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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 8/30
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Injuries and Controversy Edition
Friday, August 29, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 5:16 PM
Manu Ginobili limped through the playoffs and then proclaimed himself healthy enough to play in the Olympics for Argentina. He went down again in their game against Team USA and on Friday it was announced that he would undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a ligament injury to his left ankle. An MRI conducted earlier this week confirmed that he had re-aggravated the injury that plagued him throughout the playoffs but that there was no additional damage to the ankle or the ligament as a result of his playing in the Olympics. There was some friction in San Antonio as Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had urged Ginobili not to compete in the Olympics unless the injury improved but Ginobili went to Beijing and played for Argentina against the wishes of his team and his coach. Now he is scheduled for surgery at a time when it will affect the start of the season. He is expected to be out 2 to 3 months and will miss the first part of the Spurs' season. This could cause some friction between Manu and the team.
Patrick Ewing will be once again playing for the Knicks next season. No, the old #33 won't be coming out of retirement, but his son, Patrick Ewing Jr, was traded to the Knicks by the Houston Rockets on Friday. New York sent the draft rights for center Frederic Weis to Houston in exchange for the son of the former Knicks superstar. Like his father before him, Patrick Jr played for Georgetown and was taken by the Kings with the 43rd pick in the draft. He was traded by the Kings to Houston in the Ron Artest deal and now on to the Knicks. His father played for the Knicks from 1985 until 2000.
On Thursday the Heat unveiled a banner to honor Dwyane Wade for his part in securing the U.S. team's gold-medal in Beijing. Wade's banner is affixed with his name at the top, with mention of the 2008 men's basketball team and has a design of the Beijing Olympic logo. The banner will be positioned along side the Heat's 2006 NBA championship banner. Wade also was given a ceremonial key to Miami-Dade County. City officials also proclaimed Aug. 28 as Wade Day. After watching Wade play in the Olympics, there is no doubt he is back 100% and is going to help make the Heat a contender once again this season.
This will be the first Nets' training camp since 2000 that will include neither Richard Jefferson or Jason Kidd. There are plenty of questions swirling around this Net's team and although they are outwardly saying things are going to be great, there are some doubts that they actually will be. They have gotten very young and Celtics fans know all about that. A good sign for the Nets though is that Vince Carter and Devin Harris put together a team workout last week in an effort to build chemistry just as the Celtics did last season. 14 of the 15 players on the Nets' roster were there with Yi being the only one not showing up because of his commitment to the Chinese National team. They have the desire and the right attitude, but as Celtics fans can tell you, no matter how much they want it or how hard they play, sometimes you just can't win with youth.
The "experts" at ESPN seem to be playing it safe with their predictions this season. Before the Finals last season, 9 out of 10 ESPN "experts" picked the Lakers to win in anywhere from 5-7 games. Only Tim Legler stood up to the purple wave and predicted the Celtics in 7. They have their predictions out for the 2008-09 season and predict both the Celtics and the Lakers to win exactly the same number of games. However, the number they picked is 55, which means that the Celtics win 11 fewer games this season than they won last season. The Lakers only fall back 2. Obviously, they think the loss of James Posey and the Celtics' stars being a year older is going have a toll on the team. They also don't feel Bynum's presence or the addition of Sun Yue or having Pau Gasol for a full year is going to have much of an effect on the Lakers other than to help them win 2 fewer games. Needless to say, I think the ESPN "experts" are just as accurate as they were in predicting the Finals.
The defection of the day comes from Taureen Green. The former University of Florida has agreed to play for the Spanish club CAI Zaragoza. Green is in the process of negotiating what is believed to be a one-year deal with the team.
One of the biggest moves the Lakers make this season may not involve a trade or signing. They are considering bringing Lamar Odom off the bench in a role similar to Manu Ginobili who comes off the bench but plays a starter's minutes. This may be a very beneficial role for both Odom and the Lakers. I'd like to see the Celtics do something like that with Ray Allen, possibly starting Tony Allen. Tony always played better as a starter and it may help Ray to come off the bench with instant scoring.
