Cuttino helped ruin Starbury’s return(Photo. Gary Land)
Turns out Isiah might have been right about this week’s soap opera mini-series with Stephon Marbury. Zeke told reporters he and Steph go through little spats at least once a year, but eventually things cool down and go back to normal. Slapped with a gigantic fine for missing the Phoenix game, Steph was back with the team in L.A. for a date with the Clippers. And while Starbury didn’t get the start — and at times wasn’t playing PG when he was on the floor — he did finish, the offense running through him as usual come crunch-time … The cameras showed Steph’s arena entrance, all smiles (borderline creepy), and as he was walking down the hall he happened to run into Elton Brand; who was wearing warmups like he was about to play or something. Very bizarre. The Brand thing seemed almost like he’d been planted there by some PR people … Steph wasn’t bad off the bench (13 pts, 4 asts), but the Knicks lost. So we can already assume the NY papers are gonna kill him for, 1) missing a corner three in the final minute that would have tied the game, 2) getting backed down by Cat Mobley for a big bucket on the ensuing possession, and 3) missing a tough layup when the Knicks were going for the quick-two/quick-foul play. But will they also remember the team’s other costly turnovers down the stretch and Jamal Crawford’s unnecessarily-long trey on the last possession … During the game, announcer Mike Breen relayed an amazing Sam Cassell story. Back when Sam played for the Nets, John Calipari told him some guys on the team felt he was shooting too much. Sam harassed Coach Cal into admitting it was Kendall Gill doing the complaining, so in Jersey’s next game, Cassell purposely wouldn’t shoot and only passed to Gill, who went like 2-for-12. Finally Cassell went over to Calipari on the bench and asked, “So do you wanna win this game, or should I keep feeding this guy?” Sam ended up with 34 points that night … Did you know Jonathan Coachman does in-studio stuff for the MSG network? It’s weird to see him talking about things that are real … Al Thornton has some Nat King Cole-style hair going on. Don’t front on that Murray’s pomade … With all the Steph drama dominating the news, Kobe almost got lost in the shuffle. Almost. Rumors floated from Detroit media outlets yesterday that the Pistons and Lakers had reached “done deal” status on a trade — Kobe for Rip, Tayshaun, Amir Johnson and a 1st rounder — before Kobe allegedly vetoed it because he didn’t want to go to a depleted Pistons squad. What’s wrong with Kobe, Rasheed, Billups, Maxiell, McDyess and a serviceable bench? Maybe pick up another wing guy/defender around the deadline and you’re good to go … In the meantime, Kobe had a game against the Rockets. T-Mac went out at halftime with an injured elbow (he’s reportedly going to miss at least a week), and while Bonzi Wells (21 pts, 10 rebs) did a good job stepping up to get Houston back in the game, he fell apart during winning time. Bonzi missed about 200 shots in a row in the last couple minutes: from the stripe, jumpers from straightaway, finger rolls, terrible runners. Nothing was dropping for him. As a unit, Houston went more than 5 minutes in the 4th quarter without a bucket … How ridiculous was Phil Jackson’s video apology for the Brokeback Mountain comment? Phil managed to take a shot at ESPN for making it into a story, smugly apologized to all the cowboys and horses out there, and avoided actually apologizing to the GLBT community … The Rockets fans were chanting “We Want Steve!” What’s that old saying: Be careful what you wish for? … Kobe dropped 30, but was up to his usual shenanigans. At one point in the second half he took a 15-footer with literally FOUR defenders on him … Mark Jones: “Kobe has enough candy for everybody tonight. It’s trick-or-treat time. Kobe’s starting to percolate with 13 points.” Stop … Hedo Turkoglu just keeps making plays. With time winding down in OT and Orlando up by one, LeBron (39 pts, 13 rebs, 14 asts) drove the lane before Hedo got in there and tied him up, forcing a jump ball. LeBron won the tip, but the Cavs couldn’t make anything happen. Before that, Dwight Howard (35 pts, 16 rebs, 4 blks) of all people hit the game-winning free throws. He’s making progress … E-mail from Cass following Hornets/Sixers: “My dad just predicted that the Sixers won’t win another game this year. He might be right.” On that note, has anyone seen Thaddeus Young? … Gilbert’s back (the Gilbert we know, at least), dropping 30 points, 11 dimes, 6 boards and 50 percent shooting on Jamaal Tinsley’s head … Ron Artest is also back, going for 17 points, 6 dimes and 3 steals against the Wolves … D-Wade is back, too. He came off the bench against Seattle and seems to be finding his rhythm for now (15 pts, 5 asts, 3 stls), so it doesn’t matter so much that Miami got cracked by Seattle (1st win!). Ricky Davis dropped 19 in what might be his last true night of glory … We’ve talked before about how sick this year’s freshman class is in college basketball. Two of the standouts will be on display at MSG today and tomorrow at the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic: Memphis PG Derrick Rose and Oklahoma PF Blake Griffin. Both kids are phenomenal athletes who also know how to play the game … We’re out like trick-or-treat time …
Related posts:
November 15th, 2007 at 6:50 am
knoc says:
Dwight and Lebron are monsters among men
November 15th, 2007 at 7:37 am
OGN says:
Curiosity killed the cat.
November 15th, 2007 at 7:39 am
Amar says:
Kirilenko — 8 points (off of 6 shots), 9 boards, 11 dimes, 5 steals and 2 blocks. Get the fuck off of him. This is his fourth straight near miss of a triple double, and 2nd missed of the elusive triple double + 5×5 game.
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/andrei_kirilenko/game_by_game_stats.html
In other news . . . Tmac got injured again. I’m sure now Scola will show us all stuff he was holding back . . .
November 15th, 2007 at 7:42 am
bbbb says:
Nice summary of the Raps/Jazz.
