Thursday, June 30, 2011
Lou Amundson exercises option to stay with Golden State Warriors
Amundson, 28, appeared in 46 games for the Warriors last season, averaging 4.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in a career-high 15.0 minutes per contest.� Overall during his five-year [...]
C-a-C Past Lives: A friend in need is a friend of Sheed
No one's saying that getting ejected doesn't stink, Bonzi Wells. One second, you're running around and having a lot of fun giving the opponent the business; the next, ol' Grayshirt Johnny Law breaks out the boot and says you have to watch the rest of the game in the locker room all alone.
But you won't be alone for long. Soon, you'll have seven feet of bald-patch-sporting company. No member of the 2001 Portland Trail Blazers is going to get the gate by his lonesome. Not on Rasheed Wallace's watch.
Call 'em the Jail Blazers if you want. But these guys are doing the time of their lives.
Best caption wins Placebo plus "Final Fantasy," obviously. Good luck.
In our last adventure: INTO THE PAST! Call Kevin Garnett Funkdoobiest, because he's lost in thought.
Runner-up, Dkim5: "Hmmm. Which Euro should I pick on today?"
Second runner-up, JD: KG, deep in thought, considers a bold, virtually unprecedented move from large finger sleeves to extra-large.
Chris Jent leaves Cleveland Cavaliers staff to work for Ohio State
Jent left the Cleveland Cavaliers where he was most recently an assistant coach after [...]
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Jackasses We Call Timberwolves
Days of NBA Lives: Wherein everyone but Craig Smith talks planking
At this point, seemingly half the NBA is on Twitter. It's a wild world of training updates, questions as to which movies they should go see, and explanations of their Call of Duty prowess. Every so often, though, you also get a picture into the more interesting aspects of NBA life. This feature is your window into that world.
Dwight Howard: Vince carte planking lol http://moby.to/ownb7g
Kyle Lowry: people I wouldn't ever even think about planking!! I'd hurt myself
Austin Daye: Me and the bros #planking at jack in the box LMAO http://img.ly/5Ds1
Gilbert Arenas: My very last plank...ya boy planked @DwightHoward Porsche..lol pls don't tell him haha http://lockerz.com/s/115153618
Craig Smith: Did anyone see the golden girls episode just now?
You can also follow Eric Freeman on Twitter at @freemaneric.
David West eyes the prize, opts out of his contract
For one, we're likely about to head into a situation that sees the NBA owners lock their players out, and refuse to pay their salaries. Following this lockout, it is a near certainty that player contracts will shrink a bit. The salary cap could fall, though New Orleans might still be able to go over the cap to re-sign West, and the length of contracts will probably change. Players a good step above West in terms of production and a few years younger than him in age might be signing new deals for the sort of salary West is reportedly declining to play for next season.
Secondly, there is the matter of what David West did to his left knee last March. He tore the ACL in it, and though modern rehab could have West back to a hundred percent by the time the 2012 calendar turns over (and even on the court for a month or possibly longer before that, lockout-willing), it's still no guarantee that the David West we knew will ever come back. Especially at age 31, which he'll turn in August.
ESPN's Marc Stein first reported the news, and the New Orleans Times Picayune spoke with West on Monday morning, to take in this quote:
"We'll have to talk to them, obviously, and see where Dell (Demps, Hornets general manager) is. The Hornets have an opportunity. But I'm looking for an opportunity to win, honestly. We'll see how things work out, and what the Hornets do to make our situation better. That's really all it came down to. At this point in my career, I want to win, and I want to win big."
If that's the case, even in the NBA's new order (whenever, and however that shakes out), West will be as coveted as they come if he's willing to take a pay cut of sorts.
If he's really out to add his talents to a winner, one with an even better record than the Hornets team that overachieved slightly on route to 46 wins last year, then he'll have his pick of a litter. Even if teams take a chance on him knowing that he won't be fully effective for the first half season (or possibly longer) of his first year with a new team.
Or, it could all be a negotiating ploy. Especially if he's anticipating a dried-up market for his services during the next offseason, after he works through essentially what would be a rehab season.
Players at his age often value long term security over a big up-front payday, and though West's current (and about to be last) contract was never really commensurate with his consistent, near-All-Star play, the Hornets still have until Wednesday to sign him to a contract extension. Giving up a little money now in order to sign a goodly extension under the current collective bargaining rules would be a smart move for West.
Provided that this is what he's after. And even if he is after that, will he get what he wants? Or even if he's after a chance to jump to a championship contender, will he get what he wants?
Like I said -- huge risk, David. Good luck.
The Jackasses We Call Timberwolves
Andre Miller and George Karl didn’t speak for several years
When NBA players leave particular teams, they often do so on poor terms, whether because coaches restrict their playing time or make them run too many sprints. Unfortunately, this state of affairs is not particularly practical. Given the preponderance of trades in the league, especially in an era where more general managers appear willing to deal assets only months after they've been acquired, those players who leave with relationships in disarray may end up having to patch things up soon after.
With Andre Miller's trade to the Denver Nuggets during last Thursday's draft, he now finds himself on the team he left when he was traded for Allen Iverson in December 2006. He must now figure reenter a working relationship with head coach George Karl, too. From Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post (via TBJ):
A whirlwind span of time resulted in Miller, who was comfortable as a starting point guard in Denver, being traded by the Nuggets in a manner he wasn't happy with.
"It wasn't the fact that I was disappointed. It was how it went down," Miller said Monday after being reunited with the Nuggets. "I understand that it was part of the business and you have to accept it. It was just how it went down. That's the main thing."
