The 2006-07 NBA Regular Season Thread
 

3 mins till tip off (if I've got my timezones correct) of the season!

The Bulls are heading to Miami to kick off the season. Tough start to the season for the Bulls. Heat by 8.

We gave Miami a tougher challenge than anyone outside maybe Dallas last year in the Playoffs.

Bulls squeak this one out by 4.

Go Bulls!

Time to get the rings BABY!

Unfortunately I think the emotion of the night may help the Bulls more than it does the Heat.

I really like the Bulls roster this year. I've been a huge fan of Hinrich since his Kansas days, but Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, Chris Duhon and P.J. Brown are all players I really like as well. I wasn't sold on Tyrus Thomas prior to the draft, but he did better than I expected in pre-season.

Bulls and Bucks (because of Bogut) will be the other 2 teams outside of Cleveland that I'll enjoy watching the most this year. It's just a shame they are all in the Central division!

Yeah the Central Division is absolutely loaded.

And from what I have seen, I am loving Tyrus. He's got so much potential and is as athletic of a player as there in the league. He reminds me of a Shawn Kemp circa '96.

Please don't jinx Tyrus! What did he ever do to you?
:p

What is the deal with Bogut's injury? First he is out 6-8 weeks then he is going to start opening night? I hope they are not rushing him back

He's starting on opening night? I wasn't aware of that. I read a few ago that he was recovering much quicker than expected, but wow. I don't think they'd risk rushing him back as Gadzuric is a serviceable replacement, perhaps his injury wasn't as bad as was first thought?

Wade with 6 points in 3 minutes. Not too shabby.

2 quick fouls for Shaq, and in comes Zo. The Heat were statistically more effective with Zo on the floor last year, interestingly.

MILWAUKEE -- Bucks center Andrew Bogut is expected to start Milwaukee's season opener at Detroit on Wednesday night after rejoining practice over the weekend.

Bogut, the top pick in the 2005 NBA draft, was diagnosed with a lower left leg sprain after he banged his leg into teammate Steve Blake's knee during a scrimmage Oct. 7. The injury originally was expected to sideline him six to eight weeks.

But Bogut returned to the court last week to shoot and do some individual drills, then practiced over the weekend.

After taking part in a full practice Monday, Bogut said he should be ready for the season opener.

"About Wednesday I did a fitness test and passed it," Bogut said. "I did a full session Saturday and a full session today, and I'm feeling fine."

He said his goal since the injury was to return in time for the opener.

"It was more of a challenge to try to get back quicker," he said. "Three weeks is good enough for me."



Coach Terry Stotts said he expected to use Bogut in the starting lineup, with Brian Skinner and Dan Gadzuric as reserves.



The rest of the starting lineup is expected to include guards Michael Redd and Mo Williams and forwards Ruben Patterson and Charlie Villanueva.



Forward Bobby Simmons has been sidelined with a heel injury.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

Interesting...

Sounds like it's all good to go though, and not that they are rushing him back.

I can't wait for my Lakers to start. Been a fan of Lakers since Magic Johnson's rookie season.

Wow, that zero tolerance technical rule is ridiculous.

Like I said

Not a bad start. Hopefully our young team can stay focused and not let the game get close in the fourth, because we know that is DWade time.

Nice to see Ernie back as host for TNT.

Yikes. Come back from my lunch break and the Heat are getting stomped. Looking at their bench, they are really quite a shallow squad, aren't they?

Zo is good, Posey is OK, but it really drops off after that with a score of inexperienced players. I know that Williams is out injured, but is Doleac injured too?

I wonder what the record is for worst loss to start the season by the previous season's NBA champion? 42 points would have to be close...

They said the 1982 Lakers lost 132-115 to the Warriors was the worst before.

Wow, so the Heat (or should that be Bulls) absolutely destroyed that record.

Wow, Bynum starting for the Lakers? Was that expected? Both Brown and Mihm injured?

yes both out with injuries

Suns aiming for 100 before half time...