There seems to be some controversy swirling around Monta Ellis' injury. Ellis said that he had injured his left ankle working out in Jackson. He had surgery on Wednesday in Alabama to repair a torn deltoid ligament in his left ankle. He also sustained a severe high ankle sprain and disruption of ligaments above the ankle joint and is expected to miss 3 months or more. Because of the severity of the injury, the team is a bit skeptical of Ellis' explanation as to how it occurred. Because NBA contracts include clauses that exclude certain activities such as motorcycle riding or sky diving etc, if the Warriors find that the injury occurred in some way other than working out, they could fine him, suspend him or terminate his contract. They have launched an investigation and have sent their trainer to Mississippi to check out the situation. Reminds me of all the questions surrounding Tony's first knee injury. There was a lot of speculation that it may have occurred in conjunction with that shooting incident but no one ever knew.
The Heat have finally found their man. After working out several centers, they settled on Jamaal Magloire. The Heat already had Mark Blount and Joel Anthony at the center position. Alonzo Mourning is also expected to return when his rehab is complete on his injured knee. But with the prospect of Mark Blount as their primary center to start the season, they went looking for help and who can blame them? Mark "I'll get the rebound if I don't have to work for it" Blount can be pretty ineffectual when he wants to be.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 8/29
Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Centers on the Mend Edition
Thursday, August 28, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 9:32 PM
First there was the rumor that teams were talking to the 7'2" Iranian center, Hamed Haddadi. Then there was the word that the NBA sent a memo to teams saying that they were forbidden from talking with him. Next came the memo that said that teams were cleared to talk to Haddadi. Finally word is out that the Memphis Grizzlies have signed the Iranian center who led all players in the Olympics in rebounds and blocks. He will be the first Iranian to play in the NBA.
The Hornets are still making moves. Of course, their biggest move was to lure James Posey away from the Celtics, but now reports out of New Orleans are that the Hornets have signed free agent forward/center Sean Marks. The 6'10" Marks is a 9 year veteran with career averages of 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game while playing with four different teams—Toronto, Miami, San Antonio and Phoenix.
Mitch Kupchak went to Atlanta to check on his young center, Andrew Bynum. Bynum is running on the track, hitting the weights, and doing basketball drills, and he shows no signs of any lingering problems from his knee surgery. The Lakers expect him to be 100% by the opening of training camp in the end of September. Kupchak’s concern regarding Bynum’s health extends further than having him help the Lakers this season. It’s also a financial concern. The Lakers recently exercised a fourth-year contract option on Bynum, but his agent is seeking a maximum five-year, $80 million extension. Kupchak wants to wait and see how his young center plays after returning from the injury before committing that kind of money to him. Hearing that Bynum is looking for that kind of money makes me realize that Perk is not only a beast, he is also a bargain.
It looked as though Luol Deng wasn't going to be able to play for the British national team, which would have bee a big blow to the team. But, after weeks of negotiating, British basketball has come up with the insurance premium that will allow Deng to play with the British National team in this summer's European Championship qualifiers with. Deng was on a Transatlantic flight late Thursday, heading to London to work out the paperwork and prepare to join the team.
There is finally some news coming out of Boston. The Celtics young players, Rajon Rondo, Tony Allen, Bill Walker, JR Giddens and Patrick O'Bryant are all in Boston working out in advance of next month's training camp. Walker has been working out in Boston for 2 months, shortly after his surgery right after the draft. At first, there was talk of stashing Walker in Europe, but his hard work and improvement this summer convinced Danny that he might be able to contribute this season. Even more impressive than his on court work, Scott Souza reports that Walker did most of the work on his contract himself. That takes me back to the stories of Larry Bird negotiating his own contracts and meeting with Red to hash them out. The more I hear about this kid, the more excited I get about him. Patrick O'Bryant is working hard with Clifford Ray and could surprise a lot of people this season.
