The Sports Rumors

Draft Blog

What’s up people. I’m just going to keep a running blog of what’s going on during the draft. I’ll have the time on the left and then whatever is happening will be written after that. Enjoy!

(I actually forgot to type the time in for the first few minutes)

No surprises with the first four picks (Oden, Durant, Horford, Conley Jr.)

Boston mixes things up a bit. With the 5^th pick, they draft Jeff Green from Georgetown. Reports have it that they are going to trade Jeff Green for Ray Allen, bringing Paul Pierce a solid player as he requested. I don’t see how getting a 32 year old who’s way past his prime in exchange for young talent is sensible, but I’m not Danny Ainge, so thank god for that.

YES! I’m so happy right now. Yi Jianlian just got drafted by the Bucks! I hate this guy. He was trying to choose his destination like he’s Kobe or Garnett. What a joke. This guy released a video with him practicing against a freaking chair. I’m so glad Milwaukee drafted him and pulled him down into a small market. This guy is going to suck anyway but I’m glad he got screwed. By the way, what a great job by ESPN to display the vital information on Yi. I’m so glad and feel so much more informed now that I know his height, weight, hometown, and how he was at the premiere for “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Shrek 3”. Seriously, what would I do without that investigative, inside information.

Corey Brewer to Minnesota. Good pick. Solid defensive player that will develop his offensive game. Joakim Noah: Way to be a great ex teammate and looking so happy when Brewer got selected. Jerk. He looked so mad, or as if he was going to tackle Brewer for getting picked above him. Way to be a good sport buddy. By the way, your hair is ugly and you look like a gay French painter.

8:18 – Charlotte just drafted Brandan Wright, forward from UNC. Wow what a surprise. Michael Jordan drafted a Tar Heel. It is a good pick though. Lots of talent and potential. Only question mark about him is his passion but I think Jordan had to have a good feeling about him to draft him this high. But then again, Jordan did have a good feeling about you know who (ahem, Kwame, ahem).

8:21 – Stephen A. Smith. Please. Stop yelling. We can hear you. Someone give this guy a hug, he’s always so angry. He just yelled at how Wright was a good pick, but I felt like I got caught doing something really bad.

Some downtime in between picks. I can’t believe K.G. didn’t get moved after all the hoopla the past week. Think about how pissed Kobe has to be right now. Unless they do something in the next day or so, I’m predicting another Kobe episode next week. Chicago is about to make the 9^th overall selection.

8:25 – Joakim Noah to the Bulls. Good pick, I guess. I really can’t get a good feel of how good this guy really is. I think he’s a bit overrated but he does hustle so that will fit in well with Skiles of Chicago.

Sacramento, Atlanta, and Philly are up next. Why does every graphic that ESPN shows say “Must Improve: Strength”?

Stuart Scott just told us what kind of shampoo Joakim Noah uses. Thanks Stuart. You’re ontop of your game tonight.

Tim Duncan’s commercial is on right now. God, even his commercials are boring.

8:32 – Spencer Hawes goes to Sacramento with the 10^th pick. I don’t really care about this pick or team. Both are boring. Haha Bilas just made this pick look ridiculous. How does a 7 footer average 6 rebounds in college. That’s weak. Bilas said he’s not a good athlete, can’t rebound well, and isn’t good at shotblocking. Well, he averaged 14ppg, so he can’t really score. Sacramento drafted him because…? oh that’s right, they’re Sacramento/

Stuart Scott just told us that Hawes has a “God Bless George Bush” bumper sticker on his car. …. Okay? I’m sure he also has a “God Bless Isiah Thomas” bumper sticker too.

8:36 – John Paxon has some greasy ass hair now. Looks like Pat Riley Jr.

8:37 – Stephen A. Smith Shouting Alert.

8:38 – Atlanta picks Acie Law IV with the 11^th pick. Great pick. I love watching Law play. Great team player who has the ability to take over games in the final minutes and Atlanta needed a point guard desperately. Solid pick.

8:44 – Stephen A. Smith Shouting Alert.

8:45 – Marc Jackson just made an attempt at a joke. It failed.

8:46 – With the 12^th pick, Philly picks Thaddeus Young from Georgia Tech. Stupid pick by a really stupid general manager (Billy King). I’m not even going to waste energy typing about this pick or this franchise because they don’t know what they are doing and its pointless to even try and break them down. Whatever.

8:47 – Bathroom Break.

8:52 – Julian Wright to the New Orleans Hornets at 13. I like Wright. I think he’ll be a solid contributor in his first season. Clippers, Pistons and Wizards are next. I hope Nick Young is around for the Wizards.