November 15th, 2007 at 7:58 am
Amar says:
I didn’t get to see that game, but apparently it was really sloppy. Heck, jazz didn’t even break 100, and they were one of the best offenses in the L. (yeah, better than denver, gs and phoenix)
November 15th, 2007 at 8:12 am
dre in o town says:
that pistons trade for kobe seemed to work out for everybody. why is he being such a bitch? he wants out of LA, he doesn’t want out of LA, where the fuck does he want to be at. Trade him to Maccabi and let him waste away overseas.
November 15th, 2007 at 8:22 am
Fabian says:
So after you guys mentioned “Thaddeus Young” i wondered what his stats were so far this season and clicked on his nba.com profile. well anyways, here is what it says when you click on his name on nba.com:
“Given player cannot be found.”
that’s just a coincidence, right?!
November 15th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Arno says:
Even with Le Bron pouring an irreal 39-13-14 performance, the Cavs LOST against a good / average team. Annoying, isn’t it ?
November 15th, 2007 at 9:03 am
Captain America says:
What?
McCants strokes 33 and gets no ink.
Ricky Buckets goes 5 for 22 and gets mentioned.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Brown says:
You didn’t miss anything in the Raps/Jazz game. It was ugly to say the least. If you think Knicks fans are fed up with Marbury, it’s the same with TJ Ford in Toronto. For some reason, he thinks he’s a jump shooter, and even when he was shooting 2-12 on the night, kept looking for his shot and jacking up bricks until the final buzzer.
However, Jamario Moon looks like the real deal. He played great defense and made all the right plays on offense. I seriously doubt Joey Graham will see any PT with this guy around.
And given how well LaMarcus Aldridge is playing, you have to wonder WTF Brian Colangelo was thinking when he drafted Andrea Bargnani.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:12 am
franklin says:
as a huge jazz apologist, even i admit that the game they played last night wasn’t worth mentioning. dime’s been giving the jazz and AK47 lots of love lately, too.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:14 am
calvin brodus says:
Where the hay is my nuggies recap?!
November 15th, 2007 at 9:19 am
djKianoosh says:
Fabian, that was hilarious about Thaddeus… seriously though, has he played yet? how does he look? anyone? anyone?
*crickets*
November 15th, 2007 at 9:19 am
smity says:
being that the cavs are also good/average (moreso average) team themselves, its not that annoying…actually i would argue that orlando is a much more talented team than cleveland.
Nice smack today…the ricky davis comment may have been unnecessary though…maybe the semi diss-ful steve francis one too..whats up with that link to a picture of Al horford rockin the nat king cole joint? that must look funny.
utah fans stay angry…
dwight howard is going to (obviously) be unstoppable. maybe we’ll (hopefully) start seeing more (true) big men who are as talented as he is come into the league soon. cause the gaurd play is already straight and the forward positions seem to be cool too (as far as amount of widespread talent goes)
November 15th, 2007 at 9:21 am
smity says:
5 for 18 captain…no need to make stuff up
November 15th, 2007 at 9:28 am
smity says:
also, the cassell story is classic.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:43 am
FK in Toronto says:
TJ’s oft declared desire to ‘be the best’ is wearing thin.
The man doesn’t realize fans and media alike would give him MORe props for 12 assists a game that 24 points.
Jose better keep those laces tied tight.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Tom Toronto says:
The Raps seem to be only able to play one end of the floor per night. Last night they played some half decent defense, holding the Jazz to under 100, but couldn’t hit water from a boat on offense. Other nights it’s all twine, all night, and then a bunch of standing around on D. Can’t they play just a little bit of both?
As for TJ Ford, agreed that he’s getting a little too in love with himself, but so far this year he’s been the only one consistently getting buckets. Hopefully he’ll calm down once the rest of the team finds the rhythm. I’m not too worried about Bargs, he’s in a slump this year but when he gets that shot back it’ll be raining on other teams.
Oh, and someone please tell Jamario Moon to shave that moustache!
November 15th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Bron42 says:
scola holding back? holding back what? rudy gays nuts from his face chin? please, if he was a wing than maybe but hes supposedly a big so a tmac injury wouldnt effect him. Just means yao will be getting pinned on more 3 inch off the ground dunks ala last night by kobe. Like i said before name ONE HOF 7′0 center who gets more of his stuff blocked by guys under 7′0. Rik smits?
Nothing says publicity like a stratigicly placed elton brand. “oh hey steph, didn’t know you were comin out this way. so which of us do you think has a better chance of playin tonight? Like my warmup? they said i can wear it tonight if I walk around for alil and take pics with kids.”
But ya, you guys are def gonna have to upgrade sargent snap dwight howard from that centaur name. The fact that it pretty much translates to half man/half horse (and a horse sooo isn’t a beast) cuz the guy is straight brolic. And no, he won’t start a trend of traditional bigs again because most high school bigs are a) skinny athletic guys who wanna be guards b)fat 300lb with no conditioning who are good just cuz their bigger than everyone but would suck in the L.
wait wait…i’m cleaning my tears from the jazz getting no mention…ok all better. seriously, it must be AK47 himmself posting on this page to cry that much when his stats aren’t mention.
celtics lookin niceeeeee
who would you rather have. Hedo on the magic or pav on the cavs?
November 15th, 2007 at 9:47 am
Dime Magazine says:
I was able to see the end of the Jazz/Raps game last night - there’s no way that was what Sam Mitchell wanted to do on that last possession, right? There’s no way that he wanted Ford and Humphries to run a two-man game to get a look from deep, right?
November 15th, 2007 at 9:47 am
Dime Magazine says:
Raps fans - has he ever run anything like that down the stretch before?
November 15th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Tom Toronto says:
Not at all, but that’s the problem with Sam Mitchell, he’s not a “call a play” kind of coach. I don’t even think he uses that whiteboard with the court outline at all. He’s a decent player’s coach, better with character than strategy. I was at a game vs Phoenix last year that went down to the last shot, so the play the Raps ran was for Darrick Martin to run the length of the court and jack up an off balance three with two suns in his face. I think one of the Suns was Raja Bell. We lost.