Lakers also doing really well on the boards, scooping up every single Suns miss - a whole 2 misses from 14 shots.

Damn the Suns.

Too bad Kobe is hurt too. I don't think it would of made a difference. Phoenix is shooting lights out.

With the exception of Lamar Odom the Lakers have an absolutely horrendous starting 5 tonight. Unless the Suns turn cold as ice in the second half this is going to be a massive blow out.

At least Jordan Farmar will get some court time.

Yep

Most of the Lakers players are role players for Kobe. Without Kobe it doesn't work out well. Kobe helps them by setting them up for a shot or gets attention from the defense.

I really like the young guys like Bynum, Farmer and Walton, Cook, Turiaf and Kwayme Brown. The future looks bright. They need to play with each and get experience.

I wish I had known all these guys were hurt before I took the over 208 total on tonight's game.

:(

You might still

Phoenix on pace to get 160 points..

So that means Lakers only need 49 points. :)

I like most of those guys (excluding perhaps Brown) too, but yeah like you say, they are young and strictly bit players at this point in time. The problem is that outside of Kobe and Odom, bit players describes most of their roster.

Mihm is OK, Smush Parker and Radmanovic are mediocre, the rest are just bit players who see too much court time, even with a healthy Kobe.

Nice run by the Lakers in the 2nd quarter. Now the score is 46-40 Phoenix.

Heh. DWade Got DStroyed

I almost bought a pair of the new DWade shoes for basketball yesterday too. Glad I went with the trusty Jordans instead. :)

Suns are learning that you can't let any team - even a Kobe-less Lakers - shoot 58% from the floor and expect to win. Horrendous game for them, while Odom, Bynum and Evans are all playing really well.

Bynum played really well in his first start. Odom look very aggressive. He has to keep that up even when Kobe comes back.

Nice win for the Lakers.

Well that was a beatdown! I hope the Heat does not decide to rest on their laurels. I knew the Bulls would be a lot better but they looked scary good last night. The Heat are only seven deep right now. Time to see what Pat Riley's ratings as far as evaluating young talent. The two that draw the most interest for me are Dorrell Wright and Wayne Simien.

Not really. I hope they tech like crazy so the guys get in line.

I just caught the end of the ESPN's pregame. Is Steven A Smith not a part of the show this year?

Nocioni raised his hands up, said nothing as he was walking back and got called for a technical.

Anybody who plays basketball knows it's an emotional game. Yes there are players in the league who over do it but to make them all robots out there is just silly.

This new Cleveland Cavalier court is really really not appeasing to the eyes.

Recently waived Rose will sign with Suns

Andrew Bogut last season: 9.4ppg 7.0rpg .533 fg%

Andrew Bogut over three games this season: 18.3ppg 8.0rpg .688 fg%

Only 3 games, but pretty impressive anyhow. Looks like moving Magloire for a more versatile forward like Villa and playing Bogut at his natural position is paying off.

Rookie Rankings thus far, according to NBA.com:

1. Brandon Roy, G, Portland - 18.3ppg, 4.3rpg, 5.0ppg
2. Rudy Gay, F, Memphis - 11.0ppg, 5.7rpg, 0.0apg
3. Adam Morrison, F, Charlotte - 16.0ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.0apg
4. Craig Smith, F, Minnesota - 11.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 0.0apg
5. Thabo Sefolosha, G, Chicago - 8.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.3apg
6. Rajon Rondo, G, Boston - 5.7ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.0apg
7. Jordan Farmar, G, L.A. Lakers - 7.8ppg, 1.5rpg, 1.5apg
8. Marcus Williams, G, New Jersey - 5.5ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.5apg
9. Tyrus Thomas, F, Chicago - 3.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.0apg
10. Jorge Garbajosa, F, Toronto - 4.7ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.3apg

Looks like Minnesota got a steal with Craig Smith, though they should have kept Roy rather than Foye and even without the power of foresight that was clear from day one. Roy should be a lock for Rookie of the Year if he can come close to mainting his current pace. Morrison needs to do something other than shoot the ball if he wants to challenge, but Rudy Gay probably has a legit crack at it as well.

