[Izulde]

Apparently NBA trades are showing up now again, but I'm feeling dreadfully lazy and not in the mood to go back and find them all, so I'll just mention the latest one, which also appears to be the most interesting.

Milwaukee Bucks receive:
SG Randy Foye
Minnesota Timberwolves 2010 2nd round pick

Minnesota Timberwolves receive:
PG Javaris Crittenton
SG Kevin Logan
SF Ruben Patterson

What this means for the Bucks:
Randy Foye is a solid, steady scorer to team up with Michael Redd, so from Milwaukee's offensive standpoint, it's a good thing, as the Bucks seemed primed for a playoff spot this year. Only who's going to run the point now? Milwaukee's going with Redd, though Foye is probably better suited.

What this means for the Timberwolves:
Javaris Crittenton, the biggest piece of the puzzle, has potential to be a perfect pure NBA PG someday, but he's not going to reach that potential in Minneapolis, where he's a backup to the more polished rookie PG Major Drayton. Kevin Logan provides some scoring punch off the bench and Ruben Patterson is a great defensive presence, if old.

Winner: Minnesota
Randy Foye's a decent second option, but not -that- good and the Bucks have no true PG now. The Timberwolves may only get 3 half-season rentals here, but Javaris Crittenton is worth retaining -if- he can get quality minutes and their offense is good enough with Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis that Foye won't be missed. A Crittenton/Drayton backcourt is an intriguing future possibility, particularly since Davis is 30 years old and the 19-38 Timberwolves are likely to be rebuilding for a while.

Seth Chambliss was signed by the Clippers and gets paid $745,248 to be a garbage-time man. Although [b]Mackel Greenleaf[/b[ is a good starter, I really don't like not having two legitimate PGs, so I sign PG Jarrius Jackson, who played well for me with the Anaheim Cats last year.

105-76 thrashing of Colorado to start March, Brandon Hunter a perfect 7/7 from the bench to score 15 points. I knew there was a reason why I tried to maintain continuity with my guys.

We take out Arkansas 108-89 and the victory over the Rattlers is huge in terms of getting up to second place. Seven Mammoths in double-digit scoring, the benchmen to top 10 points being Renaldas Seibutis (14) and Brandon Hunter and Nick Sanders with 10 a piece.

You know, it's kind of ironic... Way back at the beginning, when I first took over the Knicks, I seriously thought about re-hiring Jeff Van Gundy to come back and coach the team, but I didn't want to spoil his previous New York magic.

And here it is, three years later, and I hired him anyway as head coach of my D-League team and he's been an absolute master at turning around the Austin Mammoths' season. Funny how life works sometimes.

Naturally, right after I finish that philosophical thought process, Van Gundy has his first loss in the D-League, an 84-74 defeat to Tulsa despite all five Mammoths starters in double digits, Kenneth Holland with 15 points and 16 rebounds.

And then we lose 100-93 to Idaho. Ugh, this is not how I wanted to finish off our season, with a losing streak building. But B.J. Whitehead missed the last two games with an injury and that hurts, even if Brandon Hunter double-doubled with 14 points and 13 rebounds in his absence this game.

Oh shoot! That reminds me... I forgot to update on the Utah Six! I'll have to do that at season's end.

Sioux Falls falls 95-80 as we turn things around with B.J. Whitehead's return, even though Rodney White was the hero of the game with 21 points. Aaron Gray double-doubled from the bench with 14 points and 12 rebounds, because we no longer have the recalled Kenneth Holland. Brandon Hunter stepped into the middle with no problems, though, double-doubling himself with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The much-needed win over the Commodores kicks off a brutal stretch of 5 games in 7 days. The first doubleheader we split, dropping 91-85 to Arkansas of all teams and rebounding to top Dakota 92-74 the next night. The Rattlers' loss came despite double-doubles from B.J. Whitehead (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Brandon Hunter (12 points, 13 rebounds. B.J. Whitehead crushed the Great Apes for 23 points and 10 rebounds, Aaron Gray chipping in 10 bench points.

Of course, what happens before our next doubleheader against Fort Worth?

That's right.

B.J. Whitehead gets shot back up to the NBA by the Rockets. ARGH!

Out of desparation, we sign 35 year old Antonio McDyess, who's old and not very good anymore, despite having played in 75 games a piece for the Pistons and Nets in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

We eke out an 85-82 win over Fort Worth in Game One. Don't ask me how we did it. Renaladas Seibutis and Nick Sanders scoring 12 points a piece with the reserves had a lot to do with it, though.

Mackel Greenleaf is recalled by the Celtics immediately following the game, so we have to add yet another new player. This is really not cool, but 26 year old PG Michael Nolan is the best of an awful free agent lot.

So it's really no surprise when we lose 85-76 to the stinking Colonials in Game Two. Jarron Collins was great from the bench with 16 points, but everyone else sucked. Our team chemistry has now been thoroughly raped.

92-77 loss to Albuquerque. 79-75 loss to Arkansas. I'm starting to really freaking hate the Rattlers.

That ends March and we're tied for 3rd with Tulsa, 4 games back of Arkansas and Sioux Falls who are tied for the East lead. I'm going through the rest of the season, but not before signing someone who can score, because honestly Aaron Gray may be over 7' tall and I may have loved watching him play college ball, but a legitimate starting C for any type of pro team he's not.

So do I sign a new big man? No, I sign 36 year old SG Michael Finley, who's still got game and is another Badger State bloke, or at least he went to college there. Yeah, yeah I know, that bit me in New York too, but what have we got to lose?

Oh look, Mackel Greenleaf's back. Whether he was there for our last two defeats, I don't know, because I was so irate at losing three games in a row I didn't look at those box scores.

And we go to four in a row, losing 81-75 to Dakota. Bloody freaking hell.

We finally snap the streak, downing Tulsa 96-84 as Brandon Hunter gets 16 points and 16 rebounds and Antonio McDyess and Jarron Collins contribute 12 points a piece, but we lose the next night to Fort Worth and the blood vessels in my head are dying to explode, making me die too.

Forget about second place. That's long gone. But we can still finish third as long as we don't screw up in the doubleheader against Dakota for the season finale. Given how we've been playing lately, that's not a sure thing.

We lose 85-81 in the first game. Joy.

We bounce back to win our regular season finale 100-82 as Rodney White scores 20, Mackel Greenleaf double-doubles with 10 points and 12 assists and Nick Sanders, Renaladas Seibutis and Aaron Gray all hit double-digit scoring from the bench, but it's not a joyous feeling. Even finally having Kenneth Holland back doesn't excite me.

Because we finish the year 28-22, tied for 3rd place in the East with Tulsa. I think we hold tiebreaker advantage, but so what? I had high hopes for this Mammoths team and they go and sucked it on me, even after the Jeff Van Gundy hiring.

Oh well. The playoffs are a whole new ballgame and if things break right, maybe we can come out on top with a title.

That would be sweet justice.

I don't feel like stats updating. I'll do it after the playoffs are concluded.