I’m going to have to say that TJ Ford and Humphries playing their own game of Pump was not what Mitchell wanted, but he probably didn’t tell them what else to do.
November 15th, 2007 at 10:14 am
SWAT says:
Bron i will give you the kobe block but can he at least get credit for running up and down the court and not looking like he was gonna die…he conditioning is finally on par to keep up with the rest of his squad. He was dusting bynum and brown up the court. Plus check his hustle when turiaf (i think it was him or odom) who blocked his shot and he got the ball back and took it up again. C’mon there was a time that Yao would have just took that and watch the opposing guys take off the other direction. He got it back and tried to jam it down their throats! Stop hating son. and to attempt to answer your question about HOF bigs getting swatted…didn’t David Robinson get his lunch ate up a couple of times. I don’t remember exactly but he was so soft on the court some times i refuse to believe that he didn’t. Get at me.
November 15th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Brown says:
TJ Ford does the same thing at the end of pretty much every tight game. He hit ONE game-winning buzzer beater against the Clippers last year where Sam Mitchell jumped for joy, but since then, he’s been absolutely awful. His terrible decision-making at the end of tight games routinely single-handedly costs the Raptors the game. When TJ looks to run the offense and distribute (like Calderon always does), he’s slightly above average, but when he looks for his shot first, he’s atrocious, which was the case last night.
Sam Mitchell has to take some of the blame too. He’s far too loyal to a guy who’s only come through for the team once in crunch time. I’ve said for a long time that Calderon should start over Ford, or at least be the PG finishing games. When you need a 3-pointer to tie a game in the final seconds, a PG should be looking to set up the team’s best shooters, not looking for his own shot, especially on a night when your shot isn’t dropping and theirs are.
November 15th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Dime Magazine says:
Brown -
good point. TJ didn’t even look at Kapono - or anyone else.
November 15th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Amar says:
To the Raptors: if you are going to do something like that, do high pick and roll with PG and Bargs, not Humphries.
To Raps fans: You guys started off poorly last season to, and got your act together. There’s a lot of turn over on the team since last season, hang in there.
To Bron42: I guess you don’t know anything about sarcasm. I’ve been vocal here suggesting that Scola isn’t that awesome. ‘Lo and behold, he hasn’t really even been craig smith good this far in the NBA season. As for the AK/Crying comment, it’s probably better to have guys on the team who are passionate about their play, and upset about playing poorly instead of being all derrick coleman-like and just be happy to get a cheque every month for doing shit.
I bet you wish your 4th best starter was doing the things AK does on the court for the Jazz this season.
November 15th, 2007 at 10:53 am
frenchy says:
I watched the post game of the raps/jazz game and Sam pretty much called out TJ on his bad decision…saying something to the effect that “we had 17 seconds left and only down 3, why are we trying to jack up a 3 so quickly, we teach them to drive in those situations and kick out if possible otherwise shoot and foul…etc. etc…”
Curious to see how TJ reacts to that, or him getting benched if he pulls another one of those and Jose starts!
November 15th, 2007 at 10:58 am
Bron42 says:
To Swat: David robinson in his prime would of beasted yao..BEASTED. Plus, no, your not gonna find many vids of david gettin shots blocked by guys ranging from 5′8-7′0. Other 7′0 footers maybe but guys shorter than dave weren’t pinning him like they do yao. Not to mention robinson rarely ever took jumpshots and dunked everything. Wow, yao can now offically make it down the court lol. Hes still a average athlete at best and is still only a offensive player. And no dunk, yao has EVER attempted, should even involve the phrase “tried to jam it down their throats”. Theirs high school freshmen who dunk harder than yao.
Amar, the Scola comment wasnt just towards you. IT was towards all the idiots who spent their summer here talkin about how scola was the missin link to the rockets title hopes and how he was gonna dominate, how the spurs were dumb for gettin rid of him etc..The guy holds yaos luggage, thats about it.
Thin line between passionate and a bitch. Passionate is crying when you lose a tough game, cryin when your girl is pregnant, etc.. a bitch is cryin when you don’t work hard and your teammates call you out about it so you flake out during the post season. a bitch is when your makin franchise money, THINK your a franchise player, but are incosistant as hell. And if you know your history, derrick coleman was nice for a while. And your right, I do wish my 4th best started was doin that IF he wasn’t cryin and was happy just bein my 4th best starter where he belongs. not bitchin and threatenin to leave the team and bail because “hes not gettin his touches” and thinkin hes the justin timberlake of russia. Please. His wife gives him a free pass to bang a random chick once a year as long as he doesnt cheat during the season and hes crying? CRYING? give kobe that free pass and I bet you he averaged 90 a game.
November 15th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Myrie in NY says:
Bron42–
scola holding back? holding back what? rudy gays nuts from his face chin?…
Hahahaha….LOL. I just read that you got me spitting up water at my desk. My boss just gave me the evil eye. But that ish was too damn funny!!
November 15th, 2007 at 11:06 am
dre in o town says:
Dwight “Howitzer”!!!
Maybe not . . .
November 15th, 2007 at 11:06 am
dre in o town says:
Dwight “Howitzer”!!!
Maybe not . . .
November 15th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Myrie in NY says:
Yo…real talk…if Bron42 isn’t the funniest mofo on here, I dunno who is. Dude got me cracking up over here today!!
November 15th, 2007 at 11:10 am
smity says:
real talk- he isnt.
November 15th, 2007 at 11:11 am
source says:
haha. might want to take some time away from watching basketball, Bron42. so worked up!
November 15th, 2007 at 11:13 am
smity says:
who are you all pickin tonight (we all know what the outcome of the bulls-suns is gonna be) dallas or san antonio?
November 15th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Myrie in NY says:
Dallas vs SaAn….hmm…road team wins; whomever it is.