8:58 – David Stern’s voice cracked like a 13 year old boy as he announced the pick of Al Thornton to the Clippers. This is good for the Wizards because I don’t think Pistons will draft a shooter like Nick Young when they already got RIP.

9:05 – Pistons pick Rodney Stuckey (a shooter) from Eastern Washington with the 15^th pick. This guy can score a lot. That’s about it though. “A poor man’s Dwayne Wade” is how Jay Bilas describes him. I guess that’s a good thing…right?

Man I hope the Wizards do the right thing and pick Nick Young. He has fallen into their lap. If they pass on him, I’m turning off the TV and going to sleep. Seriously.

9:10 – Wizards select Nick Young from USC with the 16^th pick overall. THANK YOU Ernie Grunfield. I love this pick. This kid and score, he’s explosive, he plays above the rim, and shot 44% from three point range. Great pick to go with Gilbert Arenas in the backcourt and in Eddie Jordan’s Princeton style offense. Jersey and Golden State pick the next two and then it’s the Lakers pick.

9:11 – Stephen A. Smith Shouting Alert.

9:13 – Ric Bucher announces New York Knicks acquire Zach Randolph for Steve Francis (plus other meaningless players essentially). Finally a good move for NY. Questionable move for Portland. What do you see in Francis when you got Brandon Roy and Jarrett Jack along with Juan Dixon in the backcourt. I don’t really understand their thinking.

Wow Stephen A. Smith is screaming about how good this trade was. Why is he screaming!!!

9:16 – Nets select Sean Williams. Everyone saw that coming. This guy will either be a great player or a complete bust who gets arrested and goes to jail.

Two more picks and then I’m signing out folks because now the draft is getting boring. I’ll have a run through of anything meaningful that happened after the Lakers pick at 17 in tomorrows column. We got Golden State and then LA to go, then I’m outta here. My dog’s bladder is going to explode if I make her wait any longer.

9:23 – Golden State picks Marco Belinelli from Italy, and the crowd is awkwardly quiet because they have no idea who this guy is. He dropped 25 on Team USA last year in 28 minutes. That in itself is pretty impressive, even though Team USA hasn’t been its normal self.

Lakers pick is next. I think I’m getting excited for no reason. There isn’t anyone big time left on the board and there obviously isn’t going to be a trade.

Ric Bucher reports that Kobe hasn’t changed his stance at all. If they had gotten KG, he would pause and reconsider but obviously they didn’t get Garnett so Kobe still wants out. Stephen A is yelling again. I had to turn the volume down.

9:29 – The Lakers use the 19^th pick to select Javaris Crittenton from Georgia Tech, a point guard. Second consecutive year they picked a point guard. Mitch Kupchak really seems to know what he’s doing.

Dick Vitale is yelling. Stephen A Smith is yelling back at him. I can’t take this anymore. My TV speakers just exploded and my ears are bleeding. Good night folks.

(I don’t understand how microphones work)

Message to My Growing Number of Fans

Hey everyone. Thanks for checking in as usual and thanks also for getting my link out to others. The number of visitors is growing a lot each day and I actually have some European readers, which is great. As long as I have people reading, I will continue to post things as often as I can throughout the day and hopefully give you all an outlet from a boring day at work or school or wherever you may be.

Also, feel free to leave comments or emails for me telling me what you like/dislike, what stories you want to have more or less written about, and what different sports you want me to cover other than just the NBA. I’m going to start posting NFL and MLB stuff up here as well but feel free to contact me..

Email Me Comments/Suggestions/Stories

That being said…

Damn today sucks. This is one of the most boring mornings in a long time. I was hoping for today to be buzzing with stories left and right and trades going down but it has been dreadful. Here is a quick rundown of the news of the day.. if you can even call it that.

Quick Stories

-The KG to Phoenix trade seems to be dying, again. There have been two three-way-trade possibilities tossed around; one including Boston and one including Atlanta. Neither looks like it’s going to happen as of right now. Of course it takes one phone call or one side giving in to change everything so Suns fans shouldn’t lose hope just yet.

-Ray Allen is reportedly being shopped around the league. A trade isn’t likely but it seems that the Sonics are trying to get a general idea of his value. Boston was the only team mentioned talking with Seattle but don’t expect anything to happen. It wouldn’t even make much sense for either side.

-Kobe hasn’t budged on his stance.

