Smokey, that's a good point. But riddle me this: How did Memphis go from being a perennial 50 game winner to a 22 game disaster? Don't tell me it was Gasol's injury, because their record with him last year was just about as bad as their record without him. I know they tanked the end of the season, but stil....

Thomas: From what I read, the Celtics are chipping in Gerald Green ("G-Money" -- cute) instead of Rondo (and McHale was an idiot not to demand Rondo too, but then McHale simply is an idiot...). And Raitliff's expiring contract for salary ballast. Gosh, high as I am on Al Jefferson, the Wolves aren't getting much. Especially when the original deal had them getting the #5 pick from the Celtics. Boston could be an interesting team next year; the first time since oh, 1987, that they have been relevant.

(By the way, Gasol ain't my type. Too scruffy.)

Larry, I like the way you describe the Grizzlies better than me. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies only won 50 games 1 season. That year was the only full year Hubie Brown coached (he's my favorite coach!) Hubie had everyone buying into his system and working together (too bad that only lasted 1 year!) Hubie used a 10-man rotation to keep his players from getting too tired. That year, James Posey had been picked up as a Free Agent, and he had the best year of his career. He was a defensive stopper. We also had a guy named Earl Watson, who played the end of games, but his defensive was better than Jason Williams. Bo Outlaw was picked up in a deal with Phoenix. Jerry West turned Wesley Person into Bonzi Wells with a trade with Portland. Bonzi came in wanting to improve his image and show the Trailblazers what they lost. He was on his best behavior (well as good as that could be!). The team did the unavailable winning 50 games.

The next year, the Grizzlies picked up Brian Cardinal in free agency. Hubie loved his work ethic. James Posey was pissed at the contract Brian got and came back out of shape. Jason Williams decided he should be the star of the team and not Pau Gasol. Bonzi Wells was back up to his old tricks. Bo Outlaw was waived, because Cardinal was signed to take his spot. Mr. West got pissed at Bo, because Bo was laughing after the Grizz were swept by the Spurs in the playoffs. A reporter asked Bo how it felt to be swept, and Bo laughed, "oh, it just a game!" Williams, Posey, and Wells give Hubie hell....We're not happy with our playing time...we're not happy about the way we're being used....not enough plays are being ran for me.... Hubie got sick of it and quit.

West brought in Mike Fratello, because he was a disciplinarian. Mike turned the team around and we won 45 games and got the 8th seed in the playoffs. Bonzi, Jason, James rebelled in the playoffs. Fratello actually had Bonzi barred from the building. I still don't think he's allowed back in (lol).

Next year, Williams, Posey and Wells are traded and turned into Bobby Jackson and Eddie Jones. Damon Stroudamire was signed, and the Grizzlies had a new look veteran team. Damon went down with a terrible injury against Portland and went out for the season. The Washington Wizards waived Chucky Atkins, and he was brought in to fill Damon's space. We won 49 games, went to the playoffs and were swept by Dallas.

Jerry West decided it was time for a change. He was sick of having a team just good enough to make it to the playoffs, then get swept. He wanted an uptempo team, because the fans were screaming that Fratello ball was boring. He traded Shane Battier for Rudy Gay and Stromile Swift (who didn't want to return....but Jeff Van Gundy hated his guts.) Bobby Jackson didn't like the czar's style and signed with the Hornets. Pau Gasol broke his foot in the World Championships, Brian Cardinal's knees were bad, Lawrence Roberts knee's were bad. Stromile faked several injuries. Damon lost a step, he'll never get back. The Grizzlies got off to a bad start. Fratello refused to play uptempo and the players hated him. Eddie Jones, who also had been playing injured, said he wanted to play for a championship and not for the Grizzlies. Fratello was fired and the Grizzlies started playing for the Oden Sweepstakes. Tony Barone stepped in and assisted the Grizzlies in losing. Barone played uptempo, shoot any shot you like, don't worry about defense and don't worry about losing it will just get us extra lottery balls. Jerry West who felt for the veteran, Eddie Jones bought him out, so he could go to a winner, since he knew the Grizzlies weren't even trying to that point. Pau asked for a trade. I think his agent leaked the story (just my opinion). And the home crowd turned on him.

Having said all that now let me address your question: 49 wins to just 22 in a single season

The Reasons:
1. Heisley decided he was selling the team, and putting no more money into them. (Davis- Lattnear fiasco!)
2. Injuries (pau being the biggest)
3. No defense....Battier and Jones- defense...Gay and Miller, none. Lorenzen Wright defense....Alexander Johnson, very little, Chucky Atkins, none.
4. Fans withdrew their support
5. The Grizzlies didn't want to win, anything but the lottery (and they lost it too!)

Those are the main reasons. See I do love my team, but I'm not blind to their faults. Things are now looking up, and the dark days of last season are hopefully gone for good!

GO GRIZZ!!!

Oh and my boy, Pau ain't scruffy. He's as smooth as a baby bottom except for that pubic hair on his face! He dresses sharp. He just ain't real pretty!

Thanks , Larry. Today, it looks like the reported trade is Kevin Garnett for Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Ryan Gnomes, G-Money, Sebastian Telfair, and two 2009 1st rd pcks. Anyway, Minny gets two good players: Al Jefferson and G-Money. Al is a workhorse on the block and G-Money can be spectacular at times. After years of bad luck, bad trades, and brain-dead business moves, Danny Ainge finally got it right. Looks like I'm gonna have to add the Celtics to my must watch list next season, along with the Portland Trailblazers, Miami Heat, LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Raptors, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Warriors, and Hornets. I hope I can keep up. From what I've read, the Celtics still have their vet minimum, MLE and LLE to work with, so maybe they can find decent backups for Rondo and Perkins. Danny said he wasn't done yet, so something is in the works. I am a little surprised he's willing to flirt so closely with a luxury tax though; Celtics are coming dangerously close.

Foxposrts.com lists Big Baby at SF on the Celtic depth chart. Now that makes sense; no way can that guy plays center in the NBA. He barely survived C/PF at LSU. Way too short.

Scruffy.......and ugly. But he can ball.


Smokey, I think the reasons you mentioned are valid, but something that bothered me last season was their lack of chemistry. I know some of that had to do with Pau's injury, but guys were trying to get out of that town before the tanking started. I don't believe Eddie Jones and Pau Gasol wanted out because the team was tanking, those guys didn't seem to enjoy playing together before that. If you remeber, when Agent 0 went down, the Wizzards continued to play hard, especially Jamison. There's an example of a team with pride, while the Celtics and Grizzlies used injuris to Paul Pierce and Pau Gasol to justify giving up. Funny thing is: neither the Grizzlies and Celtics won the lottery, but it appears both teams have managed to make some terrific off-season moves to improve their teams. Also, the guys you mentioned: Stromile, White Chocolate, Bobby Jackson, James Posey, Bonzi Wells, Rudy Gay, and Damon Stoudamire are IMO average NBA talent, at best. On the other hand, Shane Battier, Eddie Jones, and Pau Gasol are superior NBA talents. Grizzlies did good to get as far as they did with so many average players; that's usually a sign of good coaching.

That's an understatement..

Smokey, thanks for the info. Still....I never understood how the Grizzlies won 50 (49, 45) games with that relatively modest assortment of talent, and I still don't completely understand how they won only 22 games last year with almost comparable talent, but that's basketball. Brian Cardinal was a horrible signing (way overpaid), and a real sign to me that the god-like Jerry West had lost it. He also got rooked by Miami when they gave up Williams/Posey for an over-the-hill Eddie Jones (Thomas, I love Eddie, but he's old).