November 15th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Amar says:
I read all of Bron’s posts in Steven A. Smith voice. The last time DC was good was when he was playing with Rony at Syracuse. Andrei never wanted shots, he wanted to be part of the offense, getting 39 assists in the last 4 games means that he is part of the offense. Thus, he’s a happy camper. Dude pretty much is the timberlake of russia though, and I don’t even know why.
If you gave kobe a free pass he’d use it, but he’d still also fuck other girls. He’s kobe.
November 15th, 2007 at 11:18 am
dagwaller says:
Bron, if your memory is so long on 7 footers, and you keep asking things like, “name another HOF 7 footer that gets blocked as often as Yao”, then why don’t you name some guys under 7 feet that block 7 foot centers? It’s such a nonsensical question. Of course no one here can remember centers that get blocked like that - it’s not like there’s some stat, or like Sports Center was huge before 10 years ago, so every time someone 6′6″ blocked a shot, everyone knew about it the next day.
You sure do have some weird criticism/standards for someone who is statistically one of the best, if not the best, center in the League. You’re going to bust on a guy who scores 24 ppg on 52 percent shooting, over 2 bpg, over 10 rpg, and still finds time to dish out 3 apg, JUST because he doesn’t run the floor as fast as you want him to, is “soft” (whatever that means), and you can think of a few times he gets blocked? Do you like ANYONE besides Jason Kidd?
November 15th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Sean says:
You just wrote 18 more words than “Franchise” has minutes this year… that guy is making $16.5 million this year for absolutely zero.
November 15th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
SWAT says:
David robinson beast YAO…get the f outta here! You have smoked yourself retarded. David was and always will be soft! Don’t get me wrong dude was a nice guy and could body a couple of cats but beast YAO, NO SIR! I normally agree with you kid but Yao would hold his own against David. Now shaq in his prime hell no, but not sissy ass Admiral, please son. Now YAO IS NO HAKEEM but they both have the soft shooting touch that David couldn’t defend. And real talk Yao is 7′6, any other athlete that tall couldn’t do shit in the league (ex Shawn Bradley, Manute Bol, Gheorge Muresan) and Yao’s game has constantly improved each season. None of the other cats were clutch or even did 20 and 10 per game.
Now Scola is pissing me off though. He’s playing way too soft and he needs to hurry up and find his shooting touch!
November 15th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
donners says:
good thing for turk. he almost gave that game away in regulation by fouling lebron on a 3 forty feet from the rim.
November 15th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
MJAX says:
Okay the “Sam I Am” story is the best! I loved Kendall in college, but he hit tha league an went str8 sissified!! And what’s with the “We want steve”? We want steve traded is what we want! On the real, what is the deal with this guy, I mean what is Adelman gonna do? What is steve’s purpose?
November 15th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Bxballer says:
Hey no mention of Deron Williams hitting Calderon with the double cross. Oh and for the play when Mobley backed downed Steph, he was blatantlty palming the ball in front of the ref, which is bs cause they stay calling that on Crawford. I wonder if this is the time (McGrady out a week) where Francis will finally get some tick.
November 15th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
dagwaller says:
Bx, that double cross was nice
November 15th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
Bobby B says:
@ Bron42:
I think that horses are kinda ghey, but they will fuck your shit up:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yJPOkOTIboc
But, I still have to agree that DH needs a new nickname.
November 15th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
BustJlaze says:
YOYOYOYO hold up!! Sorry to change the subject, but is anyone feeling me on this?! Check out the crazy similarities; I been meaning to run this by y’all…
First watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcFABuTgTB0&feature=related
Then watch THIS!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqXUeaYbrTI
all you gotta do is put sunglasses on Isaiah and you got the same dude HAHAHAHAHA!!
November 15th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
JC says:
For Bron:
1. I love the banter, keep it going
2. I’d take Hedo all day all night over Pav. I really dont like Pav that much.
3. David Robinson would kill Yao. (You do know he scored 71 in a game once, right folks?)
4. Soft or not David Robinson is the most cut dude in NBA history
November 15th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Bron42 says:
source: its kinda my job to watch basketball (sports) 24/7 as a sports trainer so ya.
Amar: Rather be stephen A, than bill walton anyday so its all good to me. Read any article about AK, by AK, in regards to AK and it was about him not getting his shots and being more of a focal point. And comment on me all you want but like i said, even his teammates and your golden boy deron williams said hes a putz who doesn’t work, so you can’t really question it. I mean come on, he said give the ball to matt harpring instead? Matt aint been a threat since he was a sixer. Also, last i checked, kobe only really had one issue, with some gold digger chick so you can’t really say “hey its kobe, he’d use it” although MOST guys would use that pass.
Dag: me and you go back and fourth alot, so you should kno it wasn’t a real question. And you don’t have to have a stat to name people. Thats like saying who is the best dunker in the nba right now. theres no stat for best dunker (just most dunks) but off the top of your head you can still name people. SAme with blocking a 7′0, something like that you remember, like when nate robinson pinned him. dont need a stat to remember that. And like I said, yao is the best offensive center in the west (toss up for him and dwight for best big man in the league) but he doesn’t really change the game defensivly and while he does get rebounds, its more just his height than it is skill. Hence he still gets out rebounded, the ball ripped away from him, bullied out the way etc.. So EXCUSE ME for expecting my 7′5 center to actually bitch people. Pardon my high standards. And for your question: tmac,jason kidd, dwight howard, KG, ray allen, dwade, melo, deron williams, etc…like them all
Sean: its not up to francis how much burn it is…well it is but you know what i mean. ITs not like hes TRYING to get paid to do nothing.