I wanted Farmar or Douby for the Cavs in the draft while hoping to steer clear of Rondo, and thus far Farmar has impressed, Douby hasn't played, and Rondo has been pretty good.

Marcus Williams hasn't shot the ball well, but it was always clear that he was a gigantic steal that low. I really don't know what teams were thinking by letting him slip down to the Nets. It might have been a case like the Paul Pierce year, where teams didn't figure he'd be around where they were picking so they didn't even consider him. I would have taken him over any other PG in this draft, even Roy, who has been handling the ball a lot in Portland.

Shelden Williams has started for Atlanta thanks to Marvin Williams's injury, but has been about as good as he was in preseason (ie. not very good) and missed his first 9 shots over 3 games before finally scoring his first NBA field goal.

Andrea Bargnani should have been in the top 10 over Tyrus Thomas, who probably made the list thanks solely to his tip-slam over Shaq. Bargnani meanwhile has hit some shots and looks to have carried his preseason form over to the regular season, and has scored 2, 4, and 8 points over three games, meaning he is up for a 16 point game next. :)

Kyle Lowry is the other rookie of note, and has struggled with his shooting (1-7 so far), but pulled down 10 boards against the Knicks, which is pretty impressive for a 6-0 PG.

Let's Go Jazz!!

Oh, and Lakers too. :)

I love it when my teams are kicking ass.

Some early surprises:

Jazz, 4-0. I don't think anyone expected this good a start, but they have played 3 home games.
Sixers, 3-0. Korver has been on fire, but it can't last.
Atlanta, 2-1. Over .500??
Miami, 1-2. Everyone knows that the Heat don't show up till the postseason, and injuries haven't helped.
Suns, 1-3. Suns looking great in the preseason.
Dallas, 0-3. Ouch.

Still early days, but a lot of sucky teams are doing OK, while the three main contenders (Suns, Mavs, Heat) are starting slow. Of course, it's not how you start, but how you finish.

Lowery and Gay are going to be big moves for Memphis down the line.

Thebo is going to be a stud for the Bulls.

The Wizards had a nice heated battle for starting center this preseason (and this season, evidently) with Etan Thomas emerging as the winner.

He put up monster numbers last night against ORL (15 boards and 6 blocks). If they can get their perimeter defense straight, this could be the kind of breakthrough that gets them deeper into the playoffs...

I was just about to post this too. I think it's funny. Haywood seems to think the starting spot is his by birthright or something, despite the fact that he only shows up once every five games. Thomas, meanwhile, has just been amazing so far so it's not a good time for Haywood to get too fired up about it.

Cavs fall to 2-2 with losses to the BobCraps and the Hawks. Man, someone needs to get this team a fucking PG and a real head coach.

Yup, 2 nice wins by the Spurs and Wizards completely negated by two horrible losses.

We need a bench, because Hughes and Z are not consistent scorers, and currently we have no one else to step in and pick up the slack. Donyell Marshall is the only guy on the bench capable of putting some points up, and he spends far too much time shooting 3s. Outside of that we have Damon Jones getting far too much court time and David Wesley doing nothing at all with his time either. Meanwhile we draft one potentially electric scorer in Brown, and he barely hits the court. Against the Hawks, our bench scored 15 points on 6-24 shooting, 12 of which were from Marshall.

I understand that Coach Brown is all about the D, but you aren't going to win games shooting .363%, even with LeBron playing his best.