He didn't go into detail. But the former University of Utah star acknowledged he took the situation so personally, he didn't talk to coach George Karl once since then until Sunday, three days after the Nuggets traded for him during the NBA draft.
"I took it personal, the trade (to Philadelphia)," Miller said. "And that was my motivation every time we came back here and played. You've got to find ways to keep yourself motivated. Not just personal with the staff, personal as my motivation. We didn't have any conversation until (Sunday)."
That's a long time to go without speaking to a former coach, especially in a league where inter-team camaraderie remains pretty high. It makes sense that Miller would use the situation as motivation, but it can be tough to shift a relationship from one of antagonism to friendliness within such a short timeframe.
Plus, Miller does not exactly have the best history of getting along with new teams -- he had a testy relationship with Brandon Roy almost immediately upon his arrival in Portland. It's quite possible that he and Karl will make up, and they seem to be giving it their best shot so far. But there's no telling what will happen the first time they get into a tiff. Bad blood doesn't always clear up so fast.
TMZ gets Kevin Durant in some trouble with Oklahoma City
As athletes become treated more like celebrities, TMZ has taken on an increasingly important role in shaping and creating the stories that interest fans. (For instance, did you know that Greg Oden plays for the Heat now?) On-court production is no longer the only story -- a man's significant others and lifestyle can be as integral to his reputation as the amount of points he scores or the number of shots he blocks.
Kevin Durant's life does not usually make for TMZ fodder. As the NBA's most likable young star (better luck next time, Derrick Rose), Durant radiates humility, professionalism, and an obsession with basketball that should probably be diagnosed by a trained psychologist.
Still, he proved this last weekend that he's not immune to tabloid controversy. From Darnell Mayberry for The Oklahoman (via TrueHoop):
Cameras from celebrity news outlet TMZ recently caught Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant on the street in Los Angeles and asked him what there is to do for fun in Oklahoma.
When Durant mumbled "nothing" as he continued to walk away from the camera, his response created controversy and forced Durant to explain his comment on social networking Web sites Twitter and Facebook.
"I dissed Oklahoma cuz I didn't wanna sit n talk to TMZ and all I said was the word nothing..y'all forgot all the times I scream OKC? ok cool" Durant posted Tuesday on his Twitter account.
Durant has made it quite clear throughout his three seasons in Oklahoma City that he loves the town and the team's fans in the surrounding area. Turning his dismissal of TMZ into a controversy is a distortion of the most likely scenario: that TMZ is annoying and Durant just wanted to be left alone. There's no reason to discount three years of happiness because of one word, especially when it might not have been a direct response to the posed question.
Nevertheless, this Durant incident remains instructive in terms of how a player's personal brand and history can affect public reception of a questionable moment. If LeBron James were in KD's spot with TMZ, his "nothing" would likely become a national story about how he's turned his back on small town America. With Durant, though, people are more willing to accept his explanation for the incident and move on. That makes sense in a lot of ways -- interpretations of actions are usually based on personal histories instead of the act itself, and Durant has proven himself to be a more considerate person than James over the years. But Occam's razor still applies to jerks as well as nice guys, and it makes more sense that an athlete would disregard a question from a paparazzo than say the opposite of everything he's claimed about OKC in the past.
So, yes, Durant has earned our trust and should be given the benefit of the doubt in this case. We should just be willing to do that more often with other players, too.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Is Jonas Valanciunas worth waiting for?
You may not have heard of him a month ago -- heck, I hadn't heard of him a week ago -- but Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas has become a bit of hot commodity. He's got a top-five pick of a game (at least in this draft), hops for days, and has room to grow. The issue is his availability. The buyout issues following the 19-year-old center have some mock drafts pushing him nearly out of the lottery. After all, why select someone that you might not see until the 2012-13 season, at best?
Then again, with a player with Valanciunas' athleticism, skills and drive in question, why not wait until 2012? Especially when there might not be much of a 2011-12 season. And especially if you're a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers, finally fully committed to rebuilding, and possessing two of the top four picks in Thursday's draft? With the first, sure, they're taking Kyrie Irving. They'd be Kahn-ish not to. But with the fourth, in a limited draft like this? With Enes Kanter an odd thing to bank on? With Jan Veesly not really offering immediate answers? With Brandon Knight all Brandon Knight-ish?
Why not go with Jonas? Even if you have to wait a year?
Cavs the Blog's John Krolik wants to go with Jonas. And John agrees with my personal draft sage, who handed me his mock draft the other night, which in turn has me agreeing with John when he writes this:
Here's my justification: Do I think that Valanciunas will be a better player in the 2012-13 season than Kanter or any other non-point guard player who will be available at the #4 spot? I do. Do I believe the Cavs are ready to make a serious playoff run in 2011-12? I do not. Given those two conclusions, I think it makes sense to take the best player, wait the year, and not settle on a lesser player because of impatience.
The trick behind that is that you have to sell your fans, your angry and rabid fans, on a player that they might not see for a year. But that uneasiness will last for, what, two days' worth of a news cycle? All while you're introducing the clear top player in this draft? All before you potentially close up shop for months as we head into a lockout? Take a chance on the big. Especially if the buyout works, and he ends up in Cleveland, throwing down dunks on the break with Irving leading the way.
