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Yup, Danny Ainge is a Genius

By Celticsfanatic | July 3, 2009 | Celtics 17

I used to hate -- no, DESPISE -- Danny Ainge. After his deal which sent the then-admirable Antonie Walker packing, to then only sign Brian Scalabrine, it was clear to me that this guy was just not a fit for the Celtics.Then came the 2006-07 season, a year where the Celtics not only had shameful results, but left a humiliating mark on both their legendary name and Boston's fans. And just when I thought both Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers were "outta here," a meeting was arranged between Celtics star Paul Pierce, and Danny Ainge himself. Pierce told Ainge that "he wanted to be a Celtic for life," but if the C's didn't find veteran help for him that offseason, he'd prefer leaving Beantown and heading to a contender.Little did he know that Mr. Ainge expected a Pierce response like that, and was working on bring that "contender team" to...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Al Jefferson, Antoine Walker, Bill Walker, Boston