In some good news for Blazers fans, Greg Oden participated in his first 5-on-5 full-court scrimmages since last September's microfracture knee surgery, and he did just fine. Team owner Paul Allen was in town to watch the scrimmages. Oden has not experienced any swelling, soreness or other setbacks. However, the team is making him sit out every other day in order to protect the knee. He should be more than ready for the start of training camp and at this point is the front runner for Rookie of the Year.
One of the reasons that the Suns were very anxious to get Goran Dragic into the fold and now picked up a 3rd point guard, is that Steve Kerr has a plan to get Steve Nash into the playoffs well rested. He plans to play Nash in only 70 games during the season. With Nash turning 34, they feel that the rigors of playing in 81 games and averaging over 34 mpg is wearing him down before the Suns even get into the playoffs. They are hoping that Dragic is good enough that they will be able to rest Nash and have him fresh down the stretch. Nice plan if it works but Nash isn't so sure it will.
And the summer injuries continue. Rockets forward Chuck Hayes underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a broken nose sustained during a workout Thursday afternoon and is expected to be held out of competitive workouts for four to six weeks. He may be cleared in time for training camp where he is expected to be battle for playing time with Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey. We could see another player with a Rip Hamilton style face mask this season.
Anyone who watched the Olympics couldn't help but be impressed with Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez. Fernandez averaged 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 47 percent from the field at the Olympics and proved to be a high energy player who could wear out defenders charged with chasing him around the court. This season he will be added to an already exciting Blazer team. No wonder just about every team in the West is pulling for Darius Miles to make it with the Celtics and stick it to the Blazers who could have considerable cap room next summer along with an exciting cast of players already in the fold.
The Cavs' coaching staff is very high on rookie JJ Hickson. Ben Wallace has gone down hill in recent years and the Cavs are hoping that Hickson can play significant minutes at power forward. For almost four years, Drew Gooden was a staple at the four spot, but when the Cavs acquired Wallace, they moved him to the 4 because as the years of banging at the center spot have taken their toll, they felt he could be more effective at the power forward position. Hickson was explosive in the Las Vegas summer league but he may also be a year or two away from being a regular NBA player. Cleveland may have to throw him into the fire before he is ready unless Ben Wallace experiences a revival of sorts or unless the Pistons can pull off a trade as has been rumored all off season.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 8/28
Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Injuries and Rookie Signings Edition
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 9:20 PM
The Warriors got more bad news as they learned that their point guard Monta Ellis will be out at least 3 months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn deltoid ligament in his left ankle. Ellis injured his ankle last Thursday playing pick-up ball in his native Mississippi and had the surgery on Wednesday. The Warriors have had a rough start to the off season, losing Baron Davis to the Clippers and it appears that they are having an even rougher end to the offseason with the injury to Monta Ellis.
The Warriors are very interested in former Clipper point guard Shaun Livingston with Chris Mullin scheduled to fly to Chicago on Thursday to watch Livingston in a private workout. They also signed former Celtic (albeit briefly) Luke Jackson, rookie center Steven Hill and rookie guard Jamaal Tatum.
The Oklahoma City team, formerly known as the Sonics, will unveil its name and team colors in a ceremony set for September 3. It has been pretty much certain that the name will be the Thunder but the team refuses to comment on the rumors. I still prefer the old timey way of giving teams plural names like Celtics, Knicks, Lakers, etc. Even without a name, the franchise continues to make moves. On Wednesday they signed guard Kyle Weaver to a multiyear contract. Weaver was the 38th pick by Charlotte but traded to Oklahoma in August.
The Timberwolves young players are apparently very serious about the upcoming season. Ryan Gomes, Al Jefferson,Rashad McCants, Randy Foye, Rodney Carney, Corey Brewer, Chris Richard, Mike Miller, and Sebastian Telfair have been working out on a regular basis in preparation for the upcoming season. Though not actual practices, the players have been going through many of the same drills the team runs during the regular season, including some full court 5-on-5 action. I still miss Ryan Gomes and Big Al.