UPDATE: Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com, who is as about as respected as they come in terms of international scouting, has a Twitter reply to the headline above:
(Photo credit: Associated Press)
Details of Venoy Overton?s arrest for investigation of promoting prostitution
Video: Ricky Rubio arrives in Minnesota
Two years ago, David Kahn caused a commotion when he drafted Spanish wunderkind Ricky Rubio and immediately alienated him by taking another point guard, the as-of-now disappointing Jonny Flynn, with the very next pick. Rubio, who until then had seemed sure to come to the NBA at the age of 18, instead went back to Spain.
After much convincing on the part of Kahn and his underlings, Rubio is now coming to the NBA. On Monday, he got his first taste of the Minnesota fans and press as he arrived at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. You can watch the video from the scene above, courtesy of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities (via SB Nation).
Rubio's reaction to setting foot on Minnesotan soil is nondescript apart from the fact that his Wolves cap seems to be placed on top of his well-groomed hair so lightly that even the slightest breeze would blow it off. But the Wolves added some flair to the proceedings with a boombox playing Gary Glitter's hit jock jam "Rock and Roll Part 2" (which, it should be noted, is a little creepy considering Glitter was convicted on child pornography charges in 1999 and Rubio's charisma is talked about in terms usually reserved for teen pop idols). There's also a sizable contingent of fans and press at the baggage claim area, with the video-taker guessing approximately equal numbers of each.
Rubio's career will ultimately see his reputation decided on the court rather than in terms of his tabloid appeal. But his high-profile arrival in Minneapolis stands as a reminder that, no matter what he does for Minnesota, he's an exciting presence in the league that fans have been awaiting for a long time. Even if he's a bust, he'll make the Wolves a relevant team in NBA discussions once again.
Timberwolves trade Bojan Bogdanovic to Nets
Monday, June 27, 2011
2011 NBA Draft, Picks 9-12: Kemba And Jimmer Go Back To Back
Romar tells Seattle Times that he is ?invested in this program?
Video: Ricky Rubio hits the court, quickly
The latest, as we continue to talk ourselves into being as excited about Ricky Rubio's prospects as we were in 2006, courtesy of Jonah Ballow from Timberwolves.com:
His footwork, even on workout jumpers, actually looks better than what was detailed in this post. Perhaps he's turned a corner. Sweet.
Darius Morris reaches back to college to zing Tobias Harris
While Morris ? a rangy Los Angeles native who's been lauded for his skill at running a team and derided for his suspect shooting ? was stoked at the opportunity to play for his hometown team, he was a little salty about having to shake the hand of NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who announces second-round selections, instead of NBA commissioner/first-round host David Stern.
"When I heard my name finally called, it was a relief, but also at the same time, definitely put a chip on my shoulder, getting picked 41st," Morris told reporters after being chosen. "But that's just the story of my life. Never been a favorite, but always been one of the best. So I'm excited about the future."
A little later, ?Morris also let on that he's still pretty excited about the past, and maybe still a bit salty at his second-round slip, when he was asked about running across former University of Tennessee standout Tobias Harris, a first-round choice on Thursday night, during the draft proceedings.
"[Crossing paths with Harris] was a little crazy, because I ended his career and he's about to start a new one," Morris said.
Morris is, of course, referring to how his Wolverines wiped Harris' Volunteers off the 2011 NCAA tournament bracket back in March with a 75-45 opening-round beatdown, a surprising drubbing that came without the aid of a single made free throw.
Morris is overstating his role as college-career-ender just a tad ? while five Wolverines finished in double-figures in the Round 1 win, he wasn't one of them, missing 8-of-12 field-goal attempts on the first day of March Madness to post only eight points. That said, he balanced his poor shooting with a strong all-around effort, something he'll need to do to stick in the pros, adding nine assists against just three turnovers, six rebounds and a pair of steals in a team-leading 37 minutes of run.
On one hand, it was a performance Harris would probably just as soon forget, especially now that he's no longer enrolled in Knoxville. Plus, he's probably a little too busy to focus on this, what with all the celebrating about getting to live out his NBA dreams after being chosen with the 19th pick by the Charlotte Bobcats, a selection Charlotte made for the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a three-team pre-draft trade that also included the Sacramento Kings. Tobias Harris probably is not sweating what Darius Morris has to say all that much right now.
On the other, it would be pretty great if this slight kicked off maybe the lowest-profile personal rivalry in NBA history.
Morris fires a shot across the bow by reminding Harris about college. Harris counters by going scoreboard with, "I didn't hear your interview, guy; I was too busy doing first-round pick stuff. You wouldn't understand." Morris counters with, "What was that, champ? I was having a conversation with Cameron Diaz, Justin Bieber and the cast of 'Glee,' because I am surrounded by A-list celebrities in Los Angeles. Enjoy broing down so hard with LaTroy Hawkins, pal." Harris comes over the top with, "I'll definitely do that, ace, and I hope you have a lot of fun getting beaten at disassembling-remote-control-car races every day by Andrew Bynum, because he's super good at that." And on, and on, under-the-radar and snippy, for the duration of what we hope are decade-long careers.
Unfortunately, Morris didn't seem to want to fulfill my low-heat-feud dreams. After twisting the knife about Michigan's March Madness win, Morris noted that while it was "a little ironic" to see former Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl in the run-up to the draft ? I guess it is the opposite of what's expected, because you kind of expect a disgraced and fired ex-college coach who's barred from even criticizing the people who fired him because he done goofed so hard to not be anywhere near basketball for a while ? he and Harris are kind of embarking on a new journey together.
"... we are there together today, just both starting a new door," he said.