Thursday, November 9, 2006

Randolph, Bynum among early surprise studs

---

By John Hollinger
ESPN Insider

It's the most ancient early-season conundrum -- when is a good start merely a hot streak, and when does it signify something more? We're a week into the season and every team has a few games under its belt, so it's time to take a look at which players are vastly exceeding their expectations for this season. But that look has to be tempered by a bit of reality -- for most of these guys, we'd barely notice if they did the same thing during a five-game stretch in mid-January. What we would notice, however, is if they kept it up for the entire season. And for at least some of these players, that's probably what's going to happen. I look at it this way -- yes, I could go back and find a five-game stretch when Zach Randolph has played this well. But if I took a random five-game stretch of Randolph's career, it's exceedingly unlikely that I'd find a stretch when he played so well. On the other hand, turning this logic on its head yields a different approach. In a league with about 300 players seeing regular action, we'd expect several of them to play better than par in a five-game stretch just by random chance. So it's not unusual that a large number of players have stats at this point that are well above, or well below, the expectation. What I'm doing today, then, is highlighting not only the players who are playing far better than expected but also those whose performance is important or telling for some particular reason. Eleven players stand out in that respect, so let's take a look at them:

Zach Randolph, Blazers: Is it possible for somebody to win the Most Improved Award twice? Randolph won it three years ago but is playing ridiculously well to start this season, reminding everyone why the Blazers gave him that oft-ridiculed six-year, $84 million extension. Overwhelming the Sonics in the opener was one thing -- really, who doesn't? -- but hanging 35 and 37 on the two L.A. teams was an eye opener. He's obviously in much better shape, too, after struggling to return from knee surgery a year ago. Randolph leads the league in player efficiency rating and is fourth in scoring, helping Portland to a surprising 3-2 start. Now let's see if he can keep showing up on time for the games.

Carlos Arroyo, Magic: We're about to have a full-blown point guard controversy in Orlando, because it's getting tougher and tougher to justify keeping Arroyo off the floor. Starter Jameer Nelson hasn't been chopped liver, but with Arroyo scoring at a phenomenal rate (27.9 points per 40 minutes) in addition to his usual stellar playmaking, it's all but impossible to keep him on the pine. Not only does his jumper look vastly improved, but he seems to have calmed down on the hotdogging and is just making the play the defense gives him.

Charlie Villanueva, Bucks: Remember in the preseason, when Villanueva kept fouling like crazy and couldn't stay on the court? He sure seems to have figured things out pretty quickly, eh? We all knew Charlie V could score, but the surprise here is that he's turned into a monster on the boards, grabbing 9.6 per game while sporting one of the league's top per-minute rebound rates. I'm not sure he can keep rebounding at quite such a prolific clip, but suffice it to say the Bucks are more than pleased with the newcomer's production. But since Raptors fans keep telling me I'm preaching to the choir here, I won't mention anything about how Milwaukee obtained him.

Andrew Bynum, Lakers: Memo to Phil Jackson: You might want to consider playing this guy more than 21.2 minutes per game. Check out Bynum's 40-minute averages: 21.1 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Plus, he's shooting 65.6 percent. Not bad for a 19-year-old kid with limited game experience. While he's unlikely to play at such an exalted level for 82 games, methinks Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm aren't getting their jobs back.

Quentin Richardson, Knicks: He's an early contender for the prestigious "Let's Just Pretend Last Season Never Happened Award." Richardson's balky back is feeling much better, thanks, and he's picked up right where he left off two years ago in Phoenix. Actually, he's gone one better, hitting 54.2 percent from the floor while averaging 19.8 points and 6.8 boards. As one of the few Knicks who isn't a legend in his own mind, Richardson has become a solid pillar in New York's otherwise crumbling edifice.

Joe Johnson, Hawks: With Al Harrington gone, the Hawks basically asked Johnson to pull a Kobe and just take every shot. Amazingly, it's working. Only Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade have a higher usage rate than the Hawks' guard, but it hasn't seemed to impact Johnson's efficiency at all -- his true shooting percentage of 58.0 remains well above the league average. Throw in a few over-their-head-efforts from Zaza Pachulia and Tyronn Lue and the Hawks are shockingly on top of the East at 3-1 -- a sight far better than the 2-16 egg they laid to begin last season.

