Tony Parker back on the court; Wolves finally get their coach
Tony Parker
Tony Parker was back on the court yesterday for the first time since he sprained his ankle last month and gave every Spurs fan Manu Ginobili flashbacks. In a European Championships (EuroBasket) qualifier, TP made a five-minute cameo in France’s win over Finland, scoring three points … The issue of NBA players getting hurt or worn down in the offseason during international tournaments is one that comes up every summer — although you rarely ever hear Americans questioning a Team USA guy for suiting up — and most recently surfaced when China’s sports officials blamed the Rockets for Yao Ming’s injury. Parker’s situation is unique because, given Tim Duncan’s status, the Spurs only have a couple more years to make a legit championship run with this core group. The organization made moves this summer (Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess) geared to win now, and the last thing they need is Parker having a season like Manu did in ‘08-09 and ruining everything. So you can certainly understand the Spurs’ point of view on it, but then again, Parker (or any player) could get hurt working out by himself at the team practice facility, so there’s really nothing you can do about it. Unless TP is riding mopeds and going skiing, you can’t get too upset about a basketball player playing basketball in his offseason … Nic Batum scored 14 for France in yesterday’s game, while Ronny Turiaf had nine points, six boards and three steals. Boris Diaw, Johan Petro and Mickael Pietrus‘ brother are also on the French team; Blazers’ 07 draft pick Petteri Koponen plays for Finland … In Saturday’s other EuroBasket qualifiers, Belgium lost to Bosnia & Herzegovina while DJ Mbenga put up eight points (4-13 FG) and five blocks for the Belgian team; and Ukraine beat Estonia while Buckets Pecherov and Kyrylo Fesenko got some burn for the winners … Looking at the other teams still in qualifying for the big tournament next month — which NBA TV needs to put on the air — Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli are playing for Italy; Francisco Elson for the Netherlands; Pistons rookie Jonas Jerebko for Sweden; and Zaza Pachulia and Skita Tskitishvili for Georgia … And how about these throwback names for Big East fans: Donnie McGrath (Providence) is playing for Ireland, and OMAR COOK is playing for Montenegro. He’s going by “Omar-Sharif Cook” these days, but it’s definitely the same dude from St. John’s who is still one of the great “Don’t leave college too early/Don’t buy into your own hype” cautionary tales … The latest on Ricky Rubio reportedly has Rubio deciding he wants to play for DKV Joventut (Spain) this season, but the team’s owner has already made it clear they don’t want Rubio anymore. Still no idea where this thing is going, but wouldn’t count on Rubio playing in the NBA this year … Meanwhile, the Wolves finally hired a coach. Kurt Rambis will reportedly be the guy, with an introductory press conference scheduled for Tuesday. Rambis is rumored to be getting a four-year, $8 million deal. Do you think that’s the right move? … Big Baby Davis has also reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the Celtics, for less than midlevel-exception money. Considering he’ll get even less PT now that Rasheed Wallace is around (presuming ‘Sheed can stay healthy), the whole contract-year thing was a big bust for Baby. In hindsight, he’s probably one of those guys who should’ve taken a serious look overseas. Baby could’ve went to Greece and gotten paid while kicking off a Russell/Chamberlain-like rivalry with Baby Shaq … The Hornets recently hired Robert Pack as an assistant coach. Between Pack, Byron Scott, and assistant Paul Pressey, coudln’t the Hornets bench give any other NBA coaching staff BUCKETS in a 3-on-3 tourney right now? Who else could compete? Looking around, their toughest comp would be the Lakers, who have Kareem, Brian Shaw and Craig Hodges, but Kareem is up there in age. Chicago has Vinny Del Negro and Pete Meyers, and could do work if they ever hired Scottie Pippen. Then there’s Adrian Dantley, who can probably take any two guys off the Nuggets’ staff and win the whole thing by himself … Have you been following the Michael Crabtree story? In short, the NFL rookie receiver is holding out for more money from the San Francisco 49ers, and his advisor/cousin blew everybody’s spot the other day when he said Crabtree would sit out this season and re-enter the 2010 Draft if he doesn’t get paid like he wants. (Because sitting out worked so well for Mike Williams.) It’s pretty easy to see what’s happening here: Crabtree by all means should have been the first WR chosen, but since Al Davis is the emperor of Planet Crazy, he wasn’t. Now Crabtree’s people want him to be paid like the top WR, even though technically he wasn’t. This wouldn’t be a problem if the NFL had a rookie salary scale similar to the NBA, but at the same time, you know fewer underclassmen would enter the Draft if there was less money to be made right away. (Or maybe more would enter, so they could be younger when that second contract comes up.) How do you think the NBA rookie salary cap has impacted the League? Should today’s players thank Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson — who got the ball rolling when he asked for $100 million from the Bucks in ‘94 — or should they throw their drinks on him when they see him out? … We’re out like Baby Shaq …
August 9th, 2009 at 12:30 am
H3 says:
1st!!