Swat: I’ma assume your young. David robinson was nice. He wasn’t shaq but he wasn’t chris mihm or shawn bradly either. He was 8x more athletic than yao, would beat him up and down the court like barkley vs bavetta, Would of dunked all over yao, blocked his shots etc…yes yao would hit jump shots but he wouldn’t handle robinson. You forget robinson played in a era when umm…centers were good? as opposed to now if your 6′10+ your automatically drafted no matter how u play. He was goin against mourning,shaq,dream, ewing, etc.. yao has old shaq, young dwight, and a bunch of PF who he doesn’t even guard cuz of foul issues. For the record, it wasn’t hakeems shooting touch that made his great. IT was his 80′000 post moves and pump fakes and spins. You also named a bunch of skinny guys who never really played before coming to the us (Cept bradly who was just tall)while yao is actually a big body. plus yao was hyped before he came here so it wasn’t like he was really a rookie. He was a pro in china since he was like 12.
Bxballer: ya, they could run mike james and francis at the 1-2 for alil
hmmm and I think i’m done for now…so i’m gonna go get ready for shoot around and i’m sure i’ll have like 20 comments to respond to later tonight lol…
November 15th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Gee says:
Aight first off I got to start with Deron Williams and this sick lay-up dude did last night. Please tell me someone else seen that?!?!
My Rooooocckkkeeeeetsss made me proud. They hung in without Tracy. I am so glad Bonzi is happy. Didn’t he transform into a beast some playoff time ago? Bring it back Bonzi.
Can ANYONE tell me why the Rockets got rid of Rudy Gay? Wait..They did draft him didn’t they? Anyway just watching him dunk on folks makes me mad at the Rockets every time.
That Scola kids sucks, he better get his foreign ish together.
Whoopde Dayum Doo Yao got blocked again. He can stay getting blocked as far as I am concerned as long as he stays injury free and keeps ballin. Like I have said before he is not Shaq or for that matter Dwight Howard. Between his nature, culture and otherwise he is going to get blocked a lot more. I guess if you are 7′0 you are automatically suppose to not get blocked. It has happened and will happen. To me that is like harping on if Kobe has a turnover. Wow how can the best player in the league let someone off the bench make him turn the ball over, name a time Jordan or Magic let a bench player cause them to turn the ball over….exactly. It happens.
T-Mac get healthy ….fast please.
Steph is the Paris Hilton of the L. I’m off him he’s old.
LOL at Sam purposely not shooting. It’s funny how NBA players have untold stories. Jordan had a lot of self motivations that he created lol.
I agree with Bron about Dwight’s given nickname by DIME…man that is horrid. Come up with something else that flows easy in convo please! I can’t go in the hood with that.
Got my vote for Pedro..I mean Hedo shirt, he is doing great.
Why doesn’t LeBron just start asking for a trade now or demanind help before he gets way in his career doing the whole K.G. or Kobe thing. LeBron just get it over with now homey.
Kobe to Detroit…just don’t feel right and prolly wouldn’t look right. I can’t see Kobe and Sheed mixin.
Poor Miami can Pat rip them any harder lol!
Still think J.R. Smith will get “Cram of the Year” on someone, but Rudy is making a big case!
Woooooooooo! Like Flair!
November 15th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Gee says:
David Robinson is not the most cut dude, Kevin Willis is.
Yao would Destroy David like Hakeem used too.
Please get that right!
Ashame his 71 wasn’t hittin on nothing to bring him a ring till Duncan got there.
I can’t stand David Robinson!
November 15th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Gee says:
Ok I was to strong with Destroy but I will just say they will equal each other out. I still think Yao will get him!
November 15th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Joseph says:
Yeesh, where was Turk all this time? Is this just a Van Gundy thing because he sure is fitting in nicely between Lewis and Howard. Or is it just cause Darko is gone
November 15th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Kudabeen says:
Any validity to this Marbury story and if so why no mention, when so many people are killin’ him leaving the team? I’m not a fan of his at all. I lost respect when he left Minnesota and keep crying “I want to be closer to home” that’s some B#### S#### for real. Especially when you get to NYC and refuse to be a leader. I just realized how much I don’t like this dude court personality…Aside from that if his mentor died and he dropped everything to go home and pay his respects, I’d back that all day.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/nyregion/15mrlou.html?_r=1&ref=basketball&oref=slogin
November 15th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
SWAT says:
lol Bron i hate you! You’re like that old dude in the fam that nobody likes playing bones with cuz he knows what pieces you got! I did say YAO could hold his own, even Gee had to back off and correct himself…but don’t get it twisted Yao could fux with David. And the Dream couldn’t have hit the turnarounds, hooks or kill the free throw line or any of the other shots if he didn’t have the touch. Just cause you’re open doesn’t mean you’re gonna make the shot.
and Gee they traded Rudy Gay for Battier…im still a little mad about that but Shane hustles so much that you gotta love that dude!
November 15th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Gee says:
lol SWAT my correcting myself didn’t have nothing to do with Bron anything Bron wrote. I didn’t even read what Bron wrote till now. I was actually responding to JC
Although I still feel Bron wrong anyway now that I read it, but that is his opinion lol him and I usually disagree lol. David will always be wack to me, corny and so many NBA dudes didn’t like him …and fans lol. Hell some fans in San An. didn’t even like him.
Swat you are right they did get Gay for Battier didn’t they. Ok I do like Shane, so that lessens the emotions. Still wasn’t there some way they could have kept Rudy and got Shane ….dang!!?
November 15th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
nick says:
i was at the jazz/raps game and the game throughout was awful offesnsively. both teams struggled shooting. but when the raps were in need of a 3 i’m not sure why tj thought it was neccessary that he take three attempts at it without even looking at anyone else. he should of done a draw and kick. I hope TJ gets it in his head that the team is way better when he is a distributor.
November 15th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
jnuh says:
Robinson scored 71 in the last game of the season in a lame attempt to win the scoring title. It was a nothing game that had no effect on the standings what so ever. Everyone knew how many points he needed to win the title, so the fed him everytime down the floor. According to Wiki: Spurs coach John Lucas had his team commit fouls toward the end of the game (to stop the clock and)to get Robinson more shot attempts allowing him to win the scoring title.