Andris Biedrins, Warriors: I'm still kicking myself for leaving him off my All-Breakout Team, because coach Don Nelson abandoned his small-ball lineup after one game and put this Latvian lefty in as the starting center. It's not unusual to see players with incredibly high or low shooting percentages this early in the year (that means you, Fabricio), but in Biedrins' case it's more legit than most -- he shot 68.9 percent a year ago, so his 81 percent mark so far this year shouldn't be too big a shock. Throw in his 2.6 blocks a game, and it looks like the starting center job is his. By the way, what's up with all the good big-man prospects having the initials "A.B."? -- there's Bynum, Bogut, Biedrins and Bargnani, and Washington fans will add Andray Blatche to that group. Somewhere in Europe right now I'm sure there's a kid named Aleksandar Brzszyfjwz ready to take the league by storm.

Kevin Martin, Kings: When I made my All-Breakout Team, I said, "Martin won't shoot as well as he did a year ago..." Perhaps I spoke too soon. Martin is hitting 54.2 percent from the field while averaging 23.4 points per game for the Kings, including a 30-point outburst against Detroit Wednesday night.

Sam Cassell, Clippers: This was supposed to be the year that the old, fading Cassell gave way to young stud Shaun Livingston and transitioned into a Yoda role, teaching Livingston the ways of the force but rarely participating in battle. One snag: Cassell can still play. Sam I Am singlehandedly pulled out the Denver game, and he has stayed on fire since. He's averaging 22.8 points per game in just 29.8 minutes, and he's doing it with just 15.8 shots a game because he's getting to the line so much.

Etan Thomas and Antawn Jamison, Wizards: While Washington is only 2-2, its frontcourt has been far better than expected. Jamison doesn't seem the least bit winded from his run with the U.S. team this past summer, carving up opposing power forwards to the tune of 24.3 points, 58.0 percent shooting and the league's No. 4 PER. (By the way: Five of the top six players in PER so far played international ball this summer. Just saying.) Meanwhile, The Poet has provided the interior toughness Washington hoped for, at least when he isn't practicing kung fu with Brendan Haywood in the locker room. He has hit 76 percent of his shots, pulled down his share of boards, and most importantly, defended the rim, with 10 blocks in the first four games.

John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. To e-mail him, click here.

Phoenix is determined to try and win a championship without playing any sort of defense. It won't work that way.

So after those 2 losses, they destroy what many called a championship calibre Bulls squad. At least it appears that they realize david Wesley is done, and are going to give Pavlosuck a chance to get minutes off of the bench.

Yeah, so whomever has the Larry Hughes Voodoo doll, you could put it away sometime.

And KMart and DMiles are both already done for the season. Kmart being away from Denver all year will probably end up being a +EV situation for them anyways.

Watch out for Portland's 20 years old rookie Sergio Rodriguez. He was not playing at all and Portland was thinking on sending him to the DL to get used to the NBA rules and play style while learning English language, but... they gave him a few minutes in the last 2 games and he showed why he is thought as one of the most promising young European players. Look at his two last games assists numbers:

He didn't play at all before this two last games, then...
12 minutes 8 assists 1 turnover
26 minutes 8 assists 1 turnover

He scored only 2 points per game as he is more focused now on passing, but he averaged 19ppg in Spain so he knows how to shoot too.

If he is given play time he will show why he is one of the best passers in Europe and the best in Spain and he is only 20 years old. He is really quick both with his feet and brain.

His main problem now is that he knows zero English so he is having communication problems with his team mates and coach. Imagine how he can team-play once he knows at least some English.

since hes on the Jailblazers his first american words he will learn are; Ho, refer, Gat'

My thoughts on the early season:

The Jazz are playing out of their mind.
The Heat are horrible. Not just bad, they are horrible.
Dwight Howard is a beast.
The Lakers are better than I thought.
KG is going to blow up in 3, 2, 1. . .
The Joe Johnson signing looks better and better everyday. . .
Mainly because Boris Diaw has forgotten how to play basketball.
There is a very good chance the Bulls trade of JR Smith for Howard Eisley and 2 second round picks will be one of the top ten worst trades in league history. The kid can play. He's raw as hell, but damn does he have talent.
Memphis really, really, really misses Pau.