-Lakers look like they are going after Jermaine O’neal now. I think that’d be a lateral move if you get rid of Odom and Bynum but what do I know; obviously Kupchak is a genius and knows how to get equal value back like he did for Shaq. Oh wait, thats right.. he didn’t.

Thats about it people. Hopefully things pick up in the next few hours with the NBA Draft less than 8 hours away. What a letdown it would be if NO trades happened. Especially after all the hype and hoopla the past two weeks. Stay tuned…

(I had to give you all something!)

Three Stars, Three Incompetent GMs

(Mitch Kupchak: Man.. I suck.)

Could you have a collection of greater veteran talent that all wants to be moved in the same month, surrounded by a collection of worse general managers? I honestly don’t think it’s possible. You’re talking about the dream team of idiots when it comes to McHale, Ainge, and Kupchak. (Actually wait. It could be worse. Isiah Thomas could jump in and offer 10 years worth of draft picks, Stephon Marbury, and Hillary Clinton….. for Luke Walton.)

You have two of the most established superstars in the league with Kobe and Garnett, plus a very good perennial All-Star in Pierce and these, for lack of a better word, idiots, cannot put together a feasible trade. McHale went from not wanting to trade K.G. at all and possibly letting him walk next offseason for NOTHING, to wanting picks 1-15 of the draft, 3 or 4 All Stars, a couple of expiring contracts, and a sack of diamonds. Ainge couldn’t get his kid to play in Boston if he begged him to, because everyone knows how terribly run that franchise is. I don’t blame Shawn Marion or Jermaine O’neal or K.G. for not wanting to go there. I’d rather go to the Washington Mystics than play for the Celtics right now. And of course, there is Mitch Kupchak a.k.a. “I think Kwame Brown for Caron Butler is a step forward”. I’m not even going to start on him. This has been one of, if not, the craziest offseason that I can remember. In 36 hours, it should get crazier. But of course, since we’re dealing with the three stooges, don’t be surprised one bit if NO ONE gets traded.

So where are we at now? Again, as a deal was close to being made, a crazy twist was thrown in and a deal that went from being red hot hours before has now gone completely cold. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves have both said that the potential trade that would send Kevin Garnett to the Lakers is dead. This report coming less than 24 hours after news broke that the two sides were very close to completing the trade. The Timberwolves moronic and incompetent GM, Kevin McHale, is apparently not impressed with Lamar Odom or his contract which has 2 years and over 21 million remaining. The 19^th pick overall is also not high enough for McHale’s standards. However, don’t make the mistake of believing that this deal is completely dead, despite what both sides say. The announcement by the Charlotte Bobcats last night that they will be willing to trade both of their first round picks and facilitate a trade is exactly what the Lakers need. Also, keep an eye on Atlanta. Don’t be surprised if the Lakers send Odom, Bynum and their pick to Atlanta in exchange for Atlanta sending their draft picks (both) to Minnesota and then consequently, Garnett to the Lakers. A similar scenario could be worked out with the Bobcats as well. Phone lines will be off the hook and stress will be at an all time high for the next 36 hours.

In another wild and unusual twist, the Phoenix Suns are back into the Garnett sweepstakes. Sources say the Suns are considering sending Amare Stoudemire to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for them sending their draft picks to Minnesota and Minnesota then sending Garnett to the Suns. People inside the organization believe this trade to be very possible given reports of Stoudemire’s arrogant attitude and unstable relationship with Coach Mike D’antoni. Two-time MVP Steve Nash has also been said to have a big say in this deal which would send a first team All-NBA player out of town to bring in a 31 year old past-his-prime talent.

Basically what it comes down to is who can offer Atlanta (or Charlotte) the better deal in exchange for them sending their picks to Minnesota. It’s highly doubtful that either L.A. or Phoenix can complete a direct trade with Minnesota so more than likely, the third team will have to be involved and be able to offer a package that Minnesota likes. The Lakers and Suns will be competing furiously over the next 36 hours; not just because they want Garnett, but because neither side wants their bitter rival to end up with Garnett.

(I cannot believe that the Suns would be willing to move Amare Stoudemire. Is this going to be Steve Kerr’s first move as General Manager? Eeek. Good luck with that career buddy. This idea is preposterous to me and it makes absolutely no sense. I’m not even talking about the on the on the court numbers or any of that. Financially, as an organization, it makes NO sense. You have a two year window to win a title with Nash. Two years. Point blank. You ship out your 24 year old STUD who you can build around for years to come, and bring in an 31 year old with lots of miles and who may not play for than a couple of more years anyway? It’s hard to picture Garnett retiring because it seems like yesterday he came into the league. But step back from that for a second and think about this: At the end of the season two years from now, he will have completed his 14th NBA season. What’s the guarantee he’s going to start his 15th?