In the meantime, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are hanging out at Blush inside Wynn Las Vegas. Pierce supplied several bottles of Dom Perignon Rose for a party that featured members of Team USA Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony complete with their gold medals. Ray Allen wasn't done there and turned up again at Pure inside Caesars Palace, bringing with him Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, Antoine Walker, Charles Oakley, Chris Humphries, Tyrone Lue and Jermaine O’Neal. Hey guys, isn't it about time to get back to working out for next season? Training camp is only a month away and it appears Pierce and Allen are still celebrating.
Here is the daily defection to Europe report. German champion Alba Berlin has signed free agent guard Casey Jacobsen, who played for the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies last season. Jacobsen averaged two points per game last season with the Grizzlies.
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed their second round draft pick, guard Joe Crawford. He was selected by the Lakers with the 58th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft after playing 4 seasons at the University of Kentucky. He averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 127 games for the Wildcats. Crawford started all 6 games for the Lakers Summer League team in Las Vegas this summer and averaged 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 32.7 minutes. This gives the Lakers 16 players under contract. They plan to go into training camp with 18 and will be looking to bring in a couple more players on minimum contracts. One player they have considered is Shaun Livingston but the Warriors are also considering signing him now that Monta Ellis will be out for at least 3 months.
Former Pistons' coach Chuck Daily said that he gets a kick out of the fact that people still remember the Bad Boys days of the Detroit Pistons. He also felt that the image of the Bad Boys is what has kept Laimbeer out of the NBA as a head coach. Laimbeer has been successfully coaching the WNBA Shock but hasn't been considered for any NBA coaching positions. Laimbeer is one of the players I just can't stand. He was such a dirty player and he always had that smirk on his face. I would cringe every time I saw him on the sidelines if he was ever to become the Celtics coach. I can see where Chuck Daily has a point but, it has more to do with Laimbeer's dirty play and smugness and not any Bad Boys image the team had.
With Ben Gordon definitely on the outs in Chicago, Utah is being discussed as a destination for him. The Bulls and Gordon would have to agree to a contract and sign-and-trade arrangement. The Jazz would also have to decide he was worth a long-term investment. Andrei Kirilenko a[[ears to be Utah's most logical bargaining chip but Chicago might feel that he duplicates what they already have in Nocioni and Deng. If Gordon can't find any takers for his services, he may need to take the qualifying offer in Chicago and let the season play out, becoming a free agent next off season.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 8/27
Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Sad News Edition
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 7:55 PM
We start todays update with some very sad news. Former Portland Trailblazer Kevin Duckworth,44, has passed away. Duckworth was in Lincoln City to host a free basketball clinic for kids and was found unresponsive in his room. Duckworth was a two-time All-Star who starred on Western Conference Championship teams in Portland in 1990 and 1992 and was one of the most popular and most recognizable players to ever wear a Blazers uniform. There will be an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Our prayers and condolences go out to the Duckworth family and to the Blazers' organization and fans.
Former NBA player, Wayman Tisdale. also 44, had part of his right leg amputated Monday because of bone cancer. Tisdale played 12 seasons in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. Tisdale is now an award-winning jazz musician and has been battling the cancer for over a year now. He is hoping that by removing the part of his leg with the cancer that he will be able to beat it and be able to resume touring soon. Thoughts and prayers also go out to Wayman Tisdale.
Word is that PJ Brown might not be ready to retire just yet. He is leaving the door open for a late season return just as he did last year. As of right now, the Celtics have 15 players but by midseason it may be clear that one or more aren't going to live up to expectations and PJ could find himself recruited once again for the stretch run. Of course it is all conjecture right now but something to think about during the slow times.
