- 05:08 PM
- 03/19/10
Help them do what, exactly?
You know something? I'm not quite sure. To be quite honest, I'm befuddled by the decision. The Grizzlies have amassed a sizable number of young guards via the draft, trade, or free agency over the last 3-4 years. But they haven't committed to developing (much less to giving PT) to any of them. Mayo may be the exception, though I fully expect the Grizz to foul up his option years in much the same manner they have Rudy Gay's.
posted by lilnemo at 08:47 PM on November 14
Tinsley has had off the court problems which led to his being deactivated before the beginning of last season while the Pacers sought a trade. The union filed a grievance on Tinsley's behalf around the All-Star break, but the situation was ultimately resolved when Tinsley was waived after the season concluded in July. The Pacers endured a long season, and some collateral damage.
I'm not so sure its a good idea to sign Tinsley (and his attendant baggage), when the Grizzlies' honeymoon with Iverson lasted one game. Tinsley could possibly turn things around for himself and earn another contract. And I don't think he would have a problem coming off of the bench, if need be. But having sat out an entire season, during the prime years of his career, I wonder if he will get in game shape soon enough to help the Grizzlies. Or if he will help at all.
posted by lilnemo at 03:49 PM on November 14
One less person that believes in my campaign to bring back Mo Vaughn.
We have the technology: Buffalo wings and sliders. Dude! We could rebuild him.
posted by lilnemo at 05:23 PM on November 05
Among the allegations:
posted by lilnemo at 01:31 PM on October 22
You mean this isn't ColonoscopyFilter?
posted by lilnemo at 01:20 PM on September 22
Sorry, this is a sports site. You clearly meant to go elsewhere.
Admittedly its been awhile since I posted on SpoFi. But, no. I think it belongs here. But I'll take it under advisement. Christ, what happened to this place? You got people crying about misogyny in one thread and then talking about hurting someone over a LETTER in another.
I'll apologize to Hugh Janus. Your jab was clearly not intended to be taken seriously, but can you blame my Sarcastometer 5000 breaking down considering the comments that came before it?
Besides how often does a guy get to apologize to a Hugh Janus?
posted by lilnemo at 12:40 PM on September 22
They're also resisting a development plan for young officials...
And why? For the money they're not asking for? Perhaps its the structure of the development plan, or maybe its because the oversight for current in-season officiating is still lacking. There are many reasons to do this aside from saving ones ass. Did you throw this big a fit when the NBA instituted the rookie scale alongside the veterans' minimum? You know so those tried and true rookies like Bryant Reeves would be forced to take low pay while worthless veterans like Jimmy Jackson could take home that awesome veteran money?
And if you do your job well, you better believe a union boss will come tell you to slow down, you're making everyone look bad and we can't justify (pick one of the following: raises, overtime, extra vacation, bigger percentage of salary in pension) if you're doing a better job than everyone else...
Okay. This is where it gets a little personal. I will make a small admission. I am affiliated with a union. And I have never. I repeat, NEVER been told, much less joked about such a thing. To paint union members of any affiliation, with such a vile broad brush without qualification is crass (to put it kindly).
Unions have FAR outlived their use in American society.
Maybe. I'm not qualified to say. I'm not a rah-rah, union guy. I had to join a union in order to obtain my current job. A job without which I would be still be working at minimum wage, without health insurance, much less "health benefits" and at "part-time hours" (which you can read as just below the legal threshold for full-time status and the benefits that ensures). Does that mean I'm stupid? Does that mean I'm lazy? Maybe. But maybe the fact that companies like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Disney, etc can still get away with screwing with timesheets and forcing employees to work overtime to keep their jobs means that Unions aren't just some antiquated notion from the 19th century. That if the government falls asleep at the wheel and doesn't regulate industry, that workers, regular joes like you and me will get fucked sideways and all at the whims of the "free market". We can panhandle together while big business pockets that extra "rainy day" cash.
Fuck off.
posted by lilnemo at 08:02 PM on September 21
This situation also makes me wonder whether the new refs will be more likely or less likely to make intentional miscalls to alter the point spread when they officiate games they wager money on.
Right, because no one in the history of the gainfully employed has ever commited a crime that effected their employer.
Sportsfilter why are you making me defend the refs?
WHY?!
posted by lilnemo at 06:44 PM on September 21
Interesting and spirited discussion. I have a few thoughts to throw out.
Comparing the officiating of a professional sport with any other job, is a false equivalence at best. While there may be tenuous similarities to other professions in regards to travel or pay scale, they just don't add up.