Where do you think the Suns’ organization will be two years from now? Nash will be old and on the decline or possibly retired. Same with Garnett. Basically the Suns are thinking that they can bring in K.G., ship out Amare, and in two years, start all over from ground zero but still be competitive. How? I don’t have a clue. They could go from a title contender to being lottery bound that easily. Makes no sense to me at all.)

Paul Pierce is also making his own waves now as his demands for a trade are starting to gain momentum. Danny Ainge and the Celtics are in big trouble at this point because they have pretty much been shunned by Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion. There are no other big name stars that they can bring in, as Pierce suggests. The next best thing is Jermaine O’neal but Ainge said he didn’t want to bring him in so that’s that. If the draft comes and goes, and the Celtics don’t bring in a big name player, Paul Pierce will be as good as gone. Danny Ainge’s clock is ticking louder than ever now, and he knows it.

In regards to Kobe and the Lakers feud, my friend Colin said it best:

“If LA misses the boat on this and KG goes to the Suns or something, it will just alienate Kobe
even more..just prove his point that they can’t get it done.”

This is it people. 36 hours until the draft. The moves that have been so heavily scrutinized for weeks will either go down any time now… or not happen at all. It’s put up or shut up for the teams involved and it’s pretty much a do or die situation for the three stooges.

(Could we see one of the best duo’s in history? We’ll know in less than 36 hours.)

Paul Pierce to Demand Trade Later this Week?

Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics has made it clear to management that if they do not acquire a veteran player this week, he will publicly demand a trade. This news was announced in the midst of intense trade talks involving four teams; Celtics, Timberwolves, Lakers, and Pacers. Under the proposed deal which Boston has apparently just backed out of, the Celtics would ship their pick in the draft and either Al Jefferson, or a package of younger players, to Minnesota and acquire Jermaine O’neal from Indiana. However, Ainge not being a fan of O’neal’s and a prior history of a somewhat verbal confrontation between the two makes it unlikely for the Celtics to participate in the blockbuster trade.

Upon hearing the news of Boston backing out and passing on a chance to get O’neal from Indiana, a little more than an hour ago, Pierce relayed a message inferring that Boston would have more problems later this week if a trade does not go through. Pierce will have fairly good trade value and plenty of teams would be interested in his services. The latest Pierce development out of Boston adds life to the potential blockbuster four team trade, just an hour after it was believed to have died. (12:45PM Eastern Time)

Minnesota, Los Angeles Still in Trade Talks
Shortly after it was reported that the four team blockbuster trade was losing life because of Boston backing out, news has broken that the Lakers and Timberwolves are still in serious talks about packaging players in an attempt to move Kevin Garnett. It is said that Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown would be sent to Minnesota for Garnett and disgruntled and overpaid guard Troy Hudson. The only snag in the deal is the Lakers draft choice is 19th overall, and the Timberwolves want a higher pick. If the four team blockbuster of earlier dies down completely, look for the Lakers to try and swing a higher pick from a different team to appease McHale of the Timberwolves.

Celtics Drop Out of Trade Talks

As of 11:20AM Eastern time, the Boston Celtics have dropped out of trade talks that would bring in Jermaine O’neal and send out their 5th overall pick as well as Al Jefferson to the Wolves. The four team trade is dependent on Boston sending their package to the Twolves who are looking to ship K.G. to the Lakers. However, Danny Ainge has never been a fan of Jermaine O’neal’s and is said to not be interested in acquiring the All-Star forward.

Garnett is said to be very interested in going to the Lakers to play alongside his friend and superstar Kobe Bryant, especially now that the talks to send him to Phoenix have all but died. Look for the Twolves and Lakers to try and get another team involved if Boston decides to cut ties completely from the trade.

Four Team Trade Talks Gaining Momentum

As you’ve probably heard by now, there are serious trade talks going on involving a four team trade that would send K.G. to the Lakers. This is what it would look like, roughly:

L.A. sends Bynum and Odom to the Pacers; Get Garnett from the Twolves

Indiana sends Jermaine O’neal to the Celtics; Get Bynum and Odom

Boston sends the #5 pick overall and Al Jefferson to the Twolves; Get Jermaine O’neal

Minnesota sends K.G. to the Lakers; Get #5 pick overall and Al Jefferson

Sources say that Garnett has been trying to get in touch with his friend Kobe to make sure that if he pushes for this trade to happen, Kobe would remain in L.A. Kobe’s camp has been mum about the situation and are not softening their stance yet, but there is no way Kobe would leave town if Garnett was traded to L.A.