Monta Ellis has quickly become my favorite NBA player. The kid is awful quick and has a lot of poise for such a youngster. How did he last into the 2nd round last year?

Anyone see that *sick* block Kobe had on Deron Williams' dunk attempt last night?

Wow.

Leather ball will return on Jan. 1
 

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com



NBA commissioner David Stern, in a stunning reversal, has decided to shelve the new microfiber composite basketball after just a few months of use and switch back to the old leather model for all games starting Jan. 1, according to sources close to the situation.


The decision will be formally announced by the league Tuesday, sources told ESPN.com.


Despite an avalanche of player complaints about the new synthetic model from the first day of training camp in October, skepticism was high among players that Stern would consent to a change during the season. But with a number of prominent players complaining of cuts on their hands caused by the new ball's high-friction cover -- Phoenix's Steve Nash and New Jersey's Jason Kidd among them -- Stern was forced to concede that an in-season swap was unavoidable with the new ball inflicting injuries.


Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com.



Is King David going soft? Nah

I'm surprised Stern changed direction on this, but with the finger cuts it's probably unavoidable.

I'm no GM of a professional sport league or anything, but maybe next time they should try and thoroughly test new equipment before unleashing it in the league? But I guess it's only the freakin' ball, so it's not like it's important to the game or anything... :P

.

Probably a train wreck in the making, which would be interesting to watch, I'll tune in for a while at least. But with the success TNT has with their announcing crews (I can't think of a national network that does better in any sport) maybe the two bald men will do a good job.

I saw this other article in late December and didn't see it posted anywhere here and thought it was worth a look. Etan Thomas (vice president of union) has a blog on slam online and when talking about the ball change posted this tidbit.



The whole article is here hxxp://slamonline.com/online/2006/12/etan-thomas-the-dawn-of-a-new-era/

I personally love this idea, while I don't think you can go to fully non-guaranteed contracts, cause then the league will become like baseball where the free agent dollars of NYC and LA will kill Mil, Sac, SLC or any of the other small markets. I think you can have contracts guaranteed for 3 or 4 years max, thus getting rid of some of the deadweight contracts you see (CWebb, just about every Knick.) Making trades actually about the players instead of these annoying "acquiring cap space" deals.

So, word out of Philly is that Chris Webber surrendered about 5 million, and pocketed about 27 million out of the 32 or so left on his contract for a buyout. While he may not be a 20 million dollar player, as a minsal player for a playoff calibre team he should be a pretty big boost to whomever he signs with.

He'd be a great fit for the Bulls if only Skiles weren't our coach.

Big Trade Today....


Pacers get 2 white guys on huge (unwarranted) contracts in Murphy and Dunleavy, Warriors get overpaid Al Harrington, and the leagues #1 jackass, Steven Jackson. Should be an interesting trade

Not sorry to see Dungleavy go, but Murphy is a good player that just can't stay healthy and was a poor fit with Nellie's system. If he can stay on the court, he should do much better with a team that plays more half court offense. Diogu is raw but should end up being a good player for them too.

The Warriors got better, both in terms of pure talent and getting players the coach can best utilize. They also got some salary cap relief to help pay guys like Pietrus, Ellis and Biedrins in the near future. It is always a concern bringing in a guy with the baggage Jackson is hauling around.

How the hell does Mullin sell this one to the fans? No way would I have taken Jackson.

Mullin is too busy doing his best Isiah impression to care.

In other news, watch Tony Allen absolutely destroy his knee on a totally stupid move.




Hey Momma, I'm going to dunk when it doesn't count.....ouch there goes my acl/mcl.

Rumor Has it.....

Pau Gasol was inactive Friday night, despite not being hurt. The Bulls are supposedly close to a deal that will send Gordon, PJ Brown and i believe the so-called "Oden Pick" of the Knicks to Memphis for Gasol. Bigtime aggresive move for the Bulls, and I think it takes them out of the East.

Of the Big Four Youngin's (Hinrich, Deng, Nocioni, Gordon), Gordon is the one I would trade first. I like it if it's true.