Lame.
November 15th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
dre in o town says:
For anyone who thinks Yao is better than David Robinson and Hakeem, you got to be kidding. Yao is a 6′0 guard stuck in a 7′7 frame. Did you all see that commercial of him hitting 8 or 9 straight jumpers at the top of the key? Anything wrong with that picture?! Oh yeah, he is the tallest motherfucker in the NBA and he can’t bang with Nate Robinson guarding him! He has been dunked on by everyone from Kobe to Josh Childress. Yao gets his 20 - 30 points because him and T-Mac are the only two with a license to kill. T-Mac could be rivaling Kobe right now if it wasn’t for his constant injuries. As for Yao, it would be all good if he could bang in the paint and take the jumper on occasion it would be all good. But he is top big and unbalanced and not that good of an athlete.
November 15th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
dre in o town says:
and yes i realize that last sentence has bad grammar all over it. But it still stands, Yao is not dominant in anyway in the NBA center position.
November 15th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Lee says:
Well Kobe got one on Tim Duncan the game before … but Yao got blocked by Nate Robison !!! And does anyone remember that dunk by Kevin Johnson on Kareen …
November 15th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
jonny says:
you idiots.. if it was about who dunks on the most people, stromile swift would be one of the greatest.. but in REAL BASKETBALL, a dunk is 2 points, and a block is a block, no matter how tall the person is. your playground/and1 crap doesn’t belong in the NBA
November 15th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Gee says:
No but I remember a dunk by Kevin Johnson on Scott Skiles something nasty. …..nasty.
Anyway check this. This is just Gee.
I don’t necessarily….ok well yea I like fighting in sports long as no one’s career is ended. Anyway we need some fights to happen so we can have some heated rivalries going. Not just Denver/ New York. That mess don’t count to me. It has to be on-going. Like everytime they see each other it’s some type of drama. I am all for hard fouls, trash talking, benches clearing, cheap shots and coaches holding on to their player’s legs for dear life this year! Here are some teams that i would love to see constantly go at it with tension, banging, fighting, techs called, players ejected and all that.
Boston vs. Detroit -Let Sheed and K.G. go at it on good time. Then bring on the rest of the stars to mix it up.
Rip and Chauncy going at Ray and Paul
Chicago vs. Denver -Kenyon and Ben W.. Ut oh here comes Melo (cover your jaw). Imagine Ben G. and A.I. trash talkin’ and A.I. giving Gordon them stares. I LOVE IT!
Dallas vs. San An - Someone needs to heat that one up. That would be good just because no one on either team really has tension or agression like that. I think Big Shot Rob would have to foul Howard something awful and some benches clear to get that started.
Ok last one (although I could match them up all day)
Miami vs. Orland - Course it will start with someone like Hedo fouling Wade hard and you know Shaq is gone step in. Now he prolly won’t but imagine Dwight steppin up to Shaq….ohhhh so delicious! That would be a good one.
Just Gee
November 15th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Myrie in NY says:
Gee–
C’mon man. You want to encourage fighting? Are you for real? No one wins in an NBA fight. No one. fines, suspensions, injuries, game losses.
Rivalries are great, but fist fighting has no place in the NBA.
Get some ‘act right’ in you before you post.
November 15th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
dagwaller says:
This is what I don’t get. I’ll give you guys your Yao arguments, just for argument’s sake. He’s still the second best player on a top team in the West, and numbers wise, is the best center in the league. Again, I’ll give you that Camby and Howard’s effect on the game is more defensive and therefore isn’t quantifiable…except that Yao gets extra attention on the offensive end. AT WORST, he’s what, the third best center in the league?
What I don’t get is all the hate. Personally, I think he’s the best center in the league, even if he gets blocked by my little brother. You don’t have such a high (higher than D-Ho) fg percentage and ppg if you get blocked “all the time”. He’s a frickin center - no wonder he isn’t as fast as you want him to be. I’m not saying he’s GOAT or anything - just that he’s the best in the league right now. Even if we say he’s the third best, where do you guys get off saying he’s not? Who do you like better, Big Cat?
November 15th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
DOC says:
bron talking out his ass talking about robinson didnt shoot j’s.
November 15th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
db says:
dre, um, please show me all those centers who are dominant in a way that Yao isn’t. Outside of Howard, Duncan and maybe Jefferson (taking them both as centers because they play like it). Yao is the real deal and his jump hook is unstoppable. Anyway, he’s taking a lot of outside shots because Adelman is putting him in the high post, so what else is he going to do , cross someone up and drive to the hole?
November 15th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
bron42 says:
DB: thats my point, your sayin yao is the best but against who? he plays bums and still isn’t dominant. the center position is the weakest spot in the league. Fuckin samuel dalembert cracks the top 10 thats how bad it is.
Doc: you watch any david robinson high light its what, him fillin lanes and dunkin, or blockin shots, or dunkin a put back, the man wasn’t known for jump shots.
Dag: I never said yao sucked…I think hes a bum but i’ve never said on here he sucks lol. Like they said, I’m the DIME stephen A smith. I expect alot from my big man. First off, who ever said kobe dunked on duncan like that means much? um kobe is one of the most athletic guys in the L and duncan..isn’t at least he got dunked on by a big name. Yao got dunked on by manu with 2 hands and he isn’t even a high flyer. Yao is top 3, i’ll agree with that but any “hes the best center in the league cuz hes 7 foot with a soft touch” shit has to go. no matter if hes shaq or not a 7′5 guy should change games on both ends. Sure hes not a waste of space like maunte (who had range lol) or george but hes not D-Bo on the block either. If i wanted a center who could shoot 3’s I’d draft a Shooting guard. I want a big man who controls the paint, not 7′5 puttin up finger rolls.
Jonny: i’ma put this short..who the fuck are you? read the statement, its not who dunks on people the most, its why is my 7′5 center gettin dunked on by lil people. so why don’t you go back to your coloring books and let the adults talk.