Besides, we all know that refs are most like middle management. They have the least say in the direction of the company, and take the most shit for their mistakes. Seriously, who takes as much abuse, from as large a group of people, as referees? Aside from CEOs and heads of state, who catches as much crap as refs? And over what? A game.
I mean, look at this thread. We have some users here who are ready to assault someone over a letter to a board. Who are belittling a woman for supporting her husband? SERIOUSLY?
Here's a little more info for everyone to chew on. And here's the money quote (literally): Besides the severance and pension disagreements, the officials are resisting a league development plan for young officials.The contract between the NBA and its officials expired Sept. 1 and the sides have been trying to reach a new two-year deal. McMorris said they largely agree on salaries, but the union has balked at the league's attempt to change retirement benefits.
So they're not negotiating for a raise, they're trying to keep their pension. Those assholes!
Yeah, refs screw up. Everybody does. They're people like you and me. And while I may disagree with officiating on the field, I see nothing wrong with referees trying to secure their retirement. Besides does no one else remember what NBA games were like the last time this happened?
posted by lilnemo at 06:41 PM on September 21
Rick Pitino paid for her abortion.
Don't you know Ted Kennedy hasn't been in the ground for a week and a half now?!
How Dare YOU!!
*squints* *wrings hands*
posted by lilnemo at 07:17 PM on September 05
"I was given some information from people that were close to him late afternoon, early evening that was quite honestly very concerning to me. I'm not going to go into specifics, but it was concerning to me," Fisher said.
Concerning enough to call the police and have "negotiators on standby". As far as I know, police negotiators are only for hostage situations and attempted suicides.
Vince's family is saying that he's "hurting inside and out". His friends as well as members of the Titans organization are denying that he was, is, or may be depressed.
Either this is a massive misunderstanding or somebody is doing a whole lot of lying.
posted by lilnemo at 05:17 PM on September 10
...does anyone else think NBC and media are playing up the Phelps angle of this accomplishment too much?
A bit. As time passes it's more likely that the general public will remember Phelps accomplishments in these Olympics more than his teammates, whether he surpasses Spitz or not. However, the fact that the media has chosen to cover the games this way does contribute to that eventuality quite heavily.
The victory matters more than just the prospect of keeping Phelps' eight gold hopes alive.
Agreed. But for the "General Public" which largely ignores amateur athletics outside of the Olympics, "names" like Phelps, LeBron, May & Walsh will draw viewers and hopefully steer them towards "lesser known" athletes.
posted by lilnemo at 08:18 PM on August 11
...if Manny gets anything close to $20 million per year, I'll be shocked Lets take a few disparate datapoints and see where they intersect.
posted by lilnemo at 06:22 PM on August 01
Looking at this, I can only think that Boston was either really hot for Bay or really hot to get rid of Manny. Probably both. Considering that Boston is paying the remainder of Manny's salary this year, on top of giving up 2 prospects for Bay. I'm going to hedge towards really hot to get rid of Manny.
posted by lilnemo at 05:11 PM on July 31
Bryan Morris just came back from TJ surgery. He's been one of the Dodgers top 15 prospects since he was drafted. Mid-90's fastball and curve. Logan White liked him, that's enough for me.
posted by lilnemo at 05:00 PM on July 31
Andy LaRoche is supposed to be the real deal. He was all but guaranteed to be the opening day starter at 3rd, but a freak injury kept him out of the remainder of spring training and on the DL into the beginning of the season. At that point AA prospect Blake DeWitt was called up to start in his place. DeWitt hit well enough, in MAY but quickly faded. Torre continued to pencil DeWitt in even when LaRoche recovered. His tenure with the Dodgers has seemed star-crossed thats for sure. Okay, not star-crossed (thats too purple). Mismanaged. There's the word.
posted by lilnemo at 04:50 PM on July 31
Its over folks. Manny to the Dodgers. Bay to the Red Sox. Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen to the Pirates.
posted by lilnemo at 04:27 PM on July 31
But it sounds like he means he doesn't even bother considering anyone but the NBA. Yup, thats exactly what he's saying. Does Stern care one way or the other whether teams are bidding against other leagues for talent? So long as they work within the confines of the cap, I sincerely doubt it.
posted by lilnemo at 05:09 PM on July 24
If the US doesn't beat some ass in the Olympics, can we finally put that to rest? Dear God I hope so. Oh, did anyone catch this nugget from Hawks GM Rick Sund?