The Suns have all but dropped out of the trade talks for Kevin Garnett and instead have turned their focus on trading up in the draft. After working out Cory Brewer and Joakim Noah, the Suns were very impressed and feel that either one of the two can fit in great with the likely departure of Marion. The Suns are talking with numerous teams about trade possibilities to move up (trade package would more than likely include Marion).

One more thing about the Garnett story. With the draft approaching later this week and Minnesota owner, Glen Taylor, about to depart on a trip out of the country, he has made it clear that he wants a resolution to the talks sooner rather than later. Keep checking in for any breaking news because it seems to be on the verge of happening.

UPDATE: Kobe and K.G. Trade Talks Heating Up

Quick update for my folks at work having a miserable Monday.

Kobe – A dialogue has been opened back up with management but still no major progress has been made and he has not softened his stance regarding wanting out of L.A. This is a stance, as I wrote in my earlier article, I don’t see him changing. He is set on getting out of L.A. and going to Chicago, Phoenix, or Dallas. UNLESS the Lakers somehow land K.G. Which leads me to my next update (I know you like that segway).

K.G. – Now that it’s obvious that common sense has prevailed in Minnesota and trading Garnett is seen as an option, the floodgates have opened as far as other teams and their offers. The frontrunners however are clearly Phoenix and the Lakers. Dallas is a distant third right now in the race for K.G.’s services. The details of the package L.A. is willing to offer have not been disclosed but my common sense tells me it will most likely involve packaging Lamar Odom and the overrated, overhyped, baby-faced soft creampuff known as Andrew Bynum. As known by many, Kobe and K.G. are pretty close friends and Garnett owns a house in Malibu, California. Of course Phoenix would probably gouge their eyes out if Kobe and Garnett pair up so look for an offer including lots of draft picks from Phoenix as well as a third team (Boston? Atlanta?). The next 48-72 hours should be interesting so stay tuned. Oh and contrary to what some are reporting about Dallas and Minnesota trade talks; Dallas isn’t going to send Dirk for K.G. It’s not happening. Cuban has a man-crush on Dirk (See Dirk’s MVP award presentation in which Cuban cried like a… well.. finish the sentence as you please). Stay tuned for updates.

Hmm. Maybe getting some value for K.G. this as opposed to none next year isn’t a bad idea after all.

When Being Honest Isn’t the Best Thing

Before I get into this article, let me preface it with my top 10 players in the league, in order of who has the most impact on the game:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Steve Nash (a very close second)
3. Tim Duncan
4. Lebron James
5. Dirk Nowitski
6. Gilbert Arenas
7. Dwayne Wade
8. Kevin Garnett
9. Amare Stoudemire
10. Dwight Howard

And before you Wade-lovers jump on me about him being ranked below Arenas, watch tape of Arenas and watch tape of Wade. Arenas has more versatility when it comes to scoring because he can shoot threes at opportune times like it’s nobody’s business, and his defense is just as bad (notice I said “bad”) as Wade’s. Considering Nash and Duncan’s age, if the current pattern continues, Arenas will be a top 5 player in the league for years to come.

Arenas has been the key factor in turning a morbid Washington franchise into one with excitement and playoff aspirations each of the past three years. They even won a series in 2004-05 before getting swept by the eventual NBA Champion Heat. Arenas has brought life to the city which has absolutely nothing to do when its not football season. Actually, the city has nothing to do even during the regular season because the Redskins like to eliminate themselves from playoff contention by Game 2, but that’s a topic for another day and another time. Point being, Arenas is an icon and a hero in Washington. I choose to use the word hero because he has done a ton of charity work and is seen in ghetto neighborhoods hooping it up with kids who can’t afford a basketball. His candidness and openness has been embraced by the community as he as seen as one of everyone else. He frequently updates his blog and for five minutes or so, takes the average person out of their element and lets them experience life as a superstar through him and his writings. He is as honest and upfront as it gets. But sometimes, there are certain topics where being upfront can actually hurt your image and your trust.

After next season, Arenas has the opportunity to opt out of his contract and test the free agent market (If you didn’t know this, go to ESPN.com. John Hollinger will make sure you know. Main page, it’s blinking there. NBA page, oh it’s there too. You can even leave espn’s site and go to cnn.com or something and Hollinger will pop up in a window telling you that Arenas is going to opt out next year).