A nice sentiment, closed with a pretty great turn of phrase, tying up a pretty neat late-night draft zing. Even if Darius Morris never gives us anything else in the pros, he's OK by me.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Charlotte strikes first, dumps Stephen Jackson, moves up in the draft
His new team, the Charlotte Bobcats, has already put together a solid deal in the hours leading up to the 2011 NBA Draft. According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bobcats have dealt Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingtston, and their 19th overall pick to the Milwaukee Bucks for the seventh pick in the draft, one that used to belong to the Sacramento Kings. For their troubles, the Kings get John Salmons and the 10th overall pick. Former King Beno Udrih will go to the Bucks, and former King (and Buck up until Thursday) John Salmons will head back to Sacramento. Corey Maggette, at times a cheerier-sort of a Jackson-type, will go to Charlotte.
On the surface, it does appear as if Charlotte gave up quite a bit to jump 12 spots in a weak draft, but they're set to be able to pounce on the player of their choice (various reports indicate it's either defensive-minded athlete Bismack Biyombo, or Texas tough guy Tristan Thompson), while ridding itself of about $1.5 million in salary next year while retaining a scorer in Maggette. Maggette will be on the books for another year following 2011-12, making eight figures, but the Bobcats couldn't afford to let any more scoring go away, and Jackson isn't the type of player that is long for the various teams he chucks for.
Maggette is a chucker nonpareil, but the Bobcats will take it for a chance to load up on depth with both the seventh, and their already-in place ninth pick in the draft.
It's been clear for a few weeks that Milwaukee didn't see a whole lot it admired with the 10th pick, and a one-year rental of Jackson (with his ability to shoot, something the Bucks needed badly last season) isn't the worst thing in the world. Neither is the presence of Beno Udrih, because the Bucks suffered badly when former back up point man Luke Ridnour went to Minnesota last offseason.
Sacramento's motives are less clear. Salmons played well for the team earlier this decade, but he tailed off badly in his first full year with the Bucks last season, and the 31-year old has three guaranteed years worth over $24 million in salary due to him. The Kings have the cap space needed to take his deal on, but is he worth dropping three spots? When the Kings are already loaded at the wing position? Especially when that seventh pick appeared to be quite coveted in the days leading up to the Draft?
We've had a paucity of Draft day deals, if not chatter, for Thursday. Does this one either open up the floodgates, or rest as the biggest deal of the night?
BDL Draft night chat!
It's time for the 2011 NBA Draft, and what better way to spend the extent off your draft night chatting it up with the BDL crew, including Dan Devine, Eric Freeman, and international scouting expert Mark Deeks of the world famous ShamSports.com?
Right at the 7:30 p.m., Eastern tipoff, click the jump below to send in your question and comment, as we'll compile all the appropriate Tweets, rumors, trades, and Jimmers to satiate your drafting pleasure. No wagering is allowed, but you are allowed to enjoy a few draughts along the way. We'll drive this thing home.
This could be the last relevant NBA thing we'll have going for us, so let's take advantage. Click the jump at 7:30 p.m. Eastern for the fun:
(All comments and/or questions are moderated, though we will try to include as many as possible.)
Timberwolves trade Bojan Bogdanovic to Nets
Fifty NBA players show solidarity with ‘STAND’ T-shirts
As league's newest players bask in the afterglow of Thursday night's draft selections, it's important to recognize that we have no clear idea when they'll first step on an NBA court. With a lockout looming and no Summer League, they might not even get to start working with coaches and staff until the fall. The NBA's top story from now until its resolution is the labor battle between the players' union and the owners.
As such, players are showing a measure of unity across team lines. In fact, 50 players in attendance at Friday morning labor talks showed their solidarity with a basic decision to wear the same clothing. From Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com:
About 50 NBA players arrived at collective bargaining talks Friday morning wearing matching T-shirts with the word "STAND" written in large block letters, perhaps sending a signal that the union is taking a harder stance after its $500 million giveback was dismissed by commissioner David Stern as "modest." [...]
Only the players' bargaining committee was expected at Friday's negotiations across the street from league headquarters, but dozens of men in matching dark gray shirts, many of them very tall, exited single-file from a bus and strode past wide-eyed tourists as they entered the meeting site.
"I was informed late last night that they had met among themselves and decided that they were all going to show up at the session," union director Billy Hunter said. "The message is just solidarity. We have to stand together, be unified and address whatever the circumstance is -- and address it together."
Increased attendance and T-shirts are ultimately cosmetic decisions unlikely to have direct substantive effect on labor talks, but that doesn't mean they should be dismissed. David Stern and the NBA owners have put some ridiculous proposals on the table that should prove to the union that it's in for a long fight to work out a reasonable proposal. It'll be a tough process, and in order to be successful it'll need to prove to the league that it won't buckle and accept an inferior offer. The shirts don't prove that by themselves, but they don't hurt, either.
Plus, maybe moves like this will help sway public opinion to its side. NBA players sometimes get a bad rap for being selfish, but in this case they are doing something for the greater good (although a very specific kind of greater good that affects their particular interest group). It's nice to see NBA athletes standing up for greater principles and not just the league's profits.
Video: Ricky Rubio, officially, will be with the Timberwolves
Minnesota's long, international nightmare is over. Actually, no it isn't, because this roster will still be pretty terrible in 2011-12. Whenever that season starts. That's how rebuilding goes.
But, through Jonah Ballow of the team's official website, this team just signed Ricky Rubio. Finally. And this funny little ride through the low times coupled with the team's rights to the second pick in this year's draft, might end. Awwright!
Dig:
Oh, Ricky, you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind. And all my rational, deep-rooting, NBA scouting instincts. But forget those. Welcome to The Show, killer.