Early smack 2day.
August 9th, 2009 at 12:47 am
Sam I Am says:
Go Wolves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 9th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Butcher says:
1st! Pozdro z Polski! Bydgoszcz!!!
August 9th, 2009 at 1:05 am
InFamous1 says:
If Rambis implements his strong side zone defensive scheme with the wolves, they will be a much better team next season. Not great, but better.
August 9th, 2009 at 1:29 am
jzsmoove says:
Rambis should have been more patient, wait it out in LA. …Alex English is on the Raptors coaching staff and Triano was a decent player, they can make up a senior 3 0n 3, add another body and they have a crack on that thing…really Big Baby signed off less than MDE? wow.
August 9th, 2009 at 2:22 am
luckylester says:
Players should throw bags of burning shit at Big Dog for that whole salary thing - but everyone else (fans, owners, small dogs) should thank him, because the NFL rookie money is a joke, and at least the NBA thing is reasonable. This how stupid it would be if rookies held out in the NBA. Not quite as big of a joke as Eli being the highest paid QB in the league, but funny enough for stand-up.
I’ve never understood the whole, “I should get paid like the pick I should have been” thing. It’s all comical.
Crabtree needs to get his A in camp and learn some stuff. Nothing like blowing a career listening to advice from your cousin.
Who else do the magic have? I know Ewing could still hit a baseline J and beast some guys. I like Lucas and McMillan in Portland, they could hold it down a bit.
August 9th, 2009 at 2:48 am
DJ Leon Smith says:
No mention of the Aussies beating Argentina?
“An understrength Australian men’s basketball team have upset Argentina in double overtime in Brazil, claiming the Boomers’ first win over the South American powerhouse in almost 20 years…
… Dallas Maverick Nathan Jawai added 22 points and seven boards for the Boomers, while keeping fellow NBA big man Luis Scola of the Houston Rockets to just 2-of-8 shooting.”
Jawai son.
August 9th, 2009 at 3:33 am
White Jesus says:
Kurt Rambis HAD to have learned something from Phil Jackson. And Jackson was cool with him coaching the Lakers on the road. At least they didn’t pick Mark Jackson.
August 9th, 2009 at 3:45 am
Niko says:
TP was less than impressive against Finland, so the coach probably had no trouble using him for only 5 minutes.
A year ago the Portland summer league squad was very closely followed here in Finland and a lot of the (undoubtedly biased) media thought Koponen was the best player on that team while Batum was crap. At least in this game it was obvious that Batum is wayyyyyy better than Koponen although their stats weren’t that different.
(Finland’s best was Samuel Haanpää, who played last season in the third highest league in France..)
August 9th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Arno says:
BTW, France win in Italy last wednesday showed that Bargnani isn’t ready to compete at the highest level : he was consistently beaten on D by Flo Pietrus (Mike’s bro), who went for 20 and 7, while Bargs had a couple nice moves but poured only 10 and 4.
Belinelli had 26 pts, but missed crucial 3 pointers in OT. Nicolas Batum went for 20 and 8 and took the game in his hands in the end.
With the considerable addition of TP, France has a nice core group (PG : Parker and the youngsters like de Colo, Beaubois and Diot; SG : Batum and M.Pietrus ; SF : Diaw ; PF : Flo Pietrus and A.Koffi) , but needs a center (Petro, Turiaf and Mahinmi have limited ability, especially in the european style of team defense). The best fit would be Noah, who stayed in Chicago this summer, but should be part of the squad next time.
August 9th, 2009 at 5:37 am
K Dizzle says:
“BTW, France win in Italy last wednesday showed that Bargnani isn’t ready to compete at the highest level”
Really? From one FIBA game, you can make that statement? It’s that kinda analysis that lets the Spurs get Dajuan Blair cuz of an old high school knee injury…
NFL salaries are a joke…
Kurt, what are you smokin? This is the franchise that fired Dwanyne Casey for “only” being .500 (20-20) in ‘06 and drafted a point guard that might never play for the squad…oh yeah, and traded OJ Mayo for Kev Love when everybody knew they needed backcourt help…
Don’t actually think France really needed Parker to put the whoomp on Finland…
Mbenga shot the rock 13 times?…..in one game?