Wizards fans fear this and hope that he doesn’t get tempted by another team and leave. Lord knows, every team in the league will be salivating over the opportunity to acquire his services. Arenas made it public a few weeks ago that he will opt out of his contract and test the market. To paraphrase, he said that he will see what he’s worth, and he wants to stay in Washington but will look at other teams because that it is all business. He later retracted from those comments a bit and softened the terms by offering an explanation on his blog. He wrote that he is just trying to do what’s best for him and his career. He even got into the specific terms of the deal stating:

“So at the end of the day, it will be a six-year deal instead of a four-year deal and instead of starting at 12.5 or 13 million, I’ll be starting at 14 or 15 million and I’ll be a max player.”

I have absolutely no problem with Gilbert opting out. None whatsoever. You as a player earned the chance to make more money and get more years so by all means, do what you gotta do. But you can’t make a statement throwing numbers like 13 million and 15 million around to people who will never see that much money in their life. I read his blog regularly and I have a nice salary. I’m sure many others who read it have better salaries than mine as well as worse. I’m sure there are some fairly rich and some fairly poor who read his blog. However, I doubt very many multimillionaires are regular readers of his blog. That’s where the problem lies. Most of us work 8 hours a day, put up with about 2 hours of ridiculous traffic extending our days to 10 hours and repeat it 52 weeks a year until we grow old and gray. It’s hard for the average fan to understand why it’s so important for you to possibly think about, even consider, “testing the market” and losing their trust when you are already making such huge sums of money. The way fans look at this is, “We put our hard earned money and trust into buying tickets to come see you guys, even when you were a joke. Now you’re getting to be respectable (not even ‘good’ yet), and you consider leaving for another city for a few extra zeroes? Doesn’t our support count for anything?”

This is why you can’t make this sort of stuff public. I don’t go to my friends who aren’t doing as well and tell them, “Yeah I’m going to look at this other company because I feel they can pay me an extra $10,000 a year, and I want to see where else I can get more” when I know that the guy I’m talking to barely has enough to put food on his table. There are certain things you just keep private. I appreciate everything Gilbert has done for the city and the fans but by throwing out figures like that, it just rubbed me the wrong way and after talking to my friends who are also Wizards fans, I found that I wasn’t alone in feeling this way.

Again, I don’t blame Gilbert for trying to get his money because he earned it. But the best thing to do would have been to keep quiet about it, and when the season ended, make a statement saying you are opting out so that you can sign a new deal with more years with the Wizards. Just don’t say things like, or similar to, “test the market”. That’s like telling your wife after you’ve been married for four years, have a three year old child together, and she’s put on a little weight, “Hey honey, I really want to stay with you but I’m still looking good so I’m going to hit up some clubs, see what kind of girls I can get. You know…test the market. But I’ll try to come back to you.” How do you think that conversation would go over?

(By the way, for my slow friends reading, let me break down the analogy:

The Aging Wife: Wizards Fans

Husband: Gilbert Arenas

3 year old baby: Our playoff experiences of the past 3 years

Other Girls: Other teams.

Just wanted to clear that up.. for Adam specifically.)

Had he put out a better worded statement, no one would be rubbed the wrong way, our loyalty to Arenas would be stronger than ever, John Hollinger wouldn’t be getting his jollies off of the thought of Arenas on the market, and Gil would get his money and years. Even if management was reluctant to give him what he asked for, the public would be on his side and the public pressure on management could help Arenas get his deal. That is how I would have gone about it and I wish, for Arenas’ sake and for the city of Washington’s, he had gone about it the same way.

Right now, all signs are pointing to Arenas resigning with Washington and everything should be fine. However, if he leaves (Orlando and Dallas will come calling among MANY others), Arenas will instantly go from the most beloved player in the city to one of the most hated because nothing stings worse than betrayal. (You think the treatment Juwan Howard got after leaving, and then awkwardly coming back from Miami a few years ago was bad? That was Juwan Howard. The biggest scrub alive. Bigger than Michael Olawakandi. Okay probably not as bad as him, but on the Eric Dampier level).

Fans in Washington had no reason to buy into the hype that Arenas and management were starting, but they did. They blindly fell in love with Arenas and if Arenas betrays that trust, I can’t even imagine the anger and resentment he would face.

You know that crazy astronaut chick who wore diapers on her way to confronting her lover? Well, imagine angry Wizards fans turning into that woman… times ten.

Choose your words wisely Champ.