"We were informed this morning by Josh Childress' representatives that he has signed with Olympiakos in Greece, and we want to wish him the absolute best with his future career in FIBA." [...] The fact is Atlanta's offer was the best Childress could get - in the NBA. Atlanta chose not to compete with the offer from Olympiacos Piraeus. "I can only compete in the league I play in," justified Sund.And on the heels of Childress jumping into European waters comes news that Rockets forward Carl Landry is contemplating doing the same.
posted by lilnemo at 02:48 PM on July 24
I thought Henry Abbott over at True Hoop had a very good perspective on this. That he does, but I don't see this becoming a widespread trend among US-born players just yet. International leagues are still stigmatized by mainstream media outlets as inferior in competition, fame & fortune. There are very few players like Sam Clancy, Tyus Edney, Anthony Parker, J.R. Sakuragi, Trajan Langdon, or Josh Childress who can turn down the lure of the NBA and acclimate themselves to another culture.
posted by lilnemo at 12:41 PM on July 24
It isn't mentioned in the story, but I seem to recall that beyond the higher salary on average, and the strength of the Euro, that there was talk of the Greek taxes being "handled". Childress also has opt out options for the duration of the contract, which would allow him to return to the NBA without much fuss. The only snag to a potential return is that the Hawks still own his rights, and he would remain a restricted free agent, meaning the Hawks only have to make a qualifying offer every year to retain his rights, and that if he signs an offer sheet with another NBA club the Hawks have the right to match. However, with so many big name free agents on the horizon for '09 and '10 it is possible that the Hawks may renounce his rights by not making a qualifying offer, so that they can make a run at another player.
posted by lilnemo at 01:36 PM on July 23
As opposed to the Clippers' owner, who's willing to spend whatever it takes to win. Point well taken. And yet, in a move that mystifies even the Grinch, Sterling took a wrench to his pocketbook. I don't know what did it. Was it the constant ribbing? The losing? Did someone convince him (finally) that fielding a competitive team could be profitable? Whatever the reason, Sterling has showed a willingness to pay over the last 7 years. Lost in all this is the fact that Sterling loved Brand & Maggette. He's never had this kind of connection with any player on any of his previous teams. There's absolutely no reason at all for Sterling to have allowed this to happen. Which is why I'm inclined to believe the Clippers front office. And believe me that is not a sentence I ever thought I would hear come out of my mouth. But even if the front office was its usual bungling self, we had Baron in the bag and the promise of Brand on the way. Which is vexing, and pretty much the crux of the main link:
Clippers fans, by their nature, can stomach a great deal of indignity. But either circumstance -- cold-blooded betrayal or woeful neglect -- is something not even Clippers fans are truly equipped to deal with.
posted by lilnemo at 02:59 PM on July 11
Maggette hasn't verbally committed to any team yet. Though the Spurs are reportedly in the running.
posted by lilnemo at 07:11 PM on July 02
Well. Maggette is not as good a defender as Posey. Not by half. His jumper is suspect. Corey's value is tied up in his scoring, his ability to draw fouls and his proficiency from the free throw line. The fact that he has drawn as many fouls as he has, on a team that gets precious little respect from the refs (or anyone else for that matter) is a testament to his talent. He is a surprisingly good rebounder when he gives the effort but his track record in this regard is spotty. I think he would be great coming off the bench to spell Allen and Pierce. But at this point in his career I don't see Corey going back to the bench voluntarily. Posey is a good fit, the Celtics should make every effort to retain him. Though it may be largely out of their hands.
posted by lilnemo at 06:18 PM on July 02
Do you think the money that Baron Davis is getting from the Clippers the most he could get? Nope. Baron definitely took a paycut coming to the Clippers. But in doing so, he gets to play with Brand and be closer to his other business ventures. Win-Win. I just don't understand why Gilbert Arenas is worth about double the amount of Davis, according to reports about what he has been offered. I get the impression that Arenas is seen as less of an injury risk. They do seem to be pretty equally matched, talentwise. Gil is a better perimeter shooter, but Baron's a better passer and finisher in the paint. Tough call. The Clips got lucky Baron dropped into their laps, but you get the impression that the Wiz need Gil to stick around to keep basketball relevant in Washington. Just look at the last 15 years of inconsistency that Bullets fans endured before the current renaissance. I think that the combination of Gil's persona and the culture it helped create around the team are primarily why the Wiz are throwing the bank at him. Should I be excited by the Celtics trying to sign Cutino Mobley? Mobley is still under contract with the Clips. I think you may mean Maggette. I don't understand the fascination at the Globe (specifically Chad Finn, whom I like) with keeping Eddie House; his seems like a skillset you could find anywhere. Backup combo guards are a dime a dozen. Here's a short list of current Free Agents to back that claim:
posted by lilnemo at 05:54 PM on July 02
No question, Lowry and Crittenton will be spun off, but based on how the Grizz handled their playing time, I doubt they get much in return.
