Pargo coming back to NBA and Kidd to grow old in Dallas

Posted on July 6, 2009 by stone86

A couple quick things to mention before I get back to work…  Various news outlets are reporting that former New Orleans Hornet Jannero Pargo is in talks to join the Chicago Bulls.  Pargo was an important asset to the Hornets team that was so dominant only 2 seasons ago before leaving the NBA for a Russian squad.  Now that Russian club has run into financial trouble, sending Jannero looking elsewhere.  Some will certainly argue that adding Pargo doesn’t really mean much, and that is certainly a tenable position, but it’s nice to have a guy who can score, albeit in streaks, off the bench.

ahoy

ahoy

Also it’s fairly certain now that Jason Kidd will re-sign with the Mavericks.  Jason’s meeting with the Knicks seems to have paid off.  In a veritable panic, Mark Cuban  flew across the country stalking his star point guard in an attempt to convince Kidd to remain a Maverick.  Apparently in his distress Cuban offered Kidd a guaranteed 3 year deal worth over $25 million.  Is it any surprise the 36 year-old agreed?  No, of course it isn’t.

Lastly it appears the Blazers are after New York Knick David Lee.  Although Lee is a great player, almost universally underrated and unappreciated, he really does not belong with the Blazers.  The Blazers already have a YOUNG and talented front-court.  Lamarcus Aldridge is on the verge of stardom and won’t be relegated to the bench.  Free-agent Channing Frye is a perfectly suitable backup for Lamarcus, especially when Mr. Lee wants $10 million a year.  That sum is simply inordinate for a bench player.

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Rasheed Wallace chooses Boston Celtics

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Dino Gomez

Rasheed Wallace was one of the leagues best available free agents until this evening when reports surfaced that he has officially chosen Boston as his next location to play. Wallace was considering San Antonio, the Orlando Magic, and the Dallas Mavericks as other possibilities but in the end it looks like he chose Boston in order play alongside Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. Immediately the discussion on ESPN is whether Wallace will provide the lift the Celtics need to return to an NBA final. My answer is contingent upon whether Cleveland adds any more pieces to their team.Rasheed_Wallpaper_NBA

Right now I would imagine an Eastern Conference final featuring Boston and Cleveland with Boston slightly edging out Lebron and the big Diesel. However if the Cavaliers add anything more, I mean anything more like a better towel boy that keeps the players better hydrated, then it would seem the duo of Shaq and Lebron with solid complimentary players would still be too much for Boston to handle. Lets face it those Boston stars are getting up there in age. Not to say that Shaq isn’t but that is only one player compared to the core starting 4 of Boston. On paper Boston does looks better, on the court Cleveland does. This Celtics line up can be compared to that of the Los Angeles Lakers a few years back when they had 4 future hall of fame players in the starting line up: Kobe, Shaq, Malone, and Payton. That line up also looked amazing on paper but did not on the court. The NBA championship teams of the most recent years tend to be built around a perfect mesh of young talent and clutch veteran play. Big news that Wallace has chosen Boston but still no upgrade for the Celetics. Trevor Ariza would have been a better fit there with the defense that he brings, his youth, and his low-key profile.

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NBA removes Liquor ban

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Dino Gomez

Within the past month the NBA officially removed a long time ban on courtside advertising by spirit brand companies. The Miami Heat was the first NBA team to make the removal of this ban advantageous for their biggest sponsors, supposedly by allowing Bacardi to assume the ability to advertise court side in the upcoming 2009-2010 season.Teams which already have sponsorship deals with spirit brand companies may have signed previous contract agreements that were contingent upon the removal of court side advertising for an increase contract sum. It is estimated that these type of contracts have clauses that will increase the amount that NBA teams recieve from their spirit brand sponsors by 10%. Is it possible that the Boston Celtics court will look something similar to what is pictured below for this upcoming season? Besides the bottle neck changing the figure of the 3-point line, it really could become a possibility over the next few years.