*AS LONG* as the Knick's pick is conditional.

The Knicks are *gasp* probably going to make the playoffs. If not, they still will not get enough balls to be a viable threat to get Oden or Durant. So if you're looking at maybe trading the draft rights to Joakim Noah for Pau Gasol, I think you pull that trigger, cause you can win a title this year....

I wonder if the Bulls ought to give Garnett one last shot before doing this deal - Gasol is a great player, but KG is a top 10 talent, and Gordon/Brown/Thomas and the no 1 pick might get it done (Thomas doesn't seem to have any apparent place on the Bulls).

It's the Knicks. They can still blow it in amazing fashion. :)

You gotta protect that pick if it somehow it turns into the #1 overall (stranger things have happened), but I doubt that'd be a sticking point anyway. Pretty standard fare.

I just don't think the Bulls can part with enough to make it work. You can't blow up half the team for one player, and Garnett ain't getting any younger. And dammit, I do not want them to give up on Thomas.

By the by, if the Gordon / Gasol trade is actually true, that puts the Bulls rookie I'm *really* impressed with, Thabo Sefalosha, theoretically in the starting lineup. Bulls with a guard who is taller than 6'3" appeals to me greatly.

Um, now I feel all jb, but supposedly Gasol had a minor strain of his foot. Still very odd to notice that he was out, with swirling trade rumors, and no real injury notices out anywhere.

The only reason I am hesitant to trade Gordon is that he is the only player on this team who has shown a *killer instinct* when the game is on the line. He has ice in his veins and you can't teach that.

Except that really hasn't shown up this season. Gordon or not, the Bulls have blown several leads, they haven't pulled off those insane Gordon-led comebacks of last season, etc. When it all boils down, he's an undersized, ~20ppg shooter. Doesn't suck to have, but not a key component.

Your NBA All Stars
 

First things first, though I am a big Heat fan, there is no way Shaq should be starting or even on the team. Dwight Howard should be starting and Andrew Bogut is porbably worthy of a backup slot if needed. Nice to see Chris Bosh recognized. In the West, I have a bigger problem with Nowitzki not starting than I do Nash. The selection of Boozer is interesting since he was injured prior to the announcement and allows Carmelo Anthony to make his way onto the team.

Rookie Challenge
 

Rookies
Andrea Bargnani Toronto
Jordan Farmar L.A. Lakers
Randy Foye Minnesota
Jorge Garbajosa Toronto
Rudy Gay Memphis
Paul Millsap Utah
Adam Morrison
Brandon Roy Portland
Marcus Williams New Jersey


Sophmores

Andrew Bogut Milwaukee
Andrew Bynum L.A. Lakers
Monta Ellis Golden State
Raymond Felton Charlotte
Danny Granger Indiana
Luther Head Houston
David Lee New York
Chris Paul NOK
Deron Williams Utah

Hopefully LeBrick will get suspended for like 5 games for assaulting Wade, and miss out on the (meaningless) game and festivities. He can spend his current time shooting 10k free throws. Gah, I'm pissed right now.

Thank god there is a lottery, cause the Celtics aren't even being subtle about losing this year. I understand how Pierce being injured can hurt your team, but they are like 2-20 without him, including 14 straight losses. Is it really expected that this group of losers is actually going to do something when Pierce and Oden/Durant are on the squad? Cause CBA'ers should be able to win at least 5-8 out of 22 games.

#7 pick for Telfair, and now the guy can't get off the bench? At least Curry is playing this year, sadly Isiah >>>>>>>>Danny Ainge

At what point are the C's going to stop the youth movement? 10 members of the 15 man roster have three years experience or less.

Okay, the Celts are now 0 out of 18....they play Milwaukee on wednesday, that's possibly winnable for them. Then it's @Sac, @PHX, @LAL, @ UTAH, @HOU after the break. Sac is pretty mediocre, but Arco is still hard to play at. Pretty solid chance this thing gets over 20...