Video: Ricky Rubio, officially, will be with the Timberwolves
Minnesota's long, international nightmare is over. Actually, no it isn't, because this roster will still be pretty terrible in 2011-12. Whenever that season starts. That's how rebuilding goes.
But, through Jonah Ballow of the team's official website, this team just signed Ricky Rubio. Finally. And this funny little ride through the low times coupled with the team's rights to the second pick in this year's draft, might end. Awwright!
Dig:
Oh, Ricky, you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind. And all my rational, deep-rooting, NBA scouting instincts. But forget those. Welcome to The Show, killer.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Twins Markieff and Marcus Morris go back-to-back in NBA draft
On Sept. 2, 1989, Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris were born seven minutes apart in North Philadelphia. On June 23, 2011, the twin brothers and former University of Kansas standouts were chosen back-to-back, just seven minutes and 13 seconds apart (thanks, ESPN Stats and Information), in the 2011 NBA draft, in Newark, N.J., about two hours away from their place of birth. Symmetry's a heck of a thing, ain't it?
The Morrises are the third set of twins to be chosen in the first round of the NBA's first-year player entry draft, following sibling pairs Horace and Harvey Grant, and Brook and Robin Lopez. Horace was the 10th overall pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1987, while Harvey went 12th to the Washington Bullets the following year. The New Jersey Nets chose Brook with the 10th pick in 2008; five picks later, Robin came off the board to the Phoenix Suns.
As he was in birth, Markieff Morris came first, going to those same Suns with the 13th selection in the first round of this year's entry draft. After his brother exited the green room and stepped to the podium, Marcus Morris briefly allowed the emotion of the moment to overtake him. It was a touching scene, one that drove home the likelihood that the twins, inseparable since birth, would find themselves on different teams and in different cities for the first time in their lives.
Shortly thereafter, in an interview televised on ESPN's draft coverage, a more composed Marcus cracked a joke about the prospect of splitting from Markieff.
"It ain't the end of the world. I'll see him again," he said. "I mean, I'll send him flowers or some fruit. It'll be good."
Marcus Morris (right) didn't have much time to compare gift basket prices, because minutes later, the Houston Rockets chose him with the 14th pick in the first round.
Jeff Eisenberg, the ace college basketball writer behind our Y! brother blog The Dagger, echoed the sentiments of many college and draft observers who were somewhat taken aback by Markieff Morris coming off the board before Marcus, who was named Big 12 Player of the Year last season.
"It's not a huge shock that Markieff Morris would go as high as No. 13 to Phoenix, but it's definitely a surprise he came off the board before his more highly regarded twin brother Marcus," Eisenberg wrote. "Maybe the fact that Markieff has a defined position at power forward made him more attractive to teams than his twin brother, a hybrid forward who critics say lacks the height to play in the paint and the lateral quickness to play on the perimeter."
Whatever the reasoning behind Phoenix electing to take Markieff, the seven-minutes-older brother noted a mix of elation and anxiety after hearing his named called.
"Once I was called, I still had a little, you know, a little pressure on me waiting for my brother to be called," Markieff Morris told reporters. "Once he was called, it just came off, and we are both grateful and thankful."
"It's just amazing. It's just amazing how things play out," Marcus Morris said. "[I'm] just thanking God. He really has a plan for us. It just plays out the exact way we wanted it to. It's just so amazing."
NOTE: An earlier version of this post mistakenly identified former Suns draft pick Taylor Griffin as the twin brother of Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin. The two are not twins; Taylor, whom Phoenix drafted in the second round in 2009, is three years older than Blake, who was the top overall pick in the 2009 draft. We regret the error.
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Why DeShawn Stevenson has Lincoln tattooed on his neck
Well, of course DeShawn Stevenson got an Abraham Lincoln tattoo on his neck because the 16th president of the United States issued the Emancipation Proclamation, even during a time when the states weren't technically united. We knew that, but it's nice for DeShawn to clarify it.
There has been some quibble as to why Stevenson put the tattoo of Lincoln, surrounded by two number 5s (Lincoln, for our international readers, is featured on the American five-dollar bill) on his neck two years ago. But DeShawn, in an interview with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (as presented to us by Sports Radio Interviews), has finally clarified the thing that was pretty obvious from the outset:
"I was going to get Martin Luther King and I told Gilbert Arenas. You should never tell nobody your idea. That summer, he came back and got it. So I didn't know who to get. I got Abraham Lincoln because he freed the slaves. I just had Abraham Lincoln and, from a distance, everybody kept saying, 'Who is that?' So I put the five-dollar bill so everybody would stop asking me."
Obviously Abraham Lincoln isn't just another in a series of 44 presidents, having to deal with a task tougher than no other American president (we hope) will have to work through. And to African-Americans, Lincoln's work for his country has an added significance. It was a cool and unique gesture for Stevenson to make.
But just so we're sure, there's nothing really left to ask DeShawn Stevenson about, right?
(Photo at the top originally via Truth About It, as sussed out by J.E. Skeets. HT: Dime.)
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Kurt Rambis is being let go in a manner that suits David Kahn
It has been proven, through the course of 201 career games, that Kurt Rambis is not someone who should be a head coach at the NBA level.
His rotation choices have been poor. He doesn't properly match his rosters with offensive or defensive sets that suit their skills. He can be frequently seen standing still or saying nothing at all when an opposing offense makes an offensive breakthrough, where most other coaches would stomp and clap and point to the open guy who is leaking out to the corner. In two different stops, he hadn't had the full respect of his players. And whether his team is led by Kobe and Shaq, or Kevin Love and Jonny Flynn, the guy hasn't won. As of this writing, he's still the coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and though it's cruel to be as direct as this, he probably doesn't deserve that job.