The Grizzlies gave Josh Smith an offer sheet that the Hawks quickly matched and they have been linked in talks to the Iranian center, Hamed Ehadadi, who is now available to talk to teams. Now there is word that they are in talks with the Knicks concerning Zach Randolph. The Grizzlies are willing to part with Darko Milicic who was their big free agent signing last year, in a package that wouldn't involve any of their core players. The Grizzlies seem to be debating whether Randolph would fit the team's style on and off the court but they definitely could use an inside player like Randolph.
The Grizzlies have also been in talks with Portland. The Blazers need a point guard and the Grizzlies are loaded with them. The Blazers are willing to part with Travis Outlaw in return for a point guard. The Blazers would probably want Conley because he is the purest point guard that the Grizzlies have and Portland would love to reunite Conley with former teammate and best friend, Greg Oden.
The Celtics made it official by signing JR Giddens to a contract. Giddens, whose defense and athleticsm are considered NBA-caliber right now, will be expected to fill in the void left by James Posey's departure to New Orleans. Hopefully he will live up to expectations and contribute this season.
Dwyane Wade would like to see Mario Chalmers as Miami's starting point guard this season. The Heat will give him a chance to compete against Marcus Banks for the position. Miami also expects Chris Quinn back and may add a veteran. My money is on Chalmers beating out Banks, who hasn't come anywhere near reaching the expectations that Boston had when they drafted him. The Heat are also still considering big men with Jamaal Magloire, Lorenzen Wright, and DJ Mbenga all waiting for word from them. Mbenga has a minimum level contract to consider from the Lakers, but was hoping to get a little more from the Heat.
Kobe Bryant is expected to decide when he will have surgery to repair the ligament damage in his right pinky finger by the end of this week. Bryant had hoped to be recovered from his surgery for the start of training camp but with camp starting on September 30 and his recovery will probably take longer than 4 weeks, he might not be 100% in time to start camp.
Phil Jackson has coached Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, Derek Fisher, Karl Malone, Rick Fox, Steve Kerr, Bill Cartwright, and other stars. But after receiving an honorary doctor of letters degree from his alma mater, University of North Dakota, Phil talked about the greatest athlete he ever coached and it wasn't any of the above. The player Jackson called the greatest that he has coached is that none other than Detroit Bad Boy, Dennis Rodman. That one leaves you scratching your head. That kind of analysis proves that all those championships he won wasn't because of his intelligence and coaching. After all, he did get way out coached by Doc Rivers this season and his best strategy was whining about the officiating.
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Giddens Deal is Official
by FLCeltsFan 12:05 PM
The Celtics announced today that they have officially signed first-round draft pick J.R. Giddens. Signing first-round picks is typically a simple process, but it took awhile for the Celtics to reach an agreement with their first round pick. Giddens drew considerable interest from professional teams in Europe and with the high number of NBA players taking their games overseas this offseason, there was a chance that Giddens might do the same. He eventually came to terms with the defending champs and is almost giddy to be playing with them.
Giddens' defense and athleticsm are considered to be NBA-caliber right now, but questions of his character pushed him to the final pick of the first round where the Celtics happily grabbed him. From all indications, he grew up a great deal in his final season at New Mexico and character issues shouldn't be a problem as he starts his NBA career with the Celtics. Giddens shared Mountain West Conference Co-Player of the Year honors as a senior when he averaged 16.3 points and a league leading 8.8 rebounds in 33 games played. He also earned First Team All-Conference honors as a senior. His coach from his senior season at New Mexico, Steve Alford, was very positive about him and couldn't say enough good things about him. I expect Giddens to come in and contribute this season, especially on the defensive end.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 8/26
Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Swapping Guards Edition
Monday, August 25, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 9:16 PM
With the free agent pool thinning out, teams are starting to look to trades to fill needs. The Rockets and Suns traded guards on Monday. The Rockets have
acquired guard D.J. Strawberry from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for guard Sean Singletary. Strawberry averaged 2.2 points, 0.9 assists and 8.2 minutes in 33 games as a rookie with the Suns in 2007-08. Singletary averaged 19.8 points last season for Virginia. He is a very athletic point guard and should give Dragic a run for back up point guard. The move was a cost cutting move for the Suns as they will save about $540,000, including projected luxury-tax savings.