The league had a remarkable year in regards to viewership of the NBA finals which surpasses the record setting viewership numbers of the previous year’s final between the Celtics and Lakers; so you can guarentee sponsors will be after NBA teams this upcoming season. With the economic crisis it would make sense that NBA teams accept such sponsorships while the offer is on the table. You do have to wonder about thenba-liquor-ban NBA’s social responsibility iniative which carries the slogan, “The NBA where caring happens.” After all court side advertisements which encourage  you to drink seem to run in the opposite direction and who knows what will go down at the palace in Detroit if fans are throwing back shots before the game. Indeed the NBA and everything it has to offer this upcoming season should be amazing, so amazing.

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Jordan and Magic in Michael Jackson videos

Posted on July 4, 2009 by Dino Gomez

It is with our deepest regret that Michael Jackson passed away recently. He was truly an amazing person, talented singer, and special dance artist. It seems necessary that we give him our second commemoration here at our site since news broke of his death.

As mentioned in a previous article, Michael Jackson, is easily the most famous individual to ever walk the planet. His name and his legend rides amongst political leaders and presidents from the past and from the future. Due to his strange remaining years it is understandable that some people have trouble recognizing his brilliance.

To put into perspective how amazing Michael Jackon was, Michael Jordan, admitted he was nervous upon meeting this pop star at a time when Jordan’s excellence himself was unprecedented.What happened was Jackson invited Jordan to be included in a music video for his most recent single at the time, Jam. Jordan of course excepted and was featured in a role shooting baskets with the pop star for that video. Besides Jordan, Magic Johnson and Eddie Murphy are among the list of many other famous individuals who accepted taking a part in Jackson’s music videos.

Recently there has been an abundance of media attention directed at the news of Jackson’s death. Some people understand why and some others don’t. For those who do not, I want to help you understand how great Jackson’s legacy is. This guy was yes: crazy, insane, and definitely troubled in his later years but if you can focus on how much he did when he was in his prime, then you should have no problem realizing why he commands so much attention. Watch this following video and leave comments if you feel that Lebron, Kobe, Dwight, Obama, or recently featured Adriana Lima commands this reaction or anything similar from people of different countries all over the world. In the following video citizens jump, dive, stab, cry, shout, lounge, faint, piss, and become hysteric at either the mention or sight of Michael Jackson.  I would like to advise, the following video is gnarly.

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Adriana Lima and Marko Jaric

Posted on July 4, 2009 by Dino Gomez

I’m sure I had heard Marko Jaric’s name called a dozen times while watching basketball over the past years but the first time I sub-consciously decided his name was worth remembering was when I caught news that he was dating and planning to marry super model Adriana Lima. That is old news now but what is recent is that Lima is now pregnant and is expecting her first child with Marko in December. Marko is a first name like Yao, that does well by itself and without the last name tagging along. Anyways  this past week Lima sat down with representatives from People magazine and told the story of how she first met the Memphis Grizzlies guard. If only Marko had stayed in Serbia…01124_adriana-lima-victorias-secret-01_122_533lo_122_533lo

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Hedo Prefers Canada

Posted on July 3, 2009 by stone86

ESPN’s Ric Bucher has got the scoop. According to Bucher’s unnamed source, Hedo has broken off talks with the Blazers and is now headed to Toronto.  This probably means that the Raptors are giving up on signing Marion.  It’s almost certain that Portland fans will gripe, especially considering that Toronto’s increased offer undoubtedly played into the decision.

Really though, there is no reason to fret if you’re a Blazer fan.  The Blazers are stacked at the 2 and 3 spots with young skill players.  Travis Outlaw was a legitimate contender for 6th man of the year, and is consistently improving his game.  Martell Webster at one point was considered the best pure shooter in the touted 2004 draft class.  Even though he was injured for the entirety of 08-09 season, he is still young and  a valuable prospect.  Nicolas Batum is only 20 and has shown the athletic ability to be a solid NBA player.  Already one of the Blazers’ best lockdown defenders, Batum only really needs polish.  And Rudy Fernandez proved he was an athletic slasher with the ability to shoot the 3 ball.

Quick tidbit: it looks like Avery Johnson is interviewing for the Piston’s head coaching job.

Have a great, hoops filled 4th of July weekend.  Here is NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, father of Stephen Curry, to help you with your game.