If You’re Tired of hearing about Kobe and K.G…

If you are one of the many who is tired of the 24 hour a day coverage of the Kobe and Garnett circus that has been thoroughly covered by ESPN, your local news, and your 4 year old nephew’s cartoon station, then this is the article for you. I’m going to talk about things such as, I don’t know, the rest of the league perhaps.

Let’s start with the much anticipated NBA Draft which is approaching us in less than 6 days now on June 28^th.

Actually before I go into this, let me just forewarn you that you’re not going to find some annoying mock draft on this site yet. I’m not going to be one of those people who has a mock draft up 4 months before the draft, then changes it on a daily basis. This is a busy week for the NBA with potentially some big trades that could go down which directly effect draft picks and teams with high draft choices. So from me, you will get one mock draft with thorough explanation for each pick, one or two days before the event actually occurs. I am not a fan of changing mock drafts or pow

rankings 10 times a day like other folks. Now that that’s off my chest, let’s continue with the article.

This is one of the deepest drafts that we’ve had in recent memory and without a doubt is a credit to the age limit that the NBA implemented. This is what so many people could not come to grips with for the past 15 years. One year of college actually does make a difference. Look at how many more quality players are in the top 15 of this years draft as opposed to the past drafts where you had high school “developing” players coming out completely unready for the commitment and the grueling hard work the NBA requires. Look at Kevin Durant alone! You would not have known what he is capable of or how good he is if you didn’t see him star at the University of Texas. Of course everyone knows the top two picks are going to be Greg Oden and Durant, in that order most likely.

However, there is a little debate going after recent workouts, with some sportswriters suggesting the Blazers should take Durant over Oden. Oden apparently has a few nagging injuries including the wrist that sidelined him for a few games last season with Ohio State, as well as a few back problems. Durant has continued to impress (other than the fact that he can’t bench 185 even once). However, given the makeup of the Blazers with emerging star Brandon Roy in the backcourt and a solid coach in Nate McMillan, it should be a lock for Oden to go number one overall, despite the injury rumors.

Since 1998, either Shaquille O’Neal or Tim Duncan has been in every single Finals series. Think about that for a minute. That is nine years. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Kevin Durant will have a stellar career. This isn’t only because he is immensely talented but because during the NCAA tournament, he showed heart and desire. That’s something you didn’t see from guys like Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler, to name a few. However, we can’t set aside the fact that Durant is 6’9 weighing 225lbs while Oden is a 7 footer close to 300lbs (280 to be exact). Size matters in the NBA no matter what you say. Take the Washington Wizards for example; Superstar scorer in Arenas, solid wingman with Butler and a sixth man of the year as well as All-Star forward Antawn Jamison. Sounds like the makings of a title contender, especially in the joke that is the eastern conference. What do the Wizards lack? Inside presence. They do have a 7-footer in Haywood but he is softer than a twinkie left in a car parking lot during 95 degree weather. Oden brings defense right away so he’s already on the level of Emeka Okafur, a solid player. His offense is developing and will get better with time so he has the makeup to become an absolute stud.

Let’s also not forget that the Blazers were not THAT bad last year. Yes, I know they were 32-50 but that’s only 9 games away from a .500 record in the Western Conference. Also, give me another year under star-in-the-making Brandon Roy’s belt as well as player like Oden and I’d feel confident that the Blazers can muster another 10-12 wins. That’s why them getting the first pick was such a shocker. Look for them to be battling for the 7^th or 8^th playoff spot next year, especially if Kobe leaves the Lakers and they are out of the picture.

Durant will bring versatility and some added excitement to a franchise that needs it as much as any. The duo of Ray Allen and Durant should work well. Both Oden and Durant are a can’t miss pick for 1 and 2 respectively. However, at the end of the day, the better pick for pretty much any franchise other than the Spurs or Suns would be to take Greg Oden.

Other Stories and Potential Relocations Around the League:

-Antawn Jamison’s contract expires after next season and he will become an unrestricted free agent. The Wizards will already have their hands full trying to hold on to star guard Gilbert Arenas, despite what he writes on his blog, because there will be plenty of teams salivating at the opportunity of signing him. Zach Randolph’s name of the Blazers has been thrown around quite a lot as a possible trade piece. I’ll keep you posted on this in the coming weeks.

-Andrei Kirilenko is a baby. As if literally crying about his role during the playoffs wasn’t bad enough, Andrei is still whining about it. You would think that, after crying like a 9 year old girl who’s Daddy just told her she can’t have a white pony, the guy would man up a little and bust his behind in the offseason to get better so that he’s not in a situation like this next year. Instead, he has whined some more to management through his agent about possible trades. Utah has said they will not trade him so that’s that. If Andrei picked up a dumbbell as often as he picks up a tissue, maybe he wouldn’t be in this situation. Just a thought.