Just a day after winning gold in the Beijing Olympics, Chris Paul is already thinking of joining the 2012 Olympic squad. Carmelo Anthony also expressed a desire to compete in the 2012 Olympics but wasn't sure if he could make another 3 year commitment. With the positive experience of this team all the way around, I am sure other young players will be ready to join the team as well. Jerry Colangelo, the architect of USA Basketball’s gold-medal revival, is expected to stay on as the managing director and oversee the men’s program through the 2012 London Olympics.
It is just about a month till training camp starts and word is that Doc Rivers is already meeting with his assistants and making plans for training camp. Doc's assistants still don't have contracts for next season and Doc has just one more season on his contract. Danny said that he is working to re-sign them all and that should be the next news coming out of Boston. It is crucial that Tom Thibodeau comes back as his defenses were a big reason the Celtics are champions right now. Also with a project like Patrick O'Bryant, having Clifford Ray stay will be important as well. Thibodeau and Ray are two of the best assistant coaches in the league and I will be happy when they announce that they are signed.
Last season, the Celtics were all together in Boston working out ahead of training camp. There have been reports of the Nets and Wolves both working out on a regular basis in preparation for the season. The Celtics don't have the same hunger that they had last summer. From the reports out of Vegas, Paul Pierce is still celebrating. Nothing has been heard from KG. Ray Allen is enjoying wedded bliss. The young players are there and working on their games together which bodes well for the future but with the improvements all the teams have made, the Celtics need to get that hunger back or they could face an uphill climb this season.
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas asked a year ago for access to information from the FBI's investigation of Donaghy. Thomas said he wanted to know whether Donaghy broke any Arizona laws while officiating two Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Lakers playoff games in 2007. When Thomas had tried to get the files previously he was told that he had to wait until the investigation was finished. Now that it has concluded he is trying again to get the files.
A couple of Lakers notes. They officially signed "The Chinese Magic Johnson" Sun Yue. Sun averaged 6.8 points, 2.5 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in six games for China in the just-completed Olympics. the Lakers expect to learn in a few days when Kobe Bryant will undergo surgery on his damaged right pinkie. Bryant injured his finger in a Feb. 5 game against the New Jersey Nets, but put off surgery until after the Olympics. They are hoping that Kobe will be ready for training camp that begins for the Lakers on Sept. 30 in El Segundo.
The Timberwolves and Hornets have already unveiled their new look uniforms and now the Magic is scheduled to unveil their new style uniforms on September 23. The new uniforms will celebrate the franchise's 20-year anniversary this season. And early clues indicate that the new uniforms will somewhat resemble the look from the past. The team wore pinstriped uniforms until 1999 and reports are that they will be going back to pinstripes with their new uniforms.
Ron Artest received a rock star welcome as he arrived in Houston for the next chapter in his NBA story. Music blared and airhorns blasted. A throng of about 500 screaming fans welcomed Artest with enthusiastic cheers. With the addition of Artest, the Rockets have to be considered a threat to win it all. Artest will be playing alongside Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady forming their own Big 3 and they don't come any bigger than Yao. They also have a nice bench and are going to be very, very tough, assuming that Artest doesn't self-destruct as he has in times past.