posted by lilnemo at 01:15 PM on July 02
What were the Wizards thinking? That was a wasted pick. Tough call. Arthur was still on the board, but IF the Wiz are bringing Jamison back (and I think they will), I don't see where he gets any burn. Admittedly, I haven't seen much of McGee, but if he can catch a pass, hell, if he can hold onto the ball he will already be a MARKED improvement over Haywood. I think Minnesota looks okay now, unless Mayo becomes a star. Then, the trade was a big mistake. I'm not so sure of that. Does Mayo's draft position or talent make him the starter in Memphis? How does Grizz management spin it if Conley (last years #4) has to come off the bench? Where does this leave Crittenton (the only tangible asset from the Gasol trade)? What about Lowry for that matter? The Grizz are gambling (admittedly with good odds) that Mayo will be a star for them, but in doing so, they are marginalizing any trade value the rest of their guard corps may have. And the Grizz need those guys to be valuable in trade because it is doubtful that anyone will be willing to sign with them in free agency during the early stages of rebuilding. You were missed during the playoffs, lilnemo. Thanks, I appreciate that. Had a family member pass away. Threads like the one below haven't made it easy to come back either. I've been lurking, but hope to be more active.
posted by lilnemo at 03:17 PM on June 30
If you're going to pull a quote from the article, at least pull the entire sentence. Why should I if you didn't in your initial comment? Look I'm not trying to convince you that Lenny Bias was the second coming. He wasn't. I get it. A journo starts writing all purple and the article goes south. Fine. If you don't want to discuss whether Bias had an impact or what that might have been. Fine. I'm not going to get into a semantic pissing match. We just agree to disagree.
posted by lilnemo at 04:01 PM on June 28
The author made a pretty big qualifier before making the hyperbolic comparisons which seem to have enlisted such RAGE, from our fellow members.
If you were alive then, and you cared at all about sports, or about drugs, you most likely remember it well. It was one of those momentsWe can argue what impact Bias death had on sports and society til were blue in the face, but your reaction is just that. Your reaction. Same with mine. But the fact that we are discussing the event 20 years after; that it is apparently still such a touchy subject; and that it touched more lives than the fanbase of the New England area should give credence to the notion that Bias death affected people other than you in a significant way. Surely we can agree on that?
posted by lilnemo at 11:43 AM on June 28
The Bucks are definitely clearing the decks. Mason is redundant with Jefferson coming aboard.
posted by lilnemo at 06:45 PM on June 27
I guess the difference is one had the opportunity to make an impact and the other did not. I wouldn't say that. Bias death become THE cautionary tale for athletes with aspirations for living fast and making it big. That's a pretty big impact, and one he only achieved through death. Bias death and the events surrounding it were the harbinger for how the media would report and how society would reflect upon the shortcomings of our athletes.
posted by lilnemo at 06:03 PM on June 27
YYM I think the DET-SEA trade was a win-win. Dumars gets to role the dice on some promising big men and the Sonics get a player to supplement their frontcourt depth. Not bad. I will say that Joe has a real knack for getting quality big men in the lower ends of the draft (Maxiell, Amir Johnson, hell even Acker, 05 was a good year for Joe wasn't it?).
posted by lilnemo at 05:27 PM on June 27
Muffed the Ford link, it was supposed to include this link as well. For those of you (like me) keeping score, here is a list of trades that were completed with this draft, as well as a list of outstanding trades awaiting completion by way of draft. Just a few random observations:
posted by lilnemo at 05:14 PM on June 27
Which would laker fans rather see in the game, Rondo or Cassell? Rondo. Although the Celtics are up 2-0 (and I'm pretty sure they'll take the series), Rondo's late-game ball-handling and play-calling have been atrocious. How many lob/balloon passes did he toss up in the waning minutes of, well, all of his playoff games so far? Don't get me wrong. He's a good lead guard. If his career maintains its upward trajectory he'll have a Dennis Johnson-type, solid-but-not-spectacular career.
posted by lilnemo at 05:21 PM on June 09
I would love for Piazza to wear a Dodger cap into the HOF. But its pretty unlikely. I don't have the heart to go into why, but these threads over at Dodger Thoughts cover most of the reasons pretty well.
posted by lilnemo at 01:13 PM on May 21
In the NBA you have to rely on your star players to work through a poor stretch or at least provide some intangibles. This is true for the most part. Most players will look to drive to the basket to get off easier shots (distance-wise), or in the hopes of drawing contact/fouls. Unfortunately, Baron has established a reputation as a player who will fall in love with his jumper, and who will stop penetrating late in games. Why this is, I do not know. I just know that this move (Nellie shenanigans aside) isn't quite as unexpected as some are making out. In fact, given Baron's age, health, and (alleged) coachability issues. Its not too hard to read the writing on the wall. Ellis will be the primary focus of this off-season and of the offense come next year.