Speaking of getting rooked, if I were a Timberwolves fan, I'd move to Boston (or anywhere!). McHale has solidified his standing as the worst GM in the NBA. That's right -- worse than Mitch Kupchak, worse than Isiah, and now certainly worse than Danny Ainge. McHale obviously felt comfortable getting robbed by Ainge because they're friends. And not ony did he get robbed, he took the poisonous Sebastian Telfair to boot! I knew McHale wouldn't deal with the Lakers, no matter how much better the Lakers' offer was. I've also read reports that the Suns were actually prepared to give up Amare for Garnett, but McHale wouldn't do it! (That may be a fantasy, because I have a hard time believing the Suns would have offered that, but it was reported by one of the SI columnists).

As for Boston -- they do need help at PG, and there's not a lot of help out there to be had, but they will still be a formidable team in the weak East. I didn't think that much of the trade for Ray Allen when it was going to be just Allen and Pierce, but with the addition of Garnett they will be one of the most versatile threesomes around. From what I've read, the owners have no problems paying the luxury tax in connection with extending Garnett's contract. Good for them -- it's nice to see owners who are willing to fork out some cash for a chance at glory. I don't think the Celtics are going to be winning any championships, but they might very well make it to some finals.

Larry, I don't think much of McHale either, but the Twolves had some very duifficult financial decisions to make this off-season. They paid out $1M in luxury tax this year. KG was set to earn an additional $2M next season. But next season posed several difficult problems. First, KG's could opt out, so in order to keep him, the TWolves most likely would have needed to extend his contract, futher increasing their team payroll and luxury tax liability. Second, 2007-2008 is also the final season of Ricky Davis' contract, so the TWolves would also need o re-sign or trade him in 2008-2009. It would be costly to extend KG's contract AND re-sign Ricky Davis in the same year. If the TWolves tried to extend KG's contract and re-sign Ricky Davis in the same year, they could easily end up paying $5M in luxury tax in 2008-2009. Because I doubt they would want to do that, they would have traded KG next season anyway. KG is a catch, so TWolves would have gotten good value for him not matter what, but why wait until next year to trade him? The TWolves want luxury tax relief now; that's why they traded KG and bought out Hudson's $5M/yr for $4M. Financially, the owners were stuck between a rock and a hard place; they had to make some tough decisions; they had to move KG..

I agree with you, however, that Mchale got too little in return. If I was a TWolves GM, there's no way I would have allowed Ainge to substitute the widely disliked and unpopular Sebastian Telfair for Rajon Rondo. But I think Telfair has value, and talent; we may never see it because he's such an unlikeable guy and has no concept of teamwork at all. Some of the Minny fans are pointing to the picks they get back in 2009, but with Pierce, Allen, and KG on the floor, Minny will never get a top tweny draft selection.

Larry, Eddie Jones till has some value; he's good for 15 minutes a game in a backup role. Also, I think he played reasonably well when Kapono went down last year. Its funny how the Raptors do business, isn't it? First, they get Kapono, then Delfino. I don't get it. They play the exact same game; the exact same position, and they are mirror images of each other; both are defensive liabilities; both like to hang out on the perimeter, and both are very streaky shooters.

Boy, Boston pulled off KG. I'm surprised. Now with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, Boston has the big three, but they give away a lot of young talent to do it. Boston had better win now, or Ainge will have hell to pay. AT least the people of Boston can't say he's not trying to make them a contender. Lots of pressure will be on the big three.

The Timberwolves are building for the future and have got some great young talent. No, I don't think they will be contending next year. But give them a couple of years. I really like Al Jefferson and Gerald Green, added to that Randy Foye and Cory Brewer... you have the making for a nice young team. I don't like Rickey Davis, if I was Mchale I would try and trade him. He's not the kind of guy I would want my young players learning from.

As for my Grizzlies, I am still holding out hope that a deal is in the working to get Juan Carlos Navarro, but time is running out. They have until August 3rd. If Washington doesn't do something fast, they will get nothing for their pick and he will stay in Spain.

As for last season, a lack of chemistry had a part to play, but not as much as the potential sale of the team. Everyone was in fear of their jobs. Heisley said he was going to spend no money on the team. Davis said when he got the team, he was going to strip it down to the bare bones. So the players knew the team was not trying to get any better. The players hated Fratello, and I have heard on more than once, "they don't call him the czar for nothing!" Eddie, Mike and Pau liked each other, they just didn't like the direction the team was heading. At one point Davis said he was going to put Christian Lattnaer on the team. Bad days, glad they are behind us.

Thomas, I actually think the Wolves traded Garnett a year too late, not too early. Sam Smith writes that last year the Bulls were offering Luol Deng, Tyson Chandler and the #2 pick (i.e. Tyrus Thomas or Lamarcus Aldridge) (and P.J. Brown for salary matching purposes)! Now that would have been a nice nucleus to build around. But McHale turned that down for Al Jefferson and a bag of basketballs (although I do think Gerald Green has potential). Also, McHale could have had Al Jefferson and the #5 pick if he had done this earlier. Even this year, I'm sure McHale could have gotten more from the Bulls than what he ended up with. As for Telfair, Boston was probably going to cut him/buy him out (remember, they took his name off his locker??), so the Wolves (or whoever was desperate enough) could have picked him up for a song. Minnesota may be the worse team in the league next year, and even if Jefferson becomes a certified all-star, they're still several pieces short of being much of anything in the West. Ricky Davis is poison -- as Smokey says, he's the last person you'd want to influence your young players (OK, maybe Darius Miles is the last, but Ricky's in the running).

As for Eddie Jones -- when he was first traded to Miami, he showed a nice spark, no doubt because he was so energized as being back on a contending team. But by the time the playoffs rolled around, he had nothing left. He won't have anything next year either.

Smokey, I remember that threat that Christian Laettner was going to play for Memphis. That's probably why the deal fell apart -- all of Brian Davis's would-be investors ran screaming out of the mental asylum when they heard about it.

Larry , yes, the Celtics offered Al Jefferson and #5 for Big Ticket, but, didn't KG kill the deal himself; refuse the trade; said he didn't want to go to Boston? I doubt Mchale could have forced the trade. Anyway, the failed trade worked out alright for Danny Ainge. He packaged that #5 with other players and brought in Ray Ray; a trade that eventually caused the Big Ticket to change his mind and come to Boston. The rest is storied NBA history.

I don't see how why the TWolves wouldn't keep Telfair, or, re-sign Ricky Davis. Dude, with the possible exception of Al Jefferson (now the team's best player) and a couple of vets (Howard and Madsen) well on the downside of their careers, they have nothing but nursery kids right now. They traded Mike James and bought out Hudson, so why would they get rid of Telfair, the one remaining true PG? I'll bet they keep him around for awhile, to see if he can rekindle the magic he had back in high school. If he stops carrying firearms in his car, they will give him a chance. TWolves have no reason to dump him; they've got nothing to lose; keeping him around won't cost them anything.

As for Ricky Davis, he's not going anywhere this year. They coudl trade him after next season but not now. Who will provide the offensive firepower? Al Jefferson can't do it on his own. the TWolves are rebuilding but will still need to put fannies in the seats. People won't pay to watch if there are no scorers on the floor. Yes, he is selfish, but like him or not, Ricky is a scorer, and a terrific rebounder. Anyway, I thought Ricky was undergoing a transformation last year; becoming more team oriented. Was I wrong to assume this?

