-26 in their inaugural season and qualified for the playoffs.

We caught up with Lieberman on Monday and asked her to reflect upon her season.

Big picture: How do you think you fared this season?
It was pretty amazing. Sometimes when you're in the thick of it, you don't really take the chance to look back and go, "Wow. We had a hodgepodge of guys. We all came from different places. We were a first-time team -- and look what we did." Look at how positive we were for the D-League as a whole. We made the little things matter. We made the details matter. My goal was to give these guys a reason to come to practice every day with their best -- not just show up, but come because you had something you had to give us.

When we spoke a year ago, one of the things you said was that the biggest source of expectations would be you, that the pressure on you would be more self-inflicted than from people watching on the outside looking in. Did that hold true?
I don't know if it was pressure as much as standards or opportunity. But I have always felt as if I had to operate on a different level because of the perception, that I couldn't take anything for granted. So the answer is, yes. I knew that I had to watch more film than most coaches. I knew that, even if I was tired and it was three in the morning, I had to be back on Synergy if one of my players was struggling, that I could give him -- as I like to say -- the answers to the quiz. If Antonio Daniels was having problems with his weakside defense, or if Justin Dentmon was turning the ball over, it was my responsibility to come to them the next day with solutions.

It's not like you have a chance to be back in the huddle every 30 seconds and call a new play. We don't have a chance to stop, think and redo. Everything is on the fly. You're trying to disseminate�information instantaneously. So your connection with your point guard is at a premium -- because he's an extension of you, from the bench to the floor. You have to get the pieces in the right places. Or then you call a timeout and things aren't going well and you've got 20 seconds to tell people what you want to tell them in the emotion and heat of the game. I have to be ready for those moments. All that work that I did and all those people I reached out to for a year paid off.

Was there one specific piece of advice that was most useful?
Joe Girardi said to make sure they want to come back every day to see you at practice.

To that point, Pat Riley says that the most important factor for a coach -- above X's & O's or tactical preparation -- is "contact" between player and coach. It doesn't even necessarily have to be basketball-related. But that's his term for the emotional or interpersonal state between coach and player.
He's right. One thing I did was make sure I knew a little something about every player on our team. We were in Idaho for Thanksgiving playing the Stampede -- it was our second and third games of the season after losing opening night. The last thing I want to do is come home 0-3 and have to answer questions like, "Do you know what you're doing?"

So we're sitting around Thanksgiving dinner with 10 guys and my coach and every player had to tell us something non-basketball-related that we didn't know about them. So I found out that some of my players had children. Some of them had siblings who were in prison. What kind of route in life they took to get here. It was amazing. It was really quiet at the table when someone was talking. It brought us together.

There was one day during the course of the season when Antonio Daniels called me and said, "Hey, you know, my mom just got diagnosed with cancer." We cried together. When Sean Williams was sick in the middle of the night, he called me. This is a funny story because we have apartments our players share in Frisco. Sean calls me and says he's going to go to the hospital. I told him I'd meet him there, so I asked him, "Which hospital?" He goes, "Coach, I'm in Arlington at my mom's house." So I said, "Where's your mom?" Sean said, "She's in the next room sleeping." �I'm like, "Dude, you woke me up when your mom is in the next room?!"

But that tells you right there: I was their coach, their mentor, but also a trusted figure in their lives. When Justin Dentmon wasn't getting the playing time he wanted, we were at odds with each other. One day we sat down and talked, and he's like my son now. It took getting involved in their lives. And now four of my players are out at my basketball camps this summer participating.

As you talk, it dawns on me there's nothing at all gender-specific about these issues. Once you took the job, it was purely coach-player kind of stuff: Guys unhappy with playing time. Watching film at all hours to help a guy with his defense. Dealing with the messy real-life issues players deal with -- health, family, whatever. Coaching is coaching.
It's coach-player stuff, but it's life if you want to take it to the most simplistic level. It's loving these guys like they're your children, but there's going to be a lot of tough love. Antonio Daniels -- love this guy. One of us is going to be at the other's funeral. We were so close, but we butted heads because he's this 12-year NBA veteran running this team, but I needed him to do certain things I felt were best for the team. He's running it the way he knows best with his past experience. Finally, there comes a point in time when you come together. One day I turn around and said to him, "There are three weeks left in the season. You want to run this basketball team? You have the keys. But I drive a Bentley and I'll expect nothing but the best." And he just looked at me and he goes, "Finally." And in his last four games with us, he had 40 assists and zero turnovers.

Did you encounter moments when you felt like guys were testing you where they might not test a male head coach?
I would've said that years ago, but not today. Because if my guys aren't allowed to question and if I'm going to be super-sensitive and go, "Well, he asked me that question because I'm a girl," you fall into a trap and I can't allow that to happen. If a guy challenges me about a defensive rotation, maybe he's not challenging me. �Maybe he just wants to get it right. Maybe he just wants to have a better understanding of what we're trying to do. These are really bright guys. I want to hear what they have to say. Maybe they're seeing something we're not seeing from the bench. That's a strength and a virtue. That's communication. The worst thing I could do is every time someone questioned me is say, "There they go. They're challenging me." And that's not me, anyway.

Play out the scenario with me: How does the first female NBA head coach arrive at the job? Is it a woman who builds her career coaching men -- maybe at the high school level, then college, then D-League? Does she come up through the college ranks winning multiple championships? Is it someone who just racks up title after title in the WNBA? �In your eyes, how does it ultimately happen?
I don't think a woman is going to come out of college, or come out of the WNBA and be a head coach in the NBA. I don't think that's very realistic on any level. I think it'll be someone who is investing their time, energy and effort. They'll get a break because they've created some relationships. They'll come through the D-League or will help on an NBA team. Sometimes the greatest thing is that internship you invest in yourself. If you live in a city with an NBA team, maybe you pick up the phone and you call the front office and you say, "Look, I'd really like to gain some experience. Could I volunteer?" Once you get your foot in the door, you create these relationships and people have a chance to see not only your knowledge but your work ethic and how you handle yourself.

People were very generous with me and offered me great guidance. And I was always reaching out because I wanted those guys to share what they knew -- and I want to share what I know. I'm open every day to information. Toward the end of the season, I called Kevin Eastman, Doc Rivers' assistant. I said, "Kevin, our defense is in the toilet. Can you do me a favor? Even though I've interviewed him, can you put a call into Tom Thibodeau for me?" I'm in my hotel room in Maine and my phone rings. It's Tom and we must've talked for two hours. We're talking about rotations, overloads and preloads. I was like, "Are you sure I'm not taking too much of your time?" He said, "Nancy, I love doing this." He's thanking me for calling him?! �I get home a few days later and he had overnighted me the Chicago Bulls' defensive playbook. Who does stuff like that?

Who are some female prospects in the coaching ranks around the country whom we should keep our eyes on?
I think Jenny Boucek. She's worked really hard on the men's side. I've been a mentor to Jenny. Ronnie Rothstein has been a mentor to Jenny when she was coaching in Miami in the WNBA. They stayed in touch. Coach Riley has been somewhat of a mentor to her. Rick Sund. Jenny is in the WNBA now. When she came to visit me, she was in Mavs practices and my practices. She's really good.�I also hired a woman named Tara Gibson as my video coordinator. And you know what video coordinators do these days?

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/31070/nancy-lieberman-looks-back-on-the-season

LaMarcus Aldridge Wilson Chandler Rajon Rondo Marvin Williams Jameer Nelson

terça-feira, 19 de julho de 2011