posted by lilnemo at 04:23 PM on April 17
The article brings up the fact that Miles can sign with another team upon clearing waivers. The article also states that it is uncertain whether Miles has the desire to play. If Miles does end up playing again, whether in the next two years or after, his injury couldn't really be classified as "career-ending". If the Blazers wanted rid of Miles they could have bought him out. They'd take a hit on his cap number, but they'd be rid of him. Or they could have traded him off to another team for picks and parts. But they didn't. Does involving the league and its independent doctor benefit the Blazers? Sure. It gets Miles off of the cap. But the league isn't in the business of letting teams off the hook for luxury tax considerations. The bit of business in the article about Miles joining another team? Yes he absolutely could. Just like Keith Van Horn did. Until Miles files retirement papers, any contract he signs makes him a financial commodity, not an on court asset. He had microfracture, so the odds of him coming back are unknown. Kidd and Amare have come back from it. Houston, and Penny did not. If Miles "had the desire to play" and his injury wasn't career threatening why wouldn't he suit up for the Blazers? Allen loves him, the article makes that plain. Cheeks is gone. Ditto Randolph. The team as a whole, are a pretty likeable bunch. They're up and coming, and have the talent to challenge for the playoffs for the next few years. I just don't see the nefarious machinations of the League Office at work here.
posted by lilnemo at 02:42 PM on April 15
This sounds like a defense team in a trial going to as many "experts" as it takes until they find one who will agree with their side of the case. How exactly? The Blazers had to have the NBA bring in a third party to ensure such a scenario wouldn't happen. Otherwise the Blazers are stuck with Miles and his contract.
posted by lilnemo at 01:06 PM on April 15
The team will pay Miles the remaining $27.5 M left on the contract, which will not count against the cap. The team will collect $6.6 M in insurance, and save over $3.5 M in luxury tax penalties this year. This gives the Trailblazers between $25-$33 M to play with for free agency '10. Though Miles has been waived with a "career-ending" injury he can sign with another team once he clears waivers. *knuckles to forehead* *.*
posted by lilnemo at 11:25 AM on April 15
when was Bird a head coach in the NBA? Its right here. He coached the Pacers from 1998-2000. They lost the EC Finals in 98 and 99. They advanced to the NBA Finals in 2000 and lost to the Lakers. I would like to know why the Pistons got over the fall-out from the fight, and a few seasons later the Pacers are still in shock. The Pacers had finished the 2004 season with a 61-21 record. They lost the EC Finals 4 games to 2 in a closely contested series to the eventual NBA champion Pistons. The following season they opened up the season with a 6-2 record heading into the palace. This is a team that hadn't missed the playoffs since 97, all while rebuilding on the fly around O'Neal. This was a team that was prepared to make the next step. In the fallout from the brawl Artest was suspended for the remainder of the season (73 games) and postseason (13 games), Stephen Jackson for 30 games, Jermaine for 25 games (later reduced to 25), Anthony Johnson for 5, Reggie for 1. And the Pistons? Ben Wallace 6 games, Billups, Campbell, Coleman 1 game. With the Pacers short 2 of their leading scorers, and forced to rely on green players like James Jones, Fred Jones, Eddie Gill and Tremaine Fowlkes, the quick start they had enjoyed ground to a halt. The Pistons ran away with the Central Division while the Pacers clawed their way into the 6th seed of the playoffs. The teams met in the playoffs, and the Pistons won the series. Much of the personnel from the Pacers 05 squad still bare the stigma of the incident. Most notably Artest and Jackson. The coverage of the incident over the season adversely effected both players value, to the team and on the open market. As such, when the groundswell of bad sentiment rose against the players from the Pacers fans, the team was forced to deal Artest and Jackson for somewhat less than fair value. Which goes a long way to explaining why the Pacers, a small market team, are paying close to the cap maximum and yet possess the 5th worst record in their conference. 2005, the season of the Brawl, was the last time the Pacers finished with a record above .500 06 record 41-41 07 record 35-47 08 record 27-41
posted by lilnemo at 07:10 PM on March 20
As much as I rag on McHale, he did what he could with the money Taylor afforded him. The one time he was given the green light to spend, the Wolves ended up in the WC Finals. Though the Joe Smith deal pretty much overshadows anything he's done since. Bird took over a playoff team, ousted Isiah, hired Carlisle, and was on the verge of a huge playoff run. And then his club went apeshit in Detroit. I don't really see how you can blame him for that. Until Bird shakes loose the rest of the remnants of that squad (Tinsley, Jermaine O'Neal), and their bad contracts, its going to be hard to judge his work with the club. The question is whether he wants to stick around long enough to rebuild.