I don't know, Larry. I just can't seem to forget the glory years: EJ in LA was spectacular to watch. Some of the most watchable basketball games I've ever seen. It's kinda hard to watch one of your heroes put out to pasture. I hope Eddie has a good year.

Smokey , you guys have perhaps the league's deadliest long range shooter in Mike Miller, and, the promising Rudy Gay also plays SG, why do you want Navarro, another SG? Not to mention, Navarro hasn't even played a single game in the NBA. Unless the plan is to turn Navarro into a backup PG? And yes, your explanation of why Eddie Jones and Pau Gasol wanted out of Memphis makes way more sense than my "lack of chemistry" argument. Local guys always know more about their teams, so I value your knowledge on the subject.

Breaking News: Hudson's first rap album sold a whopping 78 copies in its first week of release. Stick to basketball, Troy. And get a hair cut; you're starting to look like a girl.

So exited here in Boston. Have been very impressed with KG thus far. He's very thoughtful & articulate. Threw out the first ball last night in Fenway. When asked by a reporter about the perceived bad racial climate in Boston for black players, he answered the question head on by acknowledging it was a factor in his decision making, and that he talked w/ Antoine Walker & Gary Payton (who was only here for a rent-a year) about the good and the bad. Now let's see if the fans will respond w/ season ticket buys...I would if I could afford it!

Thomas, Ricky Davis isn't going anywhere unless someone wants to trade for his expiring contract. But unless Minny can re-sign him for cheap after the season, why would they want him? They could do much better with the cap space. The guy has talent, but he's in the Darius Miles school of team play. Also, many columnists are expecting that Telfair will simply be cut. Why poison the atmosphere for your promising young players? Minny should take a page from Portland's good citizen playbook.

Well, I'm off to climb some mountains. See you Monday!

You and your friggin mountains. Take up chess. It's safer.

The Twolves will keep Telfair, bad attitude and all, because they need him; they are woefully thin at PG. They will keep him for the same reason the Celtics signed House; they need a PG too. House has never met a shot he didn't like, so is a horrible choice to direct plays for Ray Ray, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce. I don't understand why the Celts felt the need to sign him.

Which NBA team would want Ricky Davis, given his history? Hard to come up with a name. You got me there, Larry. I would guess that he would either be resigned or the TWolves would simply allow his contract to expire....for nothing. I just don't see a good fit for Ricky on any other NBA team right now, but that could all change next year.

Well, the people of Boston don't have a good history of race relations. They treated Bill Russelll like dirt, and he let it be known to anyone who would listen. BoSox had the same rep for many years. So, KG had cause for concern. I think most Bostonians view racism differently now than back then. I sense a lot of love for Al Jefferson, Rajon, and D-Money, all black. Some of what others see as racism is, in my opinion, mischaracterized. For example, Pats fans are so used to winning, they're blinded to the strggles of less talented NFL teams. They are insensitive and arrogant. I think many Celts fans, used to the winning ways of Bird/McHale./Parrish, became insensitive and arrogant too. Even BoSox fans, because of recent successes, have become arrogant. In some ways, that's a good thing; winning breeds championship expectations. And when those initial expectation get realized, fans expect more of the same. I wonder how much of the racism charged to the spoiled Boston fanbase is the result of perennial success with professiional sports team; e.g.; hockey, basketball, baseball, and football? Racism in any from is wrong, and if the charges are true, they should be ashamed of themselves, but I'm wondering if at least some of what professional black athletes see as Boston racism isn't typical Bostonian sports arrogance?

Good question Thomas. It's my guess, that Antoine & Payton may have said something similar - this is a knowledgable sports town w/ very high expectations for everybody. They'll cheer you when you do well, and boo you when you don't, regardless of race. It bugs me though that it seems pretty obvious that the Celts & the Red Sox (to a lesser degree) go out of their way to cater to the white fans. Why else would the Celtics sign Brian Scalabrine to a long term free agent contract?

Well, that's how it works in business. The first rule of business: find out who has money; find out what they want, and give them a reason to part with that money. The Jazz did this for years. I can't count the big stiffs that occupied roster spots on that team. But the Jazz fans loved them, so came out to watch them. The typical Utah Jazz lineup wouldn't fit at all in a city like Philadelphia, Milwaukee, or Detroit. Raptors seek out and sign a lot of european players because their fans love them so much. I think lots of team sign players, not just because they are good at what they do, but because they reflect the culture of the city, including ethnicity. San Antonio shirts are masters at doing this.

From an objective point, we look first at talent, merit, and fan popularity; the first two make the team competitive; the last keeps fannies in the seats. Bill Russell was discrimnated against in Boston, but I'v seen nothing to indicate that Stephen Jackson was discrimnated against in Indy? He made poor decisions and was punished for it. I read somewhere that the BoSox were the last team in the majors to sign a black player. I doubt that was conincidental; BoSox fans probably didn't want them on the team. I don't believe the majority of Bostonians think that way anymore but I can certainly understand why KG had reservations and questions about the racial climate in Boston. He had cause.

Scudder, about Scalabrine. He's no better than a situational 3rd string center at best, but the Celtics are so thin at center right now, they have to keep their options open. I don't know anyhting about Scalabrine, except his stats, which are unimpressive. Is he a crowd pleaser? Maybe that's why he was upped? But it would very difficult to make the argment that Al Jefferson, D-Money, and Sebastian Telfair were traded, and Scalabrine retained, because of race, because Scalabrine has no value to anyone except the Celtics, so couldn't be traded anyway. But Al Jefferson and D-Money obviously have value (they brought KG to Boston). Telfair (black), like Scalabrine (white), has no value either; he was the unfortunate victim of trade filler; cap fodder; his salary was needed to make the numbers work. I would't pay a plugged nickel for Scalabrine; might consider paying a minimum sum for Telfair, but neither is very good. In both cases, it is circumstance that determined their fate. It is certainly possible, but in this case, I'd be surprised if race was a factor.

It's a tough call, scudder. We know racism exists, and that blacks are victimized by it everyday, so its only natural that those sentiments would spill over into professional sports.

More NBA News: (from realgm.com): http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap/

Washington Wizzards finally coaxed the Memphis Grizzlies into signing Juan Navarro for a protected lottery pick in 2008. Navarro signed a one year deal for $1.1M and gets to play with his boy, Pau Gasol. I have no idea who paid the $2M buyout.

Golden State Warriors signed Austin Croshere, to a three year contract for the veteran mimimum. Not sure how I feel about this one, since I have this image of Croshere in my head draining threes in Indy a long time ago, but my gut tells me he's finished; that GSW could have found a better PF than the rapidly declining Croshere, who is bassically a perimeter player.

Mavericks signed Eddie Jones ; he'll receive $1.83M/year. Love Eddie; hope he can contribute in Dallas.

I couldn't find a link for this one and it hasn't yet appeared on realgm.com, but some news outlets are reporting that point guard, Brevin Knight, just agreed to terms with the LA Clippers. .

Big loss for the Clippers yesterday. Elton Brand ruptured his achilles tendon and will be out for at least 6 months. Brand is one of the most underrated great players in the league.