-Jermaine O’Neal to the Lakers is a deal all but dead. It doesn’t look like O’Neal really wants to go to L.A. now due to recent, ahem, developments out of that city’s basketball team with certain players. New York is the other option but the Knicks aren’t really overflowing with quality trade material so we’ll probably end up seeing #7 in Indy for another year, or maybe just until All-Star break.

I’m going to include an article tomorrow about the Gilbert Arenas situation in Washington and what I foresee regarding his future with the team, despite what he writes on his blog. So look out for that. Also, check in if you want the latest on the Kobe/KG situations as well as other breaking news stories regarding the NBA.

Banged up wrist or not, Oden is a sure thing.

You may move Kobe now, or forever hold your peace

As usual, Kobe Bryant had to do something to get the spotlight back on him because we all know how much he loves it. The NBA Finals weren’t much of an obstacle for him but the Paris Hilton saga was. But of course, Kobe dwarfed that story in L.A. too with his month of “trade me” “trade me not” “trade me #%@!’ing now!” drama. So what do I think is going to be the end result you ask? Ok, well, you didn’t ask but I’ll tell you anyway.

I think there is a 1% chance that the Mamba will ever be a Laker again. That 1% chance rests only because its Kobe Bryant, the Lakers, Hollywood, AND because there is a minute possibility that the Lakers make a splash and send Lamar Odom, Bynum and some other scrubs to Minnesota for K.G. I don’t see it happening at all but you never know. In that case, I’m sure Kobe would stay. That being said, he’s as good as gone in my book and should be in yours too.

Right now, Jerry Buss and Kobe are playing chicken. Buss is saying through his people that he’s not going to trade Kobe and Kobe is saying through his people that he’d be willing to sit out the entire season next year if his demands are not met. Obviously, one of them is going to blink first and I think it’s in the Lakers’ best interest to bite the bullet now before a tank rolls up and demolishes that franchise (that tank being an angrier Kobe).

You cannot have an infuriated and stubborn superstar on your team. You just can’t. It doesn’t work. Never has, never will. Yes, I realize that you can’t get even close to fair value for Kobe, especially since he’s holding the Lakers hostage with his three team list of Phoenix (of course), Chicago, and Dallas. But holding onto him for another season is just going to make matters worse inside the locker room and the end product on the floor won’t be good. We saw what Kobe is capable of doing in the infamous Game 7 against Phoenix where he didn’t shoot the ball in the second half. The Lakers don’t need that for 82 games.

What they should do is go ahead and trade him before the draft. Three teams are possibilities as mentioned before. The Lakers don’t want to send him to Phoenix because they don’t want to see him in the playoffs. So instead, they’d send him to the east for lesser value which to me makes absolutely no sense at all. You HAVE to trade the guy so you go out and get the best possible value. I would rather have Marion, Diaw and Barbosa or a draft choice verses getting Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas and the 9^th pick overall. (Deng isn’t likely to be moved if the trade is for Kobe). You can send Kobe to the east for less value and have the comfort of not seeing him the playoffs, or send him to the west for better value and risk seeing him in the playoffs (which really doesn’t matter because the Suns can wax the Kobe-less Lakers with their bench!). Chances are the Lakers won’t be any good either way but at least they’ll have a better start on their future by sending him to the Suns and getting legit compensation. Take the best value you can get, and move on.

I think the majority of the blame should fall on Jim Buss, the son of Jerry Buss and the apparent heir to the throne of Lakers’ Owner. He drove away Jerry West, a lifelong Laker, he drove away Phil Jackson until Jeanie Buss, Jim’s sister, convinced Phil (her boyfriend) to come back. (Could this be any more Hollywood? Seriously this is a script for Guiding Light or As The World Turns.) Jerry Buss got Shaq booted and now it looks like he’s going to have to get rid of Kobe too. What a legacy Mitch Kupchak will have. Imagine interviewing for another GM position as Kupchak, “Well I uh, I traded Shaq…um I traded Kobe. I brought in Kwame Brown by trading for a player who became an All Star. And I signed Vladmir Radmanovic to a long term contract. (Awkward silence). Yeeeeah so should I go ahead and shut the door on my way out?.” Good luck with your career buddy.

Lakers should move on before the draft and get the maximum value that they can get. Send the Mamba to Phoenix and start your 3-5 year, or 20 year rebuilding process.

Yes Mamba, you have won the spotlight yet again…