But he also certainly doesn't deserve to be treated this way.
Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Timberwolves GM David Kahn will fire Rambis after Thursday's draft, which is the right course of events done completely the wrong way. As it sits, Rambis will either have to sit through his team's draft (Minnesota has the second overall pick, and thanks to Kahn they're involved in more trade rumors than any other team) and possibly even meet the media to explain why the Wolves went in the direction they went in with the selection and/or trade. Then he'll get the axe. All after being strung along in the nine weeks following the season, all because Kahn was too chicken-[shark!] to do what had to be done the proper way.
Rambis needed to be let go the day after the season ended, or even midway through 2010-11 in order to possibly find some forward thrust for the Wolves as they closed out the year while seeking out a potential long-term replacement. He didn't need to be asked to file some pathetic sort of team report to Kahn, as Kahn demanded, about his hopes and expectations for the terrible roster that Kahn provided him. He didn't deserve to be ignored by Kahn following season's end, in a way that was as unprecedented as it was tactless. And if Kahn is going to fire the guy, then do it now, rather than later. Don't make Rambis, who clearly isn't suited for a head coaching gig, wait yet another event out.
We make fun of Kahn when he puts his foot in his mouth, and we make fun of his moves with the Timberwolves. A lot of it is good fun, most of it is shooting fish in a barrel, and nearly all of it is done with a muted heavy heart. Mainly because Minnesota deserves better than this guy. Those are all jokes, though. Rip jobs, ha-ha turns meant to drive yet another column and/or blog post.
But this? This is just wrong. Rambis performed poorly with the Timberwolves, there's no denying that. He should not be back for 2011-12, and if money was no consideration (and I was in charge) he wouldn't have been back for 2010-11. But if anyone else were in charge, Rambis would have been dealt with properly. With the respect and professional courtesy that he, and any other employee at any level, deserves. And Kahn has failed not only as Timberwolves GM, but in the most basic, human terms. It's one thing to blow a draft pick, or a trade. It's another to treat another person being this way.
Just count the days, Minnesota. For all we know Kahn could pull off a masterpiece of a trade on Thursday, or take in a fantastic player in Derrick Williams. And your team should improve with a new and different coach. Things will be better. But things won't be great, until David Kahn has moved on. Deservedly, in as unceremonious and disrespectful a way as he's handled his working relationship with Kurt Rambis.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Video: LeBron James drives Jeff Garlin to religion
You know Jeff Garlin, comedian and actor and long-time Larry David co-collaborator on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." What you likely did know, before watching him run through a word association game with comic Jimmy Pardon behind the set at TBS' "Conan," is that he's got LeBron James on his mind.
Quite a bit. Watch the (slightly NSFW, beeped-out) clip:
In Garlin's defense, this interview was filmed last week, and we all had LeBron on our minds at the time. But to answer half the words in a word association game with "LeBron"? Apparently that summer he spent in Chicago during that city's notorious 1988 heat wave has left him a little daffy. Lucky for us.
Create-a-Caption: Shooting on ’21 Jumper Street’ is going great
I'll admit, I was skeptical about this project at first, but after Carmelo Anthony came in on the first day of shooting with that jean jacket blarin' and ready to go, I knew he was serious about giving a respectful reboot to Johnny Depp's turn as Officer Tom Hanson. And if this goes as well as we're all expecting it to, I think the "Booker" spinoff sequel has worlds of potential. Seriously: Al Harrington is Grieco as HELL.
Best caption wins 10 minutes of figuring out who'll play the Peter DeLuise role it's Josh McRoberts, move along. Good luck.
In our last adventure: I will buy every WWE pay-per-view for the next 10 years if that organization unites Jesse Ventura and Kevin Garnett as a tag team called either The Totally Normal Brothers or Obvs Besties Duh-Point-0.
Runner-up, Jones6: Kevin Garnett is all smiles after his recent Viagra endorsement deal.
NOTE: Don't be like KG and Larry David, gentlemen. Be aware of the bunch so you can AVOID the bunch.
Second runner-up, FunmiT: Garnett: "Thirty more seconds of smiling, then we Glen Davis this Bruno Mars wannabe."
Ventura:"Let's do it, big man."
Magic Is One Whiny Lil? Bitch
2011 NBA Draft, Picks 5-8: Knight Drops To Pistons At No. 8
Video: Ricky Rubio, officially, will be with the Timberwolves
Minnesota's long, international nightmare is over. Actually, no it isn't, because this roster will still be pretty terrible in 2011-12. Whenever that season starts. That's how rebuilding goes.
But, through Jonah Ballow of the team's official website, this team just signed Ricky Rubio. Finally. And this funny little ride through the low times coupled with the team's rights to the second pick in this year's draft, might end. Awwright!
Dig:
Oh, Ricky, you're so fine. You're so fine you blow my mind. And all my rational, deep-rooting, NBA scouting instincts. But forget those. Welcome to The Show, killer.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Ricky Rubio gives Wolves a dash of pizazz
To play basketball! As opposed to, say, taking a vacation.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are excited. As well they should be, because even if Rubio is still merely just a kid, he’s got flash and adds some excitement to a team that’s done plenty of losing lately.
Tom Powers of the [...]
The 10-man rotation, starring Tex Winter
A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.