Brevin Knight did commit to the Clippers. He's expected to sign a two year, $4M deal. But with Elton out fro the season, I don't know how much good Knight can bring. Without Elton, with Cassell ailing, and Livingston out, Clippers have no chance at making the playoff next season. Going to be a tough year in Lalaland.

Toronto-native Jamaal Magloire sponsors a float in the Caribana parade, which I went to yesterday afternoon. I didn't actually see him (as I have in the past), but his crew attracted big crowds of revelers.

Canmark, what is a Caribana parade?

Hey, when I was in 12th grade, I won the New Jersey High School Chess Championship. And you're right -- it is safer. I got myself into a near-death situation over the weekend. But I'm still here.

As for basketball, the Elton Brand mishap was the Achilles Heel for the Clippers. Here's a funny story. As I've bragged about every chance I get, my orthopedist is one of the Clippers' team doctors. He said that he was scheduled to assist on Brand's heel surgery on Friday, and cancelled all of his patients that day. Then, at the last minute, Elton decides to use some orthopedic surgeon in Delaware and calls off the surgery in L.A.

Golden State's signing of Croshere is beyond bizarre. Even for Don Nelson. Austin turned 75 last year, when no team would have him. Now he can suddenly run with the greyhounds??

Dude, you're not getting off that easy. What was the near death experience? Was it one of those thing with billowing white clouds while your life flashes before your eyes? Did you see Angels (not from Anaheim)?

The Clippers doctor story is more impressive, but at least I grew up with several former NFL and NBA players, and taught a whole bunch of them. I'm sure they don't remember me at all, but its still fun to watch them in the pros. Some succeed; some don't.

Like I said, I have no idea why GSW would want Croshere. He's not gonna help them get past the Spurs, Rockets, Suns, or Jazz. But at least the Clippers will get some use out of Brevin Knight. He's better than Cassell at this point in time. Larry, I told you Eddie Jones would live to see another team....he signed with the Mavs. Pat Riley is now after GSW's Michael Pietrus. The Heat don't seem to be able to land anybody this off-season (I'm discounting Smush); they have so little money to work with. Have you been keeping up with the Jermaine O'neal saga? How do Laker fans feel about O'Neal? Do they think a Kobe/JO tandem would be enough to reach the WCF? I do. With Kobe, O'Neal, and The Fish, the Lakers would have a real chance to cause some major damage in the playoffs. You're right about the Clippers; they're dead meat.

Caribana is reputed the "largest Caribbean street festival in North America." Modelled on Carnival in Trinidad, it takes place annually in Toronto thanks to our large West Indian population (Trinis, Jamaicans, Bajans, Bahamians, Guyanese, etc.) and attracts a lot of African-American tourists. There are events over a two week period, culminating with the parade with some 25,000 participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators. Lots of booty and boobies on display. Toronto-native Jamaal Magloire is a supporter of the event, sponsoring a float and often inviting other NBAers to events.

Official site
CTV pics

I can't tell you. But if you're really intrigued, here's a hint.
Don't try this at home


The Brevin Knight signing makes what happened to Elton particularly sad -- it really could have helped. The orthopedist (who gets to work out at the Clippers gym as a perk) said Elton was really working hard this summer, even compared to his usual manic zeal, and was looking terrific. Such a shame -- Brand is one of the nicest guys in pro sports.

Eddie Jones is a nice guy too, so I'm glad for him, but I don't think he'll help Dallas. They should have gone for Pietrus instead. And supposedly now they want to sign Webber?! They should just open a nursing home instead.

Finally, I think Lakers fans will take anything at this point. I, however, don't think JO will be enough to make the Lakers a serious contender even if LA gets to keep Odom. JO is already past his prime, at the advanced age of 29. (That really makes me feel old!)

Add another white guy to the Celtics bench - Scot Pollard for the mid level exemption of $1.5. Throngs of irish/italians in the suburbs rejoice.

Team Canada gained a centre, as Samuel Dalembert becomes a Canadian citizen just in time for the tournament of the Americas starting later this month. Dalembert, who averaged 10.7ppg/8.9rpg with the Sixers, was born in Haiti, but moved to Montreal when he was 13.

Says Dalembert:

I've got a house in Philadelphia for during the season and ... (I've) started looking in Canada for a place to buy a condo," he said. "My girl really likes Montreal a lot, so hopefully I can get something really nice over there.

"Hopefully we can get married, she can become (a Canadian). Then we can get free medical (care) for the rest of our lives."

Scudder, 1.5 would be the veteran minimum, not the MLE. But indeed it's another useless white guy! Pollard used to be a great rebounder, but he seems to have vanished in the past several years.



You'd think a guy with a $10 million/year contract could afford to pay his own medical care. That's kind of sickening when you think of all the indigents in the U.S. who have no health insurance.

I don't think Scott Pollard is good anymore, but was very respectable a few years ago. I know what Danny is trying to do (bringing in role palyers to serve the Big Three), but I don't think Pollard or House is the answer to the Celts problems at backup PG and/or center. Celts will live or die with the Big Three (Ray Ray, Big Ticket, and Pierce). They're not expecting much from either the PG or center. Danny is probably hoping his PG/center don't do anything to lose them the game.



I'm not sure what Dallas is doing. They added Eddie Jones to an already crowded bevy of SGs; somebody bound to get cut. Now they want to add a big man, either CWebb and/or P.J. Brown. If P.J., I assume he would back Dampeer at center, since PJ's shot blocking abilities are best utilized at center. If they choose CWebb instead, would he play backup center or backup PF? I'm guessing PF, since CWebb owns a pretty reliable 10-15 ft jumper. CWebb's contribution would defintely be on offense because he's not very aggressive on defense. Anyway, I don't think PJ Brown or CWebb is going to join Dallas for the vet minimum, nor should they; both are clearly worth more than that. But, I don't know that eityher is worth the full $5.2M MLE either; neither is worth that. It all depends on how badly the Mavs want to win next season. In my opinion, they'd be better off with PJ's defensive shot blocking skills than CWebb's offense. Dallas has enough offense to win an NBA championship. They could use some defense. But, I don't think the Mavs lost in the first round last year because of offensive or defensive liabilities. They lost because they refused the fight and played like cowards.



I looked at Team Canada's roster. Canmark, Team Canada will get abused big time. I wouldn't bet a dime on the team's chances of making the Olympics. But I do like Delambert's game. Off-court, I agree with Larry. Dude is a cheapskate.

I'm sorta interested in the Caribana parade. Didn't see a whole lot of nudity though. I'd need to see a lot more of that before I invest travel funds in it. Question: Can Canada handle a freak like me? Thought: Ne-Yo can't sing reggea; but Sean Paul can throw it down. Sounds like a mini-Mardi Gras to me, so should be fun, but the theme is more reminiscent of our Jazz Festival; with a calypso flavor.

So now the Celtics are trying to talk Reggie Miller out of retirement. Mark Cuban tried that last year. Do these people think Reggie has put himself in a meat locker, and hasn't been aging at all during the years he's been out of the game? Maybe Ainge himself should suit up -- he was a fine glue guy when he played for the Celtics, just the type of player they need around their "big 3."

Dallas needs to do something to shake themselves free of the big meltdown in last season's playoffs. Even if it's only psychological, they need to show they are retooling. Thomas, I agree that what they need is to add toughness. Not sure how they do that -- maybe trade for Artest? Of course, that could end up being lunacy.