The FBI is investigating Piston Lindsey Hunter for a mortgage scam. Hunter was a a Celtic very briefly before being cut to go right back to the Pistons in one of those wink, wink type transactions. Now he is being investigated by the FBI for a scam that left a high school janitor on the hook for a million dollar home. Hunter maintains he is a victim as well.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 8/25
Rumors and Free Agent Updates - USA Gold Edition
by FLCeltsFan 7:43 AM
Well, the Olympics are over. The Redeem Team redeemed themselves and brought home the gold medal, proving once again that USA Basketball is at the top of the basketball world. The final game against Spain had some anxious moments as the game was much closer than any other game they played in Beijing. Jason Kidd has never lost a game as a member of the US National team. He has won 56 games without a loss. Lisa Leslie has also never lost a game in her career as an Olympian, winning 4 gold medals on the way. It seems that the women's team, being dominant over the last 4 Olympics hasn't gotten much attention. I guess you have to stink and then become good to get the attention. It had to give every American goose bumps as Team USA locked arms and stepped onto the medal podium as one and then raised their arms in unison toward the American fans who had hung a U.S. flag over the railing in the upper deck. It warmed my heart as IO watched Carmelo Anthony wipe a tear from his right eye as he watched them raise the American flag above the court as the U.S. national anthem was played. Kobe Bryant sang along with the Star Spangled Banner while Lebron James stood stone-faced with his right hand on his heart. At that moment, I couldn't even dislike Kobe Bryant. He represented pride in country and a tremendous accomplishment for the USA. This morning he's back to being a hated Laker and Kobe and I still don't like him. But, that moment on the medal stand was bigger than any NBA rivalry or any player. Thank you Redeem Team for accomplishing your goal and for the commitment it took to bring home Gold for the USA!
With the Olympics behind them, these players have to contemplate the thought that training camp with their respective teams begins in less than a month. Jason Kidd may have retired from the Olympics with this medal, but he is looking forward to the final season on his contract with the Mavericks. He attempted only seven shots during the Olympics, making six, and he said he has been working hard on his shooting. He plans to take all the shots he passed up in the Olympics when he starts the season with the Mavs. Kidd also will be making a hand off of his gold medal. Kidd promised Elaine Wynn, wife of casino mogul Steve Wynn, that he would give her his newest Olympic medal if the Americans won gold. Last summer when Team USA was working toward their goal, they stayed at the Wynn in Vegas and Kidd and Mrs Wynn struck up a friendship. He made a deal with her, that if they won the gold medal, he'd give it to her because he felt that the way they treated the team at the Wynn, it was the least he could do.
Another point guard working on his shooting is the Celtics' own Rajon Rondo. Considering that fact that Rondo's shooting has improved every year he has played, I expect him to take another step forward and become a threat to score if left alone.
For a couple of NBA stars, the Olympics weren't quite as satisfying. Manu Ginobili missed several games in the playoffs because of a foot injury and his coach voiced his opinion that he preferred his star not play in the Olympics and with good reason. In the game against the USA, Ginobili went down, re-injuring the ligaments in his foot. He was unable to play as his team won the bronze-medal game against Lithuania. He plans to go directly to San Antonio for more tests on the strained ligament in his left foot. The Toronto Raptors' point guard, Jose Calderon, who plays for Spain,the gold medal game against the USA with a partially torn right adductor muscle. He expects to be healthy by the time the Raptors open training camp.
One Olympian who won't be getting right back to basketball is Carmelo Anthony. He plans to attend the Democratic convention, which is being held in Denver this coming week. Anthony supports Democratic candidate Barack Obama and hopes to meet him at the convention at Pepsi Center, where Anthony often is the star attraction. Could Melo become the next NBA star to enter politics in the mold of Bill Bradley?
With the addition of Mo Williams, the Cavs moved another step up in the Eastern Conference and will be an even bigger challenge for the Celtics. With the Pistons virtually standing pat this off season, the Cavs are in prime position to wrest the Central division crown from the Pistons. Word is that the Cavs are still in the market for another big. They could opt for playing their first round pick J.J. Hickson or they may bring in another big. They reportedly worked out veteran center Lorenzen Wright at their practice facility last week. They parted ways with former Celtics Dwayne Jones, who could have been that extra big. He has potential and is very strong around the basket, but hasn't been able to break out. Former Celtic and Cavalier Scot Pollard is available. Maybe they should give him a call. There have been rumors that the Cavs have been talking with New York about Zach Randolph. But, all it has been is talk so far. There are also rumors that the Cavs could use former Celtic Wally Szczerbiak's expiring contract to bring in another top tier player at the trade deadline. They also still are saying they want Delonte back but so far haven't budged on giving him the contract he wants. The Cavs are going to be a force to be reckoned with this season and have to be one of the favorites to win it all.