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General Commotion

Posted on July 3, 2009 by stone86

Reports surfaced yesterday that Ron Artest is close to signing a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.  I guess that playoff friction between Kobe and Ron is a thing of the past.  Artest will likely take the starting spot vacated by Trevor Ariza, who is reportedly very close to becoming a Houston Rocket.  The Cavs will now have to look elsewhere to upgrade their backcourt size, as both Artest and Ariza were primary targets.  How this affects Lamar Odom is, as of yet, unclear; details of his negotiations have been sparse.  What is clear though, is that Lamar is seeking a contract in the $10 million a year range.  The Cavs could be looking in that direction, but Lamar’s salary would be more than what the Cavs would’ve likely paid either Artest or Ariza.mmmm grub

Hedo is no longer an option for the Cavs either.  Reports today claim that Hedo in Portland is a done deal. (Portland Dominos Pizza locations get ready.) Terms of the contract are unknown since the league has yet to announce the salary cap for the upcoming season.  Keep tabs on the situation in Portland, where rumors suggest Rudy Fernandez is unhappy with the possibility of diminished playing time.  The minutes were thin at the shooting guard and small forward positions last year, and that’s bound to be exacerbated by the addition of Turkoglu and return of Martell Webster.  Stay tuned.

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The Lakers lose an A only to get an A+

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Dino Gomez

10-year veteran Ron Artest is heading to the Los Angeles Lakers, and he will surely be paying some fees for his extra baggage. The move comes after Trevor Ariza, an important part of the Lakers championship run, turned down the team’s multi-year offer. In basically performing a trade without the trade, the two free agents will swap jerseys as Ariza has agreed in principle to a deal with Houston worth $5.8 million for next season, with long term talks on the table. So what does the Artest move mean for the defending champions, and which Artest will they be paying those millions to?

Coming to Hollywood with a shady and checkered past, Artest unfortunately will always be rememkobe_artest_400bered by his participation in the Auburn Hills brawl on November 19, 2004 when he played for the Indiana Pacers. However, I would like to argue that last year with the Rockets was a huge step forward in the maturation process of the forward, who meshed well with his teammates and showed leadership qualities as Houston pushed the Lakers to a game seven in the second round of the playoffs. The Lakers are not only getting the 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year who, for his career, has averaged 2.1 steals per game, they are getting the “I have learned from my past mistakes Artest”.

In an interview with ESPN, Artest was asked about why he decided to take less money and play for the Lakers. His response: “I am playing to win; I am not playing for the money anymore”. If you just had a Karl Malone and Gary Payton flashback, you are not alone. However the difference here is that Artest is only 29 and coming off a stellar season. The next big question is what will happen to Lamar Odom? In an ESPN interview, expert NBA Analyst Ric Bucher reported the chances of Odom signing with the Lakers is “good”, stating that the two sides can focus on the contract now that Ariza is out, and that there are limited suitors for Odom around the league. If Odom stays on board, I’m putting my money on the Lakers for a repeat.

An article by David Peterson- our most recent addition to our committee will be found under the writing name: Davepete starting tomorrow

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Old School Nike Basketball Commercial

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Dino Gomez

Do you remember this Nike commerical from about 6 years back? Its the one with a bunch of free style dribbling in it and features a bunch of different NBA players including Vince Carter, Rasheed Wallace, and Jason Williams. Anyways I remember loving that commercial when it first came out but I would have to say the spoof is even better. Heres to a good laugh on a good friday.

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Arizona sets a record with 31 draft picks since 1989

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Dino Gomez

When Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill were called into the NBA this year they made the 30th and 31st players from Arizona to be drafted into the league since 1989. You see in 1989 the NBA draft was shortened into 2 rounds and since then only a few elite programs can say they have had over 20 of their players selected in the NBA draft. Those programs would be: Duke with 29, UCLA with 28, North Carolina with 25, Connecticut with 23, ancatsd Kansas with 22.

Arizona also has the longest current consecutive streak with an invitation to the NCAA tournament with 25. North Carolina holds the record with 27 straight appearances which began in 1975 and ended in 2001. Only 3 more years to go for the Cats which should be easier now considering Arizona’s new coach, Sean Miller, did a remarkable job recruiting this offseason and has the program commanding the 12th best recruiting class of 2009.

While we are on the subject of records and or awards, Playboy came out with their 2008- 2009 College Party School of the year award where Arizona ranked 5th. No wonder Sean Miller had such an easy time signing recruits, it’s a fun place to go to school.

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