C: Chicago Tribune. Not only will Tex Winter be able to attend his Hall of Fame ceremony later this summer, but Jerry Krause and Phil Jackson will be in attendance.
PF: Deadspin. Luke O'Brien's must-read on Dirk Nowitzki.
SF: ShamSports. Few people, if any, know the Chicago Bulls better than Mark Deeks.
SG: The Point Forward. The Celtics have a big hole in the middle.
PG: SB Nation. LeBron James fell and fell hard in the Finals, but overall his playoff work was darn good.
6th: The Good Point. 'Celebrating the 1988-99 Dallas Mavericks.'
7th: The Painted Area. The bit on Dwane Casey midway through this column is fantastic.
8th: Dime. NBA prospect Xavier Silas on looking sharp.
9th: Heat Index. Kevin Arnovitz on some very intriguing Miami Heat what-if's.
10th: SB Nation. Jon Bois with a typically-hilarious take on the pickup basketball season to-be.
Got a link or tip for Ball Don't Lie? Holler at me at KD_BDL_ED (at) yahoo.com, or follow me on Twitter.
German forward Breunig chooses Huskies
Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Evan Turner discusses classic cinema
At this point, seemingly half the NBA is on Twitter. It's a wild world of training updates, questions as to which movies they should go see, and explanations of their Call of Duty prowess. Every so often, though, you also get a picture into the more interesting aspects of NBA life. This feature is your window into that world.
Nick Collison: the craziest thing happened in hot yoga. We were in the birth pose and I totally helped a chick deliver a baby!!! Congrats Amy!!! ... For the record I did not deliver a baby today nor wear yoga pants and sports bra combo #tweetthathasneverbeentweetedbyadudebefore
Evan Turner: No movie with Steve stifler will ever be boring. I know it will be a classic
Chris Douglas-Roberts: I use my body as a canvas to make masterpieces. Its art to me. Art.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The King of the Court Meets a Hip Hop King backstage @ Bonnaroo Great to meet such a humble & talented guy http://twitpic.com/5b98q0
Gilbert Arenas: But to be honest it sucks we can't be reg folks at no point...I heard they hav a person who sits and just watches my twitter whaaaaaaaa
You can also follow Eric Freeman on Twitter at @freemaneric.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
BDL Interview: Jason Terry on retired jerseys, ‘elite status’ and Obama vs. Cuban
Jason Terry is really, really enjoying being an NBA champion.
This should come as no shock to anyone who's followed his 12-year professional career. (If you haven't been, do yourself a favor and check out this great GQ.com guest spot by SLAM Editor-at-Large Lang Whitaker, which offers up 11 things you might not know about the Dallas Mavericks' second scoring option.) JET's always been a talkative, gregarious dude, and he's always seemed to perform best late in games, when the spotlight shines the brightest.�His outsized personality has long made him an excellent fit next to the typically reserved, lower-register brilliance of Dirk Nowitzki, as good a complement at the post-game presser as he is in the pick-and-pop.
It also makes him basically the perfect guy for a public relations team to have on-call in the aftermath of a championship.�Given the opportunity to fill a sound vacuum, JET will; given the opportunity to fill airtime, blank notebooks and audio recorders of media members eager to hear how the Mavs beat the Miami Heat to win the first NBA championship in franchise history, he will.
He'll gladly talk to just about anyone.�Even us.
BDL caught up with JET via telephone on Friday afternoon to get a snapshot of what it's like in the hours and days after reaching the top of the mountain. Despite a scratchy, Tom Waits-y�voice, Terry hung with us, talking about the experience of winning and reaching what he called "elite status." We also discussed his decision to�auction off his Game 6 kicks for charity, recent rumblings that he wants the Mavericks to retire his number 31 after he hangs 'em up, finding the perfect pick-up opponent for the leader of the free world, and more.
***
Congratulations, Jason ? it's been a heck of a few days for you, I'd imagine.
Oh, unbelievable. My voice is one sign of what I'm going through right now, but it's an unreal feeling, man. A tremendous blessing.
Well, you've been puffing on cigars of late, and that can hurt your voice a bit, I understand. You were going pretty good with those around 11 yesterday.
(laughs) No question. Not only the cigars, but all the playing, all the yelling ? not only throughout the playoffs [and] the final game, but then yesterday, the parade in front of all those fans … an unreal feeling, man. You definitely feel like a rock star. You can honestly wake up, every day for the rest of your life, and say you are a champion.
At the celebration yesterday, you touched on the Mavericks' past. You said, "Brad Davis, [Rolando] Blackman, move over, there's some new jerseys coming to town," referring to the only two Mavericks to have their numbers retired. Most fans would say Dirk is an obvious choice for that kind of honor, but if I'm somebody who doesn't follow the game that closely, explain to me: Why does Jason Terry belong in that conversation? What have you brought to the Mavericks over the years that you feel puts you in that same kind of category?
To see my jersey go up there … a guy that has sacrificed so much by coming to Dallas and over the years, all the hard work we put in to try to be champions, and then to be the only point guard to take their team to the Finals in '05-'06, but to finally get there this year and win it? Sixth Man of the Year two years ago ? [and] should've been the last three years? (laughs) You know what? I'm very humble, I'm a hungry guy, but sometimes you got to toot your own horn. And if it means telling them, "Move over, Ro, move over, Brad Davis," then that's what you got to do.
Just to follow up on that: You got your jersey retired at Franklin, back in high school. You had a phenomenal career at Arizona, but there have been some issues with having your jersey retired there. What would mean more to you moving forward ? the opportunity to be recognized for your college career at Arizona, where you won a national title and earned All-American honors, or in Dallas, with what you've meant to that franchise?