posted by lilnemo at 11:44 AM on March 20
Attn: News Media Re: Trolls Don't feed them. I'm trying to see what Taylor gets out of this. Its not as if he's trying to shield himself from bad publicity over the trade. In most circles, people are glad Taylor allowed Garnett to move on to a team with actual title aspirations. He really hasn't gotten much criticism (to my eye) over the pieces of the trade (not that they were all that bad). Any blame for that has largely fallen on McHale. Maybe this was just an owner lashing out during a losing season (we've seen it before, this season even. Thank you Mr. Sterling). Maybe Taylor was feeling trader's remorse. I don't know. Any way you spin it, this was a stupid statement. In a few years, Garnett is going to retire. He's going to get into the Hall of Fame. Is it a good idea to alienate the defining player of your franchise?
posted by lilnemo at 11:32 AM on March 19
Welcome to SpoFi deadsteen. I tend to agree with your assessment. With the NBA's stratospheric rise in popularity and revenue under Stern, the game has become more businesslike and less personable. It puts players at the forefront of its ad campaign. But 75% of the players in the league are indiscernible in their differences. To be fair, Magic's fund raiser has been taken over by Paul Pierce and Baron Davis. And the exploits of Gilbert Arenas, and Channing Frye have made following players off the court more fun the last season or two. I'm sure these examples are not exceptions to how most NBA players are in real life, but it'd be nice to see it reported more often.
posted by lilnemo at 11:44 PM on March 12
Thats what I come to SpoFi for, the "nifty spikes-to-crotch" action.
posted by lilnemo at 04:31 PM on March 12
One could always argue that with a larger pool of talent to draw from, that public schools should always be competitive. But with the money private schools are able to put into facilities, equipment, and coaching staffs its hard to see why a kid with the option to go to private school wouldn't. Having said that, I'm against the proposal to have seperate leagues. While better funding may give private schools the edge, I don't see how a School Administrator can look their students in the eye and say they aren't good enough to compete with another school.
posted by lilnemo at 06:58 PM on March 05
West lets LA steal Gasol... Jerry West had nothing to do with it, he is not the Grizzlies GM. Chris Wallace is the Grizzlies GM. The same man who engineered the Tony Delk and Rodney Rogers for Joe Johnson, Randy Brown, Milt Palacio, and 1st round pick (Casey Jacobsen) trade. The same Wallace that signed Travis Knight to a 7 year/$22M contract. The same Wallace that signed Chris Mills to a 6 year/$26.1M contract. The same Wallace that traded Andrew DeClercq and the pick that became Andre Miller for Vitaly Potapenko. Ad infinitum. Why is everyone surprised? Seriously, the Gasol trade looks bad, but isn't so clear cut. Crittenton looks good, though (like Minnesota) with so much competition it might be tough to judge him. The Grizz have cleared the decks and have the cap space to attract free agents. However, there is the possibility that the owners are looking to run things on the cheap for awhile, if not sell/move the team all together. I don't know if the trade was a Front Office mandate or not, but we can't just judge this trade in a void.
posted by lilnemo at 06:00 PM on February 14
For all those wondering about Roger wearing the other pinstripes.
posted by lilnemo at 01:50 PM on February 14
Its the job of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to look into whether Roger Clemens used steriods? Try again. Does no one remember this? The freaking President made it a point of contention. Several politicians jumped on the PED bandwagon and started making veiled noise about MLB's antitrust exemption. So to quell the clamor, good ole Bud got on the horn with Mitchell. For all the righteous indignation, the pleading for the safety of the children, and the gnashing of teeth, its all PR. The members of the House get to show their constituents that they're "tough on drugs", MLB gets to act contrite for the fans, and the accused players defend themselves. All with varying degrees of success.