And, not only have the Cavs moved closer to a title this season, but they have big plans for the summer of 2010. We have been reading stories all summer about the Nets, Knicks and every one else making moves with the express purpose of clearing cap space for the free agent crop that will be available in 2010 and making a run at trying to lure LeBron James away from the Cavaliers. The Cavs, however, have plans of their own and are looking to bring LeBron back and give him another superstar playmate on the team. The vision has LeBron staying with the Cavs and playing alongside Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Josh Howard., Amare Stoudamire, or any of the other big-name players who can become a free agent in the summer of 2010. The Cavs will be the only team positioned to sign two superstars in 2010. They are the only team with a superstar already in tow and the cap room to sign another. The Cavs will have almost $30 million in cap space counting LeBron's salary and will be poised to bring in the star of their choice who should jump at the chance to play with King James. Beware of the Cavs....
Along with the stories about Marbury being bought out by the Knicks, there is another story emerging concerning the controversial guard. You have to hand it to Marbury for his Starbury shoe line that made low cost, decent quality athletic shoes available to everyone. Now, the company who was marketing them has gone bankrupt. Marbury is claiming that the bankrupt Steve & Barry's owes him $2 million. S&B Holdings won a bid to purchase the company for $168 million in an auction last month. Under the bankruptcy proceedings, the new company would not be liable for the $2.19 million in royalties that Marbury claims Steve & Barry's never paid so he may be out a bundle on his shoe line along with being out of a job.
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About That Tape....
Sunday, August 24, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 8:52 PM
As I watched the Olympics, it seemed as though athletes in just about every sport were seen sporting that wide tape on shoulders, arms, legs, knees, etc. First, we saw gold medal winner in beach volleyball, Kerri Walsh, sporting it on her shoulder and everyone was asking what was on her shoulder. I have seen it since on a variety of athletes in volleyball, basketball, track and others. Alex Mumbru on the Spanish basketball team wore it on his shoulder. Exactly what does this tape do?
The tape is actually a therapeutic tape produced by a company called Kinesio. The tape is designed to treat muscular disorders by improving circulation to joints. Kinesio donated 50,000 rolls of the tape to the Olympic Games for use by athletes from around the world and since Walsh has made it a very fashionable accessory, Kinesio reports that they received 1600 orders a day after Walsh's first match.
According to Kinesio, the highly-elastic tape—which can stretch 30–40 percent from its resting length—pulls the skin away from the muscle fascia and allows the muscle to breathe. It improves lymphatic flow, reducing pain, swelling and muscle fatigue. Additionally, the tape does not restrict motion and can be worn from several days straight.
The tape was first used in the Olympics in 1988 by Japanese athletes, and the exposure allowed Kinesio tape to expand into Europe and the United States. Many prominent athletes—such as Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, David Beckham, and now Kerri Walsh —have used the tape and found it to be effective.
After seeing it on Alex Mumbru's shoulder I started thinking that maybe Danny should look into getting some of this tape for Kendrick Perkins' shoulder. Perk has had recurring shoulder problems and it seems as though this tape may be just what he needs to protect his shoulder. After seeing the tape everywhere during the Olympics, it won't surprise me to see Perk sporting some this coming season. Or, how about seeing some on Darius Miles' knee, or Tony Allen's knee, or Ray Allen's ankles, or Bill Walker's knee, or Leon Powe's knees? With all the fragile knees and ankles on the Celtics this coming season, maybe Danny should buy it by the ton. It's worth a try. If it prevents just one knee, ankle or shoulder from going out, it would be well worth it.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 8/24
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