I don't know about this one, Larry. Fitness is always a problem at 42 years of age. But Reggie wouldn't be asked to do much besides shoot treys for 10-15 minutes a game when Ray Ray is resting. I don't think three point specialists lose the ability to knock down open jump shots as they age; at least, not as quickly as PGs/SFs lose the ability to take it to the hole. Anyway, which Celtic SG is better at backup than Reggie Miller? Celtics have nothing to lose, I wouldnt think. I would assume Reggie would be playing for the vet minimum, and playing solely for the purpose of winning an NBA championship, since he doesn't have one.

Larry, was Scott Pollard ever punished for telling kids to do drugs a few years back?

Well, I just hope Reggie doesn't end up embarrassing himself. You still have to play (some) defense, run through screens and absorb pro level contact. I don't think it's as easy to come back and do that as some players think. Betcha there's a reason why Scottie Pippen's alleged comeback never came to fruition! I agree that Boston has nothing to lose, but Miller does.

And now Penny Hardaway's coming back with the Heat and Allan Houston wants to play again (again)! At least they (unlike Reggie) are still under 40, but this contagion really needs to be squelched immediately.

(Scott Pollard has been punished by being forced to wear ever-changing, ridiculous hairstyles and facial hair. He's actually not a bad looking guy, but has been sentenced to a life of looking like a clown.)

I haven't tried to keep up with Penny's career since the Knicks, so I don't know what he's doing right now. But I do know that Penny used to play PG/SG/SF; so if he's healthy, he would have versatile value as a swingman with the Heat, something they sorely need. Plus, Penny's contract is not guaranteed, so there's no guarantee he will even see any playing time. I read somewhere that DWade would not be able to start the season. Is this correct? If so, it could explain why Riley signed Penny, to help out some at PG and SF, even though he used to make a living at SG. The other thing is that Shaq and Penny have history; not necessarily a good one, but at least they know each other's game. You know I'm a huge Penny Hardaway fan, so I hope he can cntribute. I would think the Florida fans would have fond memories of Penny, so might come out to support his comeback. But, dude, the Heat will need to stockpile more young talent at some point. They let go Eddie Jones (should have paid him; cheapskates!). They haven't resigned Gary Payton yet. Right? Probably won't now that they have Smush. But how does all this affect Dorell Wright?

As for Allen Houston, I still don't know why he ever left the game. He was still good when he left. Allan has always been a weirdo. I remember when he played for University of Tennessee. He was a deadly shooter, but barely uttered a word to the media after; extremely shy; head down all the time; weird fellow. I will always believe that he left the game because he wasn't comfortable as the #1 option; too much media attention; too much responsibility as a team leader; something he was clearly not meant to be. If he does come back (he's reportedly considering Cavs or Mavs), I think he'll be a lo tmore comfortable as the sixth or seventh option, so should be able to contribute.....again, if healthy. And both the Mavs and Cavs need his services, especially Cleveland; Booby is their only consistent long range threat in the back court. LeBron can hit the three but is rarely a consistent threat behind the line.

Well, I hope Reggie doesn't comeback. His legacy is stronger as a loyal player who played his whole career with one team giving them his heart and leaving it all out on the court. Reggie's Pacer legacy is greater than chasing a ring with the Celtics!

As for Penny, I was shocked the Heat picked him up. He has been trying to latch on to a team for a couple of years now. He is just not the same Penny he was earlier in his career. Riley must think DWade won't be back as the season starts. Penny's contract is not guaranteed, so his stay with the Heat will be short (I think). **The 'lil'Penny Sprite commercials are still the best Sprite commercials produced!**

Scott Pollard is a decent backup for the Celtics. He is toughnosed. True, he makes himself into a clown, but it's his life. Do what you want to do, brotha!

I'm pleased to see the Grizzlies are going to get Juan Carlos Navarro, another major pickup for my boys. The Memphis Grizzlies will be the surprise team of the NBA this season, Book it!!!
Yes, I am a homer!!

I agree with Smokey on both Miller and Hardaway.

This endless refrain of: "If so and so were healthy he could contribute 15 minutes a game..." always amuses me. It's like saying that if Wilt Chamberlain were healthy, he could still go out and grab at least 5 rebounds (and probably more than Eddie Curry). (Sorry for the macabre humor, but I know you guys can take it.)

Seriously, as Smokey says, Penny tries to generate a comeback every year, and every summer there are reports of how great he looks in pickup games with current NBA stars. But once the season starts all the talk dries up. If the guy hadn't healed before, how is he suddenly going to heal now? Pat Riley is panicked. And he's always been terrified to use rookies/young players. But he's damn well going to have to give guys like Dorrell Wright a chance.

Same thing with Alan Houston. Every year we hear how he's going to come back now that his knees "feel great." We'll probably still be hearing that when he's 50.

As for Scott Pollard, I actually think he's funny. But he hasn't contributed a damn thing since he was with the Kings 5 years ago.

Smokey, I've read great things about JCN. How the Wizards couldn't get anything more for him than an almost useless draft pick (because it's top 20 protected) is beyond me. I've also read great things about Luis Scola, and the Spurs gave him away to Houston for almost nothing too.

Larry, I looked at the pics you posted. Looks baren to me; weird and isolated peaks; spooky terrain. You can have it; I don't want that kind of desolation in my life. How can THAT place be fun?

Miami Heat signed Devin Green (finally some youth)..... His bio says he played for the LA Lakers D League in 2006 and average 19 ppg as a PG/SG/SF swingman. Now Pat has Devin Green, Smush, and Penny hardaway to help assist White Chocolate with PG duties and the three guys are versatile enough, and big enough, to play some SG/SF to back DWade. Or, like Phil, Pat could be looking to field a competitive practice squad, and send them down or cut them once the season begins. But time will tell.
So Posey is out then?

Smokey, you and Larry are a lot higher on JCN than I am. He's unproven with no NBA experience, so I disagree with Larry on this one; a 1st rd pic is about right. Also, if european players are allowed to enter the draft and then dictate where and when they play in the NBA, it limits their market value because the drafting team (who owns the NBA rights) can't know for certain where these players will end up. The Raptors and Spurs deal with this problem very well, much better than the Bucs and Wizards did.

And I believe that guys like Scottie Pippen, Alan Houston, and Reggie Miller can contribute, even now. I know this because of Michael Finley, Mutombo, PG Brown, Zo, and Gary Payton. None is doing anything earth shattering, but they can play backup. Even though he isn't really old, I think Grant Hill, if he's healthy, will prove to be the best 1st generation baller. I wouldn't even be surprised if he got the start.

Thomas, Juan is not unproven. He was MVP of the Euroleague last year, the second best basketball league in the world. He is 27 years old with a lot of game experience. Yes, he will have to restructure his game somewhat, because the NBA is more physical than the Euroleague. Secondly, Navarro is Pau Gasol's best friend. His addition makes Pau happy and content to stay in Memphis. It's a win-win for Memphis. Washington selected him as a second round pick in 2002. He was green and they wanted him to develop in Europe. They saw no need for him now, so getting a first round protected pick while not sending him to the east actually is a good move by Washington. Lots of teams wanted "La Bomba", I am glad we got him.

The Spurs trading the right to Luis Scola I still don't understand. Houston got the best end of that deal. Luis can ball. The Spurs usually don't make bad moves, so this was surprising.

Of course, Reggie Miller can still ball, but why mess with his legacy for some garbage minutes and a ring that would not mean much(because he rode other stars coattails.)? Reggie Miller is the ultimate Pacer. He shouldn't mess with that. Oh, and Boston won't win the championship this year (of course neither will the Grizzlies), Book It. Don't do it, Reggie!!!