posted by lilnemo at 01:44 PM on February 14
This is the worst trade in the history of basketball the mav's are idiots to give that much up for Jason Kidd?? Um, did you miss the box insert that reads:
Jason Kidd, despite being a month away from turning 35, is still producing at a high level. Only two others, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, have met his averages over the course of a season, and they did so in their early- and mid-20s.Beyond that, take a look at what the Mavs have "really" given up here:
posted by lilnemo at 06:52 PM on February 13
Could someone clarify the Stackhouse situation for me? It is quite confusing. Stackhouse was included in this trade to make the numbers work. While it is entirely possible that the Nets do like his skill-set, the incumbent cadre of wingmen (Jefferson, Carter, Nachbar, and now George and Ager) make him expendable. Beyond that, its rather obvious that Stack has enjoyed his time with the Mavs and would prefer to try and get back to the Finals with them than languish on the Nets bench. Under the CBA, if the Nets buy Stack out he can only re-sign with the Mavs 1 month after the buyout (the Gary Payton rule), though he could sign on with any other team ASAP for the remainder of the season. I'm not sure of the cap implications, but I believe this effectively takes Stack off of the Net's cap next season (while still counting towards this season). Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
posted by lilnemo at 06:39 PM on February 13
There have been some interesting changes in coaching philosophies over recent years, but we are far from a paradigm shift. And this article spells it out pretty clearly. Its not surprising that coaches are willing to let innovators like Walberg bend their ears when it comes to offense. But defense? I'm not shocked by the articles change in tone, but it was pretty jarring to go from reading about the creative, energetic, experimental offense to:
"Opposing teams can play their own defensive trump cards, of course, and the most common gambit against Memphis's DDM attack has been to ditch man-to-man for zones and hybrid junk defenses, which clog the Tigers' driving lanes."(Emphasis mine) But then again there are a handful of conflicting lines throughout the article:
"I've had very few original thoughts in my life," Hurley says, "but I'm smart enough to take from people who are successful and seem to have a greater view of the game. We got to a point where kids spent more time in the weight room than out on the court working on skills. [Dribble-drive] gets you working on skills. You can move your center around. It doesn't have to be mud-wrestling where just the stronger, more physical, more athletic kids win."And yet:
Because there were no screens and attackers were spaced so far apart, the formation opened yawning gaps for penetrators, as long as they had the talent to beat their defenders and the smarts to read defenses on the fly. "I wish I had chosen a fancier name than AASAA, but I wanted kids to understand that it was attack-attack-skip-attack-attack," says Walberg. "What am I trying to say? Get to the rim. It's basically here we come." All of Walberg's teams hear the same slogan (we like three-pointers, but we love layups), and shot charts reveal that the teams take almost no midrange jumpers.The subject matter is obviously more complex than I'm making it out to be, but these details jumped out at me. Very interesting read.
posted by lilnemo at 06:30 PM on February 13
Mavs get:
posted by lilnemo at 02:56 PM on February 13
The Heat are made up of old broken down players and one young stud who is also playing injured. The average age of all the players who've suited up for the Heat this season (pre-trade) is 27.8 years old. If you remove Penny (waived) and the injured Zo, that number drops to 26.6 years old. The average age of the Suns? 28.7 years. But we'll come back to this. The Suns are loaded with talent, some of it great. The loss of Marion and the contract of O'Neal will not drag this team down to Miami's level, not this year not next year. Heat fans were making this same claim before the season started. The Suns have gone from a 9 man rotation, to 8, since they also gave up Banks who was a serviceable (if overpriced) back up to Nash. Shortening the bench is going to increase the usage rates of steady rotation players. This can be problematic for the Suns roster as many of the players have suffered from recurring usage based injuries: Nash (ankle, hamstring, back), Stoudemire (both knees), Barbosa (left knee), Bell (back, right knee), Diaw (back), Grant Hill (ankle, etc.), and now Shaq (knees, hip). The Suns can't afford to wait for Shaq to work into game shape while they grind towards the playoffs. Who replaces Marion's scoring, rebounding and defense until then? Who's going to take over ball-handling responsibilities as Nash's backup? Is Shaq going to be able to stay in games stamina-wise, or foul-wise long enough to make a sustained contribution? My original point stands, by gambling on this trade the Suns have shortened their bench, lost cap space, and will have to "make adjustments" to accommodate Shaq on both ends of the floor.
posted by lilnemo at 03:40 PM on February 07
Either way, i think that Shaq has a bit more in the tank, but plays on a weak team right now and so doesn't come to play. I (slightly) disagree with this sentiment. Before the season started the Heat were a solid pick to take the Southeast division again. They brought back the core of their team (Wade, Shaq, Haslem, Zo, Williams), and got rid of Walker while bringing in the more atheletic Davis. There was no reason to believe that the Heat wouldn't at least make the playoffs. So there shouldn't have been any reason for Shaq not to "come ready to play" for the Heat this season, and certainly not when you're pulling down $20 mill. I believe other people in the League who do that are labeled as "stealing money". One thing has to be clear at this point: the Suns are probably not good enough to win a championship as is. They needed to do something and so they are rolling the dice with Shaquille. If things don't work out (or even if they do) two years from now Nash and Shaquille's contracts both come off the books and they can start over building around Amare and Barbosa. Assuming Nash picks up his '10 option and the Suns don't bring him back for '11 and beyond, Amare can opt out the same year ('11). The only guaranteed money for '11 belongs to Barbosa and Diaw. And I remind you that Amare has been on the block off and on since his knee surgery. And, Oh by the way, you'd be looking for a new coach as well. If this trade doesn't work out, the Suns might have to rebuild from the ground up. This brings up the question of whether its better to win consistently year to year with a chance at the Finals, or whether you go all in for one good season and suck for at least the next three. I'd prefer my team win consistently and have a handful of valuable assets available each season. But I won't argue that here. I'll just ask Suns fans to take a good look at the Heat; roster, record and all, right now before the trade. Now ask yourself is that what I want my team to look like in a season or two?