Wed 28th vs NY, Friday Mar 9th vs Seattle are probably winnable.... but honestly it could go 30 if PP doesn't explode now that he's back...

The trade deadline is almost here. The biggest rumor is Jason Kidd going to the Lakers in exchange for garbage (except for Jordan Farmar). Seriously, any combination of Kwame Brown, Chris Mihm, Smush Parker, and Brian Cook make no sense for the Nets whatsoever. The Cavs are looking for a point guard (Mike Bibby?) and the Pau Gasol trade talk to the Bulls seems to have fizzled. As for the Heat, they may make a minor deal for a guard but I would much rather them stay put. Picking up Eddie Jones and getting Shaq is as good as any trade they could make at the deadline.

Do you think Pippen will indeed make a comeback? And if so, where?

I don't believe he will... I just can't think of a team that would need him right now.

I'm pretty desperate for Bibby, but I hope they don't trade Verejao or Gibson to bring him back. I think that some combo of Gooden/Hughes/Marshall/others may get it done, especially with a 3rd team involved. Should be interesting anyways.

And of course, they beat Milwaukee. I hope Oden and durant stay in school.

I could see him going to L.A. Phil Jackson and all that. Especially if L.A. ends up trading away some depth in order to get Jason Kidd.

Otherwise, maybe he makes sense for a contender who has a regular rotation player go down with an injury. In that instance, he could log some good minutes off the bench.

Do I think he should? No

Do I think he will? Yes

Do I think someone will sign him? Yes

If Cliff Robinson, Robert Horry, and Dale Davis are all still in the league, Scottie Pippen can give a team something. From what I have read, the Cavs have an interest. This is the type of team I think would sign him. A team that is young and would benefit for getting a player with Scottie's experience. Especially if they don't have to trade anyone to get him. I would also put Toronto in that category. I am not so sure I want him on the Heat either though that is where he would like to play. Kapono is beginning to show he can play a role on the team, Eddie Jones can get some minutes at the three. Add on Posey and I can see a numbers crunch if they sign Pippen.

All that being said, I don't think he should come back. While the Cavs and/or the Raptors would benefit from getting a Scottie Pippen, I am not sure Scottie Pippen would benefit for those teams. To my knowledge, Pippen has not embraced the whole "mentor role" that is needed to join a young team. Every "old" team already has a player to fill the role that Scottie would fill. I am guessing Pippen is looking at 15-20 minutes a night with whomever he signs with. I am not sure he gets that with a veteran team.

I thought about the Lakers and Raptors are options too. Lakers make the most sense in my opinion, but I just don't think it'll happen. The Raptors have such a good chemistry right now, and have a role for all their players. I think Pippen would do more harm than good right now.

Haven't thought about the Cavs...

I forgot all about the Lakers. Not sure how I could do that with Jackson as coach. With those injuries, I might make that move before I worry about getting Kidd. It would be interesting to see how he follows the leadership of Kobe.

"You're nothing compared to Jordan."
*WACK*

Sounds like the Nets are holding out for Andrew Bynum. Do the Lakers want Jason Kidd that badly?

That D-Wade injury does not look good for the Heat.

Hopefully NJ changes their mine and want Kwame Brown, along with Cook plus Chris Mim and Aaron Mckie expire contracts this off season plus a 1st round pick.

If the Lakers can end up keeping Bynum and Farmar that will be great.

A team with Odom, Kobe, Walton, Bynum, Farmar, Turiaf and Jason Kidd the future is great. Then go after Kevin Garnett next season.

I'm sure they could get Andrew Bynum.

But only if they threw in two first round picks and Richard Jefferson?

Somehow, despite losing Paul, West, Peja (who is still out), and Bobby Jackson for a month at the same time, the Hornets would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. The team did a good job of doing somewhat decent with a lineup of Tyson Chandler, Desmond Mason, Devin Brown, Rasaul Butler, and Marc Jackson. Now they are getting their stuff together for a run for the playoffs.

C'mon Ferry, get me some Bibby today. As long as it doesn't cost Verejao or LeBron(duh).