The Eastern Sierra (where those pics are from) is the most beautiful and enjoyable place on earth.



Devin Green played on the Laker's summer league or something. He couldn't even make the Laker's depleted roster (this was post-Shaq), so how good can he be?

Thomas, the Wizards didn't trade JCN because he was holding out; they just decided they had no use for him. Beats me -- you'd think they'd want someone to give Arenas a little rest. Everything I've read about JNC is very positive, just like Smokey said.

Guys like Finley (can still play), Mutumbo (he contributed when Yao was injured, but he had nothing left by the time the playoffs came), PG Brown (who knows what he has left, since he rarely played in Chicago) and Payton (he has absolutely nothing left) could play into their 40's because they never stopped. It's much harder to come back when you're in your late 30's or 40's after taking a couple years off. Hey, even MJ, after his first "retirement" to embarrass himself at baseball -- when he came back to the Bulls he just didn't have it until the following season. And this was still during his Greatest of All Time period. So if it took MJ in his prime almost a whole season to get it back, how are way-past-their prime guys like Reggie, Houston and Penny going to get back in gear after being out for years?

Hey Thomas:
The Caribana Parade - which is the highlight of the Caribana celebration always takes place on the Saturday of our holiday weekend we get up here at the beginning of August. (The first Monday of August is a holiday up here). I usually go to the parade but have missed it the last two years, last year for the Outgames and this year because I had to work our booth out at Vancouver Pride the same weekend. Vince Carter always used to hold his invitiation fundraising game at the ACC that same weekend when he used to play here - because he had no problems getting other NBA players to come up for his game because they all wanted to take in Caribana. Steve Nash even did his game here in Toronto on the same weekend a couple of years ago for the same reason.

Lots of caribana pics posted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/caribana/
And here is just one of many youtoube vids.
http://www.cynicsunlimited.com/2007/08/06/...2007-the-video/
Pat

Larry, for whatever reason, you're awful hard on mature and/or retired ballers. I might have to refer you to the baby bomber motto: "my generation"and "won't be fooled again". Our generation is the best that ever was. Its hard to watch our sports heroes age, I know, and the stats don't lie, but I still can't help rooting for them anyway.

This one will really get your dander up. Realgm.com is reporting that Phoenix is tryng to convince Reggie Miller to join the Suns this season instead of Boston. Reggie Miller and Grant Hill on the same team? I can definitely live with that. Cavs are also trying to sign Alan Houston. Alan can still shoot; Cavs perimeter game needs improvement, so why not? My guess is that Reggie and Alan would sign for the league minimum. I don't know much about Reggie Miller's (I do know he's a boring sports analyst) or Penny Hardaway's financial situation, but we both know Alan Houston (equally boring) doesn't need any more money.

Regarding Devin Green, that's a hard one. Phil would probably never have started him anyway, given the way he feels about rookie PGs and the steep learning curve associated witth a Triangle Offense. I think he was forced into playing Farmar because Smush suffers from ME-itis and basketabll psychosis.

The Sierra Nevada? Where are all the trees? It looks like a wasteland.


Canmark, several of your posts include a reference to gay pride and gay rights, etc. Are you a gay activist or a community leader in Canadian gay rights movements or something; e.g., something akin to our GLAD? If so, good for you. In curious about Caribana, but still prefer Mardi Gras.



I don't doub that JCN can play. I've never seen him play, but my intuition is that he's on the same level with Bargnani? Of course they play different positions, but otherwise I think the comparison is a fair one. Bargnani played very well for the Raptors this year, but I do not consider him a team leader, first option, or go to guy with the game on the line. Even though Pat and Canmark would argue this, I don't think Bargnani has fully adjusted to the pace and power of the NBA. JCN will experience a similar problem in Memphis. In many ways, the Grizzlies are putting together a lineup that looks a lot like the Raptors. With the draft and off-season acquisitions, I think the Grizzlies now have more raw talent (especially in the low post), but the Raptors have a better backcourt, better coach, and better offensive philosophy. But both teams now boast a strong european flavor.

As Neil Young said, rust never sleeps. Apparently, neither do retired ballers. I do find it sad to see my sports heroes stay on too long and diminish their memory. So many just couldn't/can't tear themselves away: Hakeem, Jordan (yeah, I know he was still pretty good at 41 - 42 whatever, but to go from greatest of all time to pretty good is pretty sad), Kareem's final year...I'm sure I'm forgetting some glaring examples.

But, Thomas, there have been exceptions. I became a great fan of the 40 year old Karl Malone (always loved his game, but didn't admire his character until then). Not only was he the peacemaker and difference maker (when his knee still worked) with the 4-Star Lakers, he didn't complain at all when the Laker's medical staff completely f***-ed up on his knee injury and cost him (i) most of the rest of the season, (ii) a chance at a ring, and (iii) a likely scoring title. Almost any other athlete in the world would have been non-stop livid. Karl showed more class than I've seen in sports in so many years.

And, like I said, it's harder to come out of retirement as a senior citizen than if you kept playing all along. But if Allan Houston has to come back, I agree that the Cavs would be a good fit (although I'm not sure how he can fit into Mike Brown's defense). Reggie -- don't do it. If you once could score 8 points in 4 seconds, this time around it might take you 4 games to equal that [that was a joke].

I think the difference between JCN and Bargnani is that JCN is a seasoned veteran of the European leagues. Bargnani was obviously promising, but had just started to play major minutes. And if JCN is worthy of comparison with a #1 all-around pick, then he's probably pretty good.

Finally -- yes, the Sierra Nevada has trees. But it also has an altitude that people refer to as alpine; i.e., above tree level. That's where it all happens, man. I know that in New Orleans you are below sea level, let alone tree level, but trust me -- it's amazing up there.

I reviewed the 2003-2004 NBA finals. Its still hard to believe that the a team with Shaq, Kobe, Malone, Fisher, Gary Payton, and Grant couldn't beat the Pistons. I had no idea Laker doctors screwed up Malone's knees. I thought he gave up the dream of an NBA title and retired. But I refuse to believe that Karl could've won a scoring title on a team with Shaq and Kobe. Don't seem possible, or right. Unlike you, I never thought Karl was a good fit with the Lakers; he kept getting in Shaq's way. I thought he joined the Lakers for bling; an NBA championship ring.

The Who? Yes. Neil Young? No. Was that baby boomer blasphemy?

"Other glaring example"......Patrick Ewing? Vlade Divac?

Guess what? GSW bought out the overpaid Adonal Foyle today. Counting all three years left on his contract, including the team option, he's owed $29M. Can a team exercise an option into a buyout? Why would they even want to? So, lets assume the option is declined. If so, Foyle is owed $roughly $19M. Is it safe to assume a buyout of $15-16M? If so, GSW saves a few mil and clears a roster spot. How that dude got a long term $8M/yr contract is beyond me. Unless they keep Pietrus, the GSW will look nothing like last year's free wheeling and exciting team.

Nice to know you still carry your baby boomer card.

Malone only needed to average around 15 points for that season, plus part of the next one. Around mid-season, he suffered a knee injury, which the Lakers' brain-trust told him was minor and he should just work through it (they took the MRI too high up on his knee!). It turned out to be ligament damage and by working through it he made it much worse. By the time Karl went to a different orthopedist, who told him the bad news, things were screwed up. Malone tried to come back for the playoffs, and in fact he shut down Tim Duncan enough that the Lakers got by San Antonio, but Malone's knee gave out against Detroit and so did the Lakers.

I think Malone's game blended well with Shaq's. Later in his career, Malone developed a deadly mid-range jumper, so he didn't have to play on the low block. He could also guard guys like Duncan, which helped keep Shaq out of foul trouble. But I admit that it wasn't easy keeping out of Shaq's way, because that's the year his weight started ballooning towards 400, and he occupied a hell of a lot of space.

Since when is Neil Young for Baby Boomers? He's one of the original indie-rock heroes. The guy who wrote about hopelessness, rampant depression, murdering one's would-be girl friend (Everyone Knows this is Nowhere); drug overdoses and the seamy side of rock & roll stardom (Tonight's the Night)? Young also had his soft side, of course (Harvest), but he covered uncomfortable topics as well as anyone since the Velvet Underground.

As for players who stayed on too long, I was thinking of mentioning Ewing, but he wasn't really one of my b-ball heroes. And Vlade was injured in his last 2 seasons, so I don't think it's fair to stick him on that list. Finally, Adonal Foyle? He's a very fortunate man. He, Mark Blount and Jerome James should form a club: The Big, Rich Stiffs.

Larry, I think you know me well enough to know by now that I'm a Head Like A Hole kinda guy, so intimate and sensitive suibject matter is not my preference. I do respect it though. Good music deserves appreciation, so while I respect Neil Young, my preference is Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, The Who, Springsteen, etc. Naturally, I'm partial to groups like Velvet Revolver (Waiting For The Man is one of my favorites), Ministry, Nirvana, and Skinny Puppy. I mentioned these groups in a previous post but got a negative feedback, but you really should cut emo groups like Tool and Radiohead a break; not all emo is bad; some rock bands with palpable emo are actually pretty good: Linkin Park (The End ), Three Days Grace (Animal I Have Become ), and Tears for Fears (Woman In Chains ), etc.

I wouldn't give too much praise to lyricists tackling sensitive subject matter either. It's how they package those themes in musical composition that gives them life. The End (The Doors) and Lou Reed's Madamn George are wondeful music compositions with sensitive themes.

I know rock is your preference. I love it too, but I also like rap. I know you respect Tupac's legacy (best ever); most people do, but some of the young rappers are pretty good too: Lil Wayne, Camrun, TI, Young Buck, Juelz Santana. Knowing me, it should come as no surprise to learn that Lil John and The East Side Boys is by favorite rap group. Those guys reflect my crazy personality just as easily as Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, and Pearl Jam. Anyway, enough about music.


I've been waiting all day to tell you that Charlie Rosen (foxsports.com) agrees with you about Reggie Miller, Penny Hardaway, etc. In today's blog, Charlie said thay should just say no. Needless to say, I don't agree with either of you. You wanna talk trouble? Juwan Howard is now demanding a trade; said he came to Minny to play with KG; now that KG is no longer there, he wants out. You want more? Darko is asking to be traded to a contender. If I were the TWolves and Grizzlies, I'd force them to honor the contracts they signed. I can understand why Juwan wants out, but why Darko wants out of Memphis is puzzling; that team is a perfect fit for him. You want irony? It wouldn't surpirse me a bit if McHale traded Juwan to his Celtic teammate, Danny Ainge, for yet another draft pick. Juwan is the perfect backup for KG. I have to wonder if Juwan's very public trade request is a ploy designed to land him in Boston? I hope Juwan has better luck in Minny than Kobe did in LA. As loudly as Kobe complained, I'm shocked the Lakers did so little this off-season to appease him.

Rock & Roll
Hey, I love Head Like A Hole too. But I also love the other songs on Pretty Hate Machine, which are, I'm afraid, of the dreaded intimate and sensitive variety. And you've been listening to the wrong Neil Young man! Check out Ragged Glory (guitar heaven), or the rock half of Rust Never Sleeps, or Keep On Rockin in the Free World, or Piece of Crap. I could go on forever -- Young is one of my heroes.

I like Radiohead, but I don't understand how you could lump together with teenage head bashers like Linkin Park and Tool. And Madam George is a (sublime) Van Morrison song, not Lou Reed. Were you drinking when you typed that?

As for today's rap, even the Wu-Tang Clan guys were just saying how disappointing most of it is. I'm hoping Kanye West's next album will reverse the downward spiral.

B-Ball
I read that Charlie Rosen column and was going to razz you about it. But Rosen has to be drinking too with his laughable assertion that Charles Oakley could come back and still bang with the beasts in the post. The guy is freakin' 44!

I didn't hear Darko wants to be traded. What a nutcase! The guy has proved absolutely nothing -- in fact, he could go down as the greatest draft bust in history, considering all the All-Stars that got picked behind him -- but he's already acting like a prima donna. And Memphis is the team he chose to sign with. And it's still the same team (plus Navarro). I wish someone would pack his wack ass back to Europe for good. Juwan, on the other hand, I have sympathy for.

Nope. No alcohol. been confusing Madamn George and Walk on the Wild Side my whole life. Can't help it. IMO, Van Morrison and Lou Reed sound a lot alike. But I've been hooked on Van since Tupelo Honey (Tupelo. Miss is very close to my home town). Anyway, I screwed up my last post; sorry about that.

I knew you were going to refer to Neil Young's hard-rocking Keep on Rockin in the Free World , but that's not enough to atone the self indulgent Heart of Gold . Don't like that stuff. Some of Neil's ballads reminds me of a Judy Collins and Gordon Lightfoot. Good music, but too tame for me. Not that folk music is bad; or that Neil is a folk singer; Bob Dylan does it good, but he does it with plenty of soul and a ton of muscle; the stuff I need.

Most of this stuff gets reduced to taste anyway. Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night (Dylan Thomas), The Soul Selects her Own Society (Dickinson), and Crossing the Bar (Tennyson) share a common theme (I can make that argument stick), but I doubt Thomas, Dickinson, and Tennyson share a common fan base. Nothing wrong with Neil Young (your hero), but I'd rather Billy Ray Vaughn, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, and Nine Inch Nails. I know I started it, but I don't want to hijack this thread.

Basketball: Here's one that boggles the mind. Sacramento and the Heat are discussing a trade. The Heat are offering White Chocolate, Michael Doleac, Daquan Cook, and 2008 1st rd pics in exchange for Mike Bibby and Thomas. Must be a salary dump. Bibby is way better than White Chocolate; Sacto doesn't need Daquan; Kevin Martin is way better. Doleac? Why? Salary cap consideration and flexibility must be driving this trade?

My favorite Van Morrison record is Astral Weeks, the source of the ethereal Madam George. But almost all of his earlier period records were great, including Tupelo. Neil Young at his sappiest doesn't remind me at all of the dreaded Judy Collins (or the lightweight Lightfoot) but, as you say, to each his own. (By the way, for "soft" Neil Young, After the Goldrush is much better than Harvest (where Heart of Gold comes from). And I love B.B. King, Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails too. Hey, and Neil Young and Trent Reznor have something in common -- they are two of the very few prominent artists who have released anti-Bush records.

I know we're hijacking the thread, but things are slow in the off-season, so what the heck....