Well, first of all, I've stepped into elite status now as a professional athlete. I've won in high school ? a championship, two of 'em. College ? the national championship in '97. A gold medal at the Goodwill Games. And now, an NBA championship. So right there in itself, I mean, I don't care what happens; I'm really a champion. College would be great ? you know, obviously, my career at Arizona, I love those people ? but to do it right here in Dallas, man, it would be phenomenal. Phenomenal.
You've got this charity auction that you're working on ? tell me a little bit more about that and how some of our readers might be able to get involved.
Well, you know, two or three weeks ago, my shoe ? not my face ? was on the cover of Sports Illustrated …
That had to hurt you, by the way, that it was your shoe and not your face. That had to hurt your heart a little bit. Don't lie.
But anyway, we wanted to give the fans a piece of history. You know, to be able to do what I did in Game 6 ? 27 points in a closeout fashion, to win the world championship ? we wanted to make it special for the fans and for the great people in the community. So all the proceeds from the auction will go to the Jason Terry Foundation and you know what, it's just been unbelievable what Reebok has done. They came up with the idea. [Fans] can go to Reebok.com, bid on it and get your piece of Mavericks history from the NBA Finals.
Obviously, it's been a whirlwind few days since Sunday night. You've had a fantastic career and you've been looking forward to the opportunity to grab this brass ring for so long ? what's been the most surprising thing about the aftermath of becoming a champion? I'm sure you've thought about it a million different ways, but has anything caught you by surprise over the course of the past week?
The surprise to me is just that the feeling hasn't really set in yet. You know, when I won in college in '97, instantly ? right after that game, when you win ? the crowd goes crazy, they rush the court and you know right then, at the moment. But we were in Miami. You think everyone will jump up and down, jump on the net, cut the nets down, but it really wasn't like that. So I don't know if it'll be when I meet [President Barack] Obama later on this fall or when I get my ring at the ceremony that the feelings will finally set in.
When you get the opportunity to meet the president, will you be looking to get out on the court with him at any point?
You know what? I'm going to put that on somebody else. I'mma let my teammate handle it. None other than Mark Cuban's gonna challenge the president of the United States to a one-on-one game. He and Mark Cuban at the White House.
That would be very interesting, no doubt about it. There was quite a bit of attention paid to the tattoo that you got of the Larry O'Brien Trophy prior to the season; it became a topic of conversation over the past couple of weeks. As you go through the photos from after Game 6 and during the celebration and parade yesterday, it becomes clear that you've been showing it off quite a bit. Basically, there's been a lot of flexing going on.
Has there been any soreness stemming from the flexing? Have you been doing anything to keep the biceps loose? Heat? Ice?
(laughs) Man, nothing could hurt this arm at this point, with this feeling. You know what? I told 'em before the series ? I was blatantly honest. I said, "This thing will hurt worse if I have to take it off than it did putting it on." We knew what was at stake, man, and I loved every moment of it, and again, God is good. There was a reason that I put this thing on in preseason ? and it wasn't right before the Finals, this was in preseason ? and the reason was my faith in this team.
Quick Reminder: 1st Spalding Pro Camp in Germany ? two weeks to go!
Video: TMZ mistakes Greg Oden for LeBron James
When Greg Oden was selected first overall by the Trail Blazers at the 2007 NBA draft, he was heralded as the most impactful player to enter the league since LeBron James, the kind of guy who could reshape the league landscape. Four years later, he's played in just 82 regular-season games and doesn't look likely to make a huge impact anytime soon.
But that doesn't mean he's not a media celebrity. In the video above, you can see a TMZ reporter ask Oden whether or not he expects himself and the rest of the Heat's Big Three to stay in Miami. Because, for some reason, the reporter thought he was LeBron James.
It's an easy mistake to make considering both Oden and James are tall African-American men who get paid to play basketball. Why, just the other day I saw Derrick Rose on the streets of San Francisco and asked him if he thinks he can repeat as MVP next season. It turned out to be Ekpe Udoh, but I'm pretty sure anyone would have been confused.
On the other hand, Oden probably prefers this mix-up to the last time he was on TMZ.
(Video via PBT)
Ball Don’t Lie Hump Day Chat!
Create-a-Caption: Shooting on ’21 Jumper Street’ is going great
I'll admit, I was skeptical about this project at first, but after Carmelo Anthony came in on the first day of shooting with that jean jacket blarin' and ready to go, I knew he was serious about giving a respectful reboot to Johnny Depp's turn as Officer Tom Hanson. And if this goes as well as we're all expecting it to, I think the "Booker" spinoff sequel has worlds of potential. Seriously: Al Harrington is Grieco as HELL.
Best caption wins 10 minutes of figuring out who'll play the Peter DeLuise role it's Josh McRoberts, move along. Good luck.
In our last adventure: I will buy every WWE pay-per-view for the next 10 years if that organization unites Jesse Ventura and Kevin Garnett as a tag team called either The Totally Normal Brothers or Obvs Besties Duh-Point-0.
Runner-up, Jones6: Kevin Garnett is all smiles after his recent Viagra endorsement deal.
NOTE: Don't be like KG and Larry David, gentlemen. Be aware of the bunch so you can AVOID the bunch.
Second runner-up, FunmiT: Garnett: "Thirty more seconds of smiling, then we Glen Davis this Bruno Mars wannabe."
Ventura:"Let's do it, big man."