That’s gotta be more than he shot ALL last season…
August 9th, 2009 at 5:52 am
oO says:
So Mr. Rambis, what’s so different about being in Sacto than in Sota?! Can’t figure out that one..
Why didn’t he wait for a chance in Lala Land?!
August 9th, 2009 at 7:23 am
Iceman says:
If they did not have the salary cap, the money should not be guaranteed, and just like the NFL you could be cut at any time without getting a cent when you underachieve.
August 9th, 2009 at 7:23 am
"Big Hook" Nunez says:
Rambis knew the Lakers were never going to promote him if Phil steps down, because like Chucky Atkins would say, “Kobe the GM” would want to hire an establish coach. Actually I think most NBA players would be thanking Big Dog because the rookies used to eat up all the cap space and most vetarans were left playing for peanuts and were out of jobs because rookie flops in the first round were tied to huge long term contracts and taking roster spots.
August 9th, 2009 at 7:45 am
LB says:
Michael Crabtree is a moron. There’s a reason why he slipped, and it’s cuz he shredded his knee. He should be thankful the Niners were willing to overlook that and drafted him so high.
August 9th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Arno says:
At K Dizzle,
Man, some things can’t be changed. Bargs is soft and that can change. Bargs is slooooow and that can’t change. You just need one game to notice that.
August 9th, 2009 at 10:11 am
EN FUEGO says:
So Kurt Rambis is replacing the man, Kevin McHale, who clotheslined during the Celtics-Lakers rivalry of the 80’s…
August 9th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Celts Fan says:
Love keeping Big Baby - and he won’t lose PT Dime,Sheed’ll man the 5, with Baby, Marquis Daniels, House and whatever PG we get to back up Rondo. LOVE our bench this year (assuming we get any vet PG to spell Rondo 10-15 mpg.) We finally have some scoring punch off the bench besides the roller coaster that is Eddie House.
Baby is supposedly about to sign a 2 year, $6.3M deal. That’s about right. If he keeps proving he’s legit and can hit that mid-range, he’ll prob double that in 2 yrs.
August 9th, 2009 at 10:40 am
that's whats up says:
I think, if the money is guaranteed, Rambis will end up making 8M for 1 year - because the wolves will fire him quick no matter what he does.
That’s just how screwed up that franchise really is
Big Dog knew he wasn’t that good and that was ALL the money he was ever going to make, so he went for it…
August 9th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs before Slamball says:
@LB….crabtree messed up his ankle, not his knee and even with that he still had more football cred than the dude from maryland the raiders took. But its just another sign of why you don’t involve family with your money.
August 9th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
K Dizzle says:
@ Arno
So Bargs ain’t ready for the highest level cuz he “only” shot 5-8 against France and looked “slow” cuz he maybe was tryin to guard a 6′7 undrafted swing forward?
So you’ve already put a cap on his growth based on one game and maybe didn’t realize he was only 23. Or maybe that he averaged 20 and 7 after december during the NBA season.
But ok…you’re right. That one game against France “proves” he ain’t ready for nba ball lol
August 10th, 2009 at 12:42 am
danny says:
Who cares that he was consistant for half a season. You also should note that those numbers mean nothing when they didn’t even make the playoffs. In fact, if you actually watch bargnani play, he’s not nearly as good a ballhandler as dirk nor the shooter. Too slow to make a move, and soft. -
August 10th, 2009 at 12:42 am
danny says:
Who cares that he was consistant for half a season. You also should note that those numbers mean nothing when they didn’t even make the playoffs. In fact, if you actually watch bargnani play, he’s not nearly as good a ballhandler as dirk nor the shooter. Too slow to make a move, and soft. -
August 10th, 2009 at 2:57 am
ponky_alolor says:
@19, i think Big Dog thought he was THAT GOOD coming out of Purdue as top scorer of the nation. I remember hearing that news before, him asking 100 mil. I was like wtf hahahaha! All the guy had was a mid-range game and not much else.
In hindsight, it’s a good thing he didn’t get that deal and that a rookie salary scheme is in place.
Imagine if a “developing prospect” like Thabeet asked for some absurd kind of rookie wage cause he knows that’s the last kind of amount he’ll see. Hard to watch for fans.
August 10th, 2009 at 3:23 am
K Dizzle says:
Yeah, you right, Dannny. 20 and 7 mean nuthin over 40 games. Nowitzki got better handles? How many Raps games you watched? GTFOH
August 10th, 2009 at 10:30 am
MSkittle says:
Robert Pack had mad game!!