Gee: ya its cool. your the skip bayless of the group so i expect us to disagree. As for fighting I love how people make a big deal about fighting in basketball but you can pretty much kill someone in hockey and thats cool. how many basketball players get concussions compared to hockey players. Your tellin me I can crack you in the chest with a stick then drop my glove and punch you till you bleed but squarin up and punchin you on a court is evil?
In closing: Rudy gay has a much brighter future than scola and battier but tmac didn’t wanna wait around for him.
Scola has a chalk outline of rudys nuts on his chin like a police crime scene.
Yao is a top 3 center in the league, followed by shaq, dampier and any other 7′0 guy.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
jonny says:
haha bron, don’t get your sean johns all in a bunch.
you need to learn to read english — who cares who dunks on who, or who gets dunked on? i’ll tell you — idiots like you that watch espn highlights and get off on them.
you know why people get dunked on? because they actually try to play DEFENSE. if people contested dunks, a LOT more people would get dunked on. take a look at richard jefferson’s dunk against the celtics from a few days ago and see if you can spot KG under the basket before he runs away hiding. at least alonzo went for the block when VC dunked on him, and the same for scola when he got dunked on by gay.
do you have an unhealthy obsession w/ testicles or something?
November 15th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Bron42 says:
ha i love when people who don’t kno who i am talk shit…
jonny jonny jonny….no, i dont have a unhealthy obession with testicles..but obviously scola does..and his seems very unhealthy.
Watch espn highlights? lol right. court side seats kiddo.
So your saying scola got dunked on because of his amazing defense? right..i thought it was just got he got beat off the dribble and then got postered. theres a big difference between playing defense and playing GOOD defense. Everyone plays defense to some extent. Zo got dunked on because he came weak side and was too far under the rim. Jefferson isn’t even a great dunker so lets not make it like people are scared of him dunkin on them. the guys best dunk was on kevin willis during the playoffs.
just cuz your in the poster, doesn’t mean you were playin good defense. scola didnt even have time to go for the block before gay rode him like a paris hilton tape. thats not good defense. Good defense would of cut him off before he even got to the hoop.
and the whole basis to my statement was….big are supposed to be enforcers…why do you think people don’t try to dunk on shaq? cuz he makes sure they don’t. He has a sign on his forehead sayind dunk on me and i’ll lay you out..yao’s sign says dunk on me…thats all it says. hes not a shot blocker, intimidator, imposing figure and when your 7′5 270 something pounds, thats sad.
November 16th, 2007 at 12:32 am
jonny says:
bron, why would i care who you are? your knowledge of basketball is playground-level. in your imagination-land of 360 dunks, crossovers, courtside seats, and and1 mixtapes, getting dunked on is apparently the worst thing that could happen. in the real world, WINNING is the only thing that matters.
the NBA is the best league in the world, and playing against the best players in the world, you are GOING to get beat on defense occasionally. when that happens, you let them go in for the dunk, or you try and continue to challenge them. THAT is when people get dunked on. If i’m a coach, i’m benching him if he gives up on a play.
EVERY center (and plenty of non-centers) have been dunked on - zo, dwight howard, duncan, hakeem, mutombo, and yes, even shaq (see: Derrick Coleman).
as for scola, he’s been Euroleague MVP twice, plays for the Argentine national team, and oh yeah — beat out the USA for the 2004 olympic gold medal, and he’s now in the NBA. yeah, he’s a scrub alright, because he got dunked on by rudy gay, who’s won exactly NOTHING. let me know the next time his dunk over someone wins a gold medal.
November 16th, 2007 at 3:16 am
K-Dizzle says:
Shoot, I totally forgot about DC puttim down on Shaq. He also caught Mutumbo that one time and gave him the finger wag. DC shoulda been a better player, but I don’t remember any playoff highlights.
Bron - maybe my memory ain’t sharp, but I remember nothing but David Robinson shooting mid-range left-handed jumpers lol
Anybody know if Robert Horry has even played this season?
November 16th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Gee aka Skip bayless says:
Myrie you scurred??? LOL Nothing wrong with a scuffle or fight. It happens. Think about this too, most NBA fights don’t even really get started, because players break in and its just a bunch of shoving and stuff. Most certainly don’t reach the level of Det. vs. Ind. So again I am down for seeing Kobe and whoever and anyone else lol. Fight Club! LOL
Fines are like chump change to many of them dudes..with the crazy salaries even some of the bench players make. Suspensions only last a while. Injuries in a fight are not usually career ending. Game losses are depending upon who is left in the game after the fight, thus giving other players chances to carry their team sometimes and making star players have to adjust. I don’t mind fighting at all. I am not saying kill someone, but there is nothing wrong with some tension. LOL mind you I also said a lot more than fighting, but I see what caught your eye. Anyway I can’t find my “act right”… still looking lol.
Bron I will be Skip lol, long as you don’t call me Mark May I am good lol (yea I know he does college football…still).
November 16th, 2007 at 11:33 am
dagwaller says:
Well if you want a 7 foot intimidator, and not a 7′5″ All-NBA teamer, maybe you really want Tractor Traylor, Bron. There aren’t many big intimidators in the NBA right now. Deal with it.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Amar says:
bron, many articles and TV interviews expand on how Andrei ‘wanting touches’ doesn’t mean what we americans think it means. he didn’t want more shots, he wanted to do more than just play bruce bowen on offense for the jazz. he isn’t taking more shots this season than last season, but his stats are up all over the boards.
November 16th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Bron42 says:
See, knowing who I am makes a big difference because the simple fact I WORK IN THE NBA idiot. I played in college and now work with the nets so not only is my basketball knowledge above street ball level (who know where you came up with that) its also wayyy above yours.
YOu mention shaq, meanwhile hes been dunked on 3 times in his whole career. yao had 3 last year alone. big difference.