posted by lilnemo at 02:41 PM on February 06
This trade has bad news written all over it. Trading Marion eliminates one of the two defenders the Suns have (Bell being the other). It puts way too much pressure on Stoudemire to produce, and on Shaq to find the fountain of youth. This trade would put Phoenix another 2 years from any meaningful cap space (the remaining length on Shaq's deal is 2 yrs, $40 M!), and without any good draft picks (since they've largely traded picks away to avoid paying a locked-in rookie salary, for cap purposes, oh the irony). All that for Shaq, who has proven he is well on the downward trajectory of his career. Shaq will not be as effective as David Robinson in the twilight of his career. Remember, the Admiral actually took a smaller role in the Spurs offense, played D and rebounded while Duncan took over. I doubt Shaq will submit to that. Hell, Shaq said he wouldn't in '04. If anything, Shaq will probably be injured for a great portion of his remaining contract. It would have been smarter to let Marion play through the season and see if anyone else was willing to pay him the MAX. If someone takes him off your hands, hey you now have $18 mill to get a serviceable starter and replenish a very weak bench. If the market is unkind, you get the Matrix back at a more reasonable price. And if the Suns felt they needed to get something in return, they should have worked harder at trying for Okafor or Dalembert, both of whom are better fits. To recap:
posted by lilnemo at 12:00 PM on February 06
In Superman: Red Son, Batman gets pretty close. Well worth a read. Superman is raised as a Communist hero and Batman is a local terrorist. A great read, but Miller put the issue to rest in the Dark Knight Returns. Both are effectively outside of "canon" and even the loosest interpretation of continuity, but it was friggin' AWESOME! And, for my money, if we are talking Superman Elseworlds stories nothing tops the nightmare fuel quality of the Elseworlds 80 Page Giant. Baby Kal-El in a microwave. Suckling a cow? I also agree with you on Lois v. MJ. Though I'd rather not talk about it, its a sensitive subject.
posted by lilnemo at 01:16 PM on February 05
My take on the situation is that Bobby just has some hunting to do. Perhaps with a certain man-who-must-not-be-named in San Diego?
posted by lilnemo at 12:51 PM on February 05
Whoever thinks athletes have any morals is greatly mistaken. Damn straight. Who the hell does A.C. Green think he is anyway? But putting Greg Maddux in the same sentence with O.J. is a little over the top, too. But to impugn the character of all atheletes, without qualification isn't? That doesn't strike you as being a tad disingenuous?
posted by lilnemo at 06:10 PM on January 30
In actuality, steroids are more intriguing to the player not many have ever heard of trying to hold on to a short, relatively insignificant career before the next guy comes up and bumps him off the roster. The overwhelming majority of those named in the Mitchell Report were just such players. Glanville's piece (and your summary here) are reasonable explanations, and they paint a sympathetic portrayal to recently demonized atheletes. But they also serve to highlight the stark contrast between guys trying to make the roster, and the stars. Its easy to say, well of course Gary Bennett took PEDs. He needed to in order to stay on the 40 man. Or, poor Andy Pettite, he felt so guilty about being on the DL, he thought he was letting his team down. We can sympathize with the motivations behind the actions when presented with admissions like this. But when you get to guys who were potential HOF candidates PRIOR to their PED use like Clemens and Bonds, pieces like these can only serve to make fans wonder why. Why would someone so immensely talented and ahead of the field do such a thing? They weren't trying to merely make the roster. Their places with their respective teams were assured. They weren't coming back from injuries during the heat of a season. They weren't trying to angle for a better deal than an average vet salary. Their play on the field commanded that they be the best paid at their positions. It could just be hubris, but that seems a bit too simple an explanation for so complex a web of misdirection. Glanville really gave us some food for thought here.
posted by lilnemo at 02:41 PM on January 17
SportsFilter: The Monday Huddle
Okay so who had 3 games in the Inevitable Grizzlies/Iverson Split-Up predictions?