I read about that proposed Kings/Heat deal too. Not only is it pathetic for Sacramento, it's really funny, given that the Kings became an elite team only after bamboozling the Grizzlies into taking White Chocolate in exchange for Bibby. Now they want to reverse that trade?? It's particularly idiotic given Jayson's significant health issues. Even if Chocolate is 100%, Bibby is an infinitely superior PG. The only way Sacto should even consider the trade is if the Heat are giving them Haslem; even then I don't think it's even. I know that Bibby and Artest don't get along, but I've got to think that Sacto can do better trading Bibby to someone else.

If Sacramento does this trade, it means they are in total rebuilding mode (which they are) and it can get them some money after the books for next year's free agency market.

The Grizzlies weren't bamboozled with Jason Williams (Jayson Williams is another player). He was part of the Grizzlies marketing strategy. When the Grizzlies moved to Memphis, they needed a player who could but butts in the seats. They chose Jason Williams, because he appealed to both the white and black fan base. Jason had the bad boy image. He was thuggish but still white. Jason still has a major fan base in Memphis. Jason can be and is a REAL ass. I have seen him yell at a father and son seeking his autograph, then turn around and start talking to me like nothing happened. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, and his people skills are non-existent. I never had much use for him (after some of his comments in Sacramento), so I never wanted to talk to him, and he would try to engage me. There were people who were big fans of his, and he would ignore them, although. I'm glad he's no longer in Memphis. So see the Grizzlies weren't bamboozled, they saw him coming. They just didn't fully understand the baggage he brought with him. From a marketing point of view, he did put butts in the seats. Memphians did want to see "White Chocolate".

It's hard to keep all the b-ball Jay Williamses straight (two Jaysons and a Jason). Whether the Grizzlies had their motives is one thing (although I had heard the main motive was that Bibby was a cancer in the lockerroom), but objectively they got far the worse of the trade. Smokey, I'm impressed (sort of) that Williams took such a liking to you. How did you run into him so much?

White Chocolate is a lost art. We don't see handles like Magic Johnson, White Chocolate, and Pistol Pete anymore. I know White Chocolate isn't 100% healthy; maybe that's why he's not as exciting as he used to be. But I don't think he ever saw himself the prototypical thinking man's PG. He's always been an unreliable shooter, but when he played for the Grizzlies and Kings, his handle was Hollywood showtime material. When younger, he had foot speed; owned a nasty crossover dribble; a terrific one bounce lead pass; and some fancy head and ball fakes. IIRC, Jason took a lot of heat (no pun intended) in Sacto; something akin to "all brawn and show time and no brains"? All that flash put fannies in the seats in Sacto and Memphis; that was his claim to fame. Those expecting leadership, intelligent set plays, and cerebral decision-making in the tradition of John Stockton, Magic Johnson, Dennis Johnson, and Steve Nash should have known better. That's not his history. I'm not surprised the Grizzlies wanted to capitalize on his showmanship. Why wouldn't they? Like Smokey said; they got exactly what they paid for. White Chocolate delivered.

I know basketball wizardy these days is dying (Steve Nash is an arguable exception), except for the NBA All Star celebrations, but I have to be honest. I miss it. I miss it bad. And I don't see any young PGs in the league who have interest in trying to bring back the entertainment side of basketball. Becuase of the desire to win a championship, we now get Eric Snow, who can't shoot a lick; Biddy, who's selfish and shoots too much; TP3, a brilliant PG, but never deviates from the script; and beleagured guys like Bibby, who, every night, is asked to lead his team to victory single-handedly. Not that there's a scarcity of good young PGs. CP3 is terrific; Deron is as intelligent as they come; Agent 0 is sensational at times; and TP3 is mesmerizing most of the time, but there's very little old school flash and magic in them. I've said this many times, but I still think the point guard position is dimiished each year in favor of the point-forward or point shooter. Guys like LeBron, DWade, AI, Melo, and Kobe have taken center stage. They bring the ball up; they call the plays; they decide the games. All this while the PG just stands around looking, waiting for the ball on the three point line, or worse, just sitting the bench because he's not needed at all. God, I hope my crystal ball is busted. The game needs more White Chocolates, bad manners and all, if you ask me.

I am a season ticket holder and go to all the events. I donate money to the Grizzlies House and help provide tickets to underpriviledged children so they can come and see the games. I'd say 90% of the Grizzlies players and staff know who I am. I am greeted by name everytime I go to the FedEx Forum. And I wouldn't say Jason took a liking to me, we just knew who each other was (well sorta).

Smokey, nice to see you supporting the team and its charitable endeavors.

Thomas, I agree that the star quality of PGs has dropped (although by virtue of his 2 MVPs I think Nash has it, despite his low-key demeanor). Magic Johnson, of course, was the ultimate -- not only the best PG of all time (in my view), but the consummate showman. More than anyone who preceded him (and, possibly, followed him), Magic understood that to elevate the status of basketball in America, it was necessary to entertain. But because he loved the purity of basketball, he also mastered the fundamentals.

Jason Williams was entertaining on the court -- certainly his dribbling ability was/is amazing. But he doesn't have the sound fundamentals you want in a quarterback. Also, the guy's a jerk. Remember the homophobic slurs he directed towards some fans? I think there were also some racist ones, but I can't remember for certain.

Larry, Jason's remarks to the fans went something like this: "are you a fag?" and "I'll shoot all you Asian muthafu**ers". Bad times for Jason. He lost a lot of endorsements because of that. Tim Hardawy suffered a similar fate because of his anti-gay comments. I'm sure you already know this, but Jason has endured a long battle with substance abuse, starting at the University of Florida and ending in Sacramento and Memphis. I don't have any evidence to back this up, but it seems like a lot of young guys that learned their craft in urban parks and gyms have trouble adjusting to league imposed codes of behaviors, NBA philosophy, and structured offense.

It's weird. The dude is white but grew up balling with black guys. His approach to basketball is very entertaining; more Medowlark Lemon than John Stockton. Maybe the guy feels out of place, I don't know. But you're right; he's an angry young man. but I can't recall him acting up like this when he played for the University of Florida. There are reasons why people stay angry; e.g. drugs, mental problems; etc., but I don't have a clue what drives White Chocolate, so basically I'm just throwing stuff out there. I do know the Heat are trying desperately to unload him, even though he has far less turnovers now than ever.

Also, I forgot to mention this earlier. The reason Bibby is still in Sacramento is because of his hefty contract. He's owed about $28M the next couple years. That makes it difficult to move him.

Smokey, are you at liberty to tell us if you work in the Grizzlies' organization?

I take lots of liberties (lol), but no I don't work in the Grizzlies' organization....but I should!
You are right about Jason's comments. That's exactly what he said. And I would tend to agree with your reasoning about what drives Williams. A combination of both drugs and mental problems would definitely be my guess. The only drug I know he consumed though was marijuana. As a kid, everyone told him how great he was, and noone made him obey the rules. He was given a free-pass, until he got to Marshall. When he had problems there, he went to Florida. When he had problems at Florida, we went to the NBA and Sacramento. When he had problems in Sactown, he was moved to Memphis. When he became too big of a disruption in Memphis, he was packaged with another mal-content, James Posey and shipped to Miami. Do you know how much of a disruption you have to be to be traded for a twilight player like Eddie Jones? He fought with reporters. He fought with the coaching staff. He fought with his teammates.
The problem for Jason now is that his age and injuries have bypassed his potential. He still doesn't have to ability to cope with authority, but he's no longer talented enough to get a free pass!
Just my opinion!