And you mention scola’s international resume..wow..your right, we should give him a championship trophy right now because of that…wait..he has done less in the nba right now that RUDY!…Euro league lol…fuckin darko was nice in the euro league. Casey jacobson was nice in the euroleague. Means shit in the nba where scola, happens to be playing now. So while that all might make a great story to his grandkids, as of right now, in the NBA, hes a no body, who hasn’t improved the team at all. And his team beat usa in the olympics one year, lol didn’t usa just stop them this year?. so that really doesnt mean much.
Dag: tractor traylor was about 6′8 and wasnt a intimidator. Yao is a All NBA teamer cuz the center position is weak. I’m not holding that against him but lets not make it like hes wilt or something and just owning people. Deke was a intimidator, mourning, shaq, even ewing and he got dunked on all the time. Yao just isn’t someone your scared to go at. and then on top of that you tell me to deal with it like i pay yao’s contract lol I cold really care less, I’m just makin a statement. to be THAT BIG, you have to bring more to the table then just bein a good foul shooter or having a soft touch.
November 16th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
dre in o town says:
Jonny: Let’s talk …
You are hyping a guy who was a 4th option behind Ginobili, Nocioni and Oberto, facing down one of the worst USA teams in history since the USA put college players in. So let’s not give him too much credit for his international “success”.
For the rest: As for Yao …
Bron has the right idea, he is 7′6 and has 270 something pounds on that frame. Nate Robinson is 5′8 and around 180 pounds. The fact that Nate was able to pin and hold Yao is a testament to how flimsy he is as a center. The only thing he could dominate is the buffet at Manchu Wok.
November 17th, 2007 at 2:31 am
jonny says:
bron: good for you that you work in the NBA, but that means jack sh*t to me. I go by what comes out of your keyboard, and right now that’s pure garbage. and the fact that you played basketball? so what? so has everyone on this damn site. in fact, you of all people should know that lawrence frank, who couldn’t even make his high school team, knows more about basketball than you could EVER hope to know. oh, and darko? he never even averaged over 10 pts per game playing for hemofarm. i wouldn’t consider that “nice”. get your facts straight. btw scola the scrub? 10-11 tonight for 20 pts. i’ll take an olympic gold medal ANY DAY over what rudy gay has accomplished in the NBA (and what exactly HAS he accomplished?).
dre: i’m not “hyping” scola. he’s going to be a nice role player, not a star, and i never said he was going to be. i said he’s no scrub, and i stand by that statement. and wtf are you talking about saying that the 2004 USA olympic team is the worst since they started putting college players in? did you mean pros? and are you serious? that team had TD, melo, boozer, marion, amare, lebron, AI and d-wade. you’re not going to give scola and argentina credit for beating that team?
STOP trying to ESPN-ize the NBA. not all players need to be human highlight reels. if you want that, go watch your and-1 mixtapes.
November 17th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
biverton says:
Non related, but I just wanted to post an open challenge to anyone in the US. I have a guy that will shoot best of 100 3 pointers with anyone. Would like to bet between 5 -10 k. Message back or email me at derekdisco@yahoo.com if interested.
November 17th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Bron42 says:
jonny, oooo you mean the 2004 team where larry brown didnt even let amare,lebron,wade or melo play? ya, that team..your right..they weren’t the worst lol…the team with marbury running point lol…like dre said, it was the worst combination since they put the group together.
lol and u hype scola has a olympic gold medal, like they said he was fourth option. fuck, mitch ritchmond has a gold medal, vin baker has a gold medal, mike miller has a gold medal. just cuz your on the team doesn’t mean your nice. Wow, scola had 20 points for once…your right..hes not a bum…cuz thats never been done before.
And as for your fact, know yours. lawrence frank is a X’s and O’s guy, he actually don’t know much basketball outside of strategy, and you can come down to the facility and ask him yourself. And would you get off the AND1 trip please, no one even mentioned that junk and aside from that, theres street ball players who HAVE abused nba guys, so don’t disrespect what you don’t know.
And my basketball backround matters alot considering you did say my level of knowledge was streetball..hmm..even though i work for the pros..so that makes ur statement faulty, just like all the other just you say…so why don’t you go back to getting excited about your bench player scola like hes a stud and make it like yao is a dominant beast and just prefers floaters and to disappear in big games…let the guy carry a team then come at me..
November 17th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
dagwaller says:
Two quick things - “doesn’t know much about basketball outside of strategy”. What else do you want?
Sooooo, in review, all I’m saying is that Yao’s one of the top 2 or 3 centers in the League - not that he can carry a team by himself, not that he’s an intimidator, nothing like that. I’m not saying anything either way on those fronts. Just that he’s a top 2 or 3 center in the League. You’re right, you don’t have to deal with it, unless you’re going to start arguing to the contrary.
November 18th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
jonny says:
is anyone still reading this? for posterity’s sake, a few things:
- doesn’t matter who was on the 2004 USA olympic team, or how it was coached. they were the most talented squad, and they still lost. you need to have some talent to beat any USA squad, and aregentina w/ scola did that. rationalize it how you want, but it’s a fact.
- i’m not “hyping” scola. I leave it to ESPN and people that don’t know basketball to do the hyping. I said scola was a solid role player, not a scrub.
- playing basketball doesn’t mean you know anything about it. lawrence frank knows basketball. all of it. period. you don’t coach NBA unless you know it inside and out and in all facets, especially if you’ve never played it at that level.
- i will disrespect street ball players, because if they were that good, they would be in the NBA. streetball is entertainment, not basketball. rafer alston is a streetball legend, but he doesn’t play “street” style at ALL anymore. he’d be out of the league tomorrow if he did.
- where you work doesn’t matter. do you have to submit a resume to post here? the guy that gets down on his knees and wipes up players sweat “works in the NBA”.
- do i have to say this again (i know, reading is tough)? i never said scola was a “stud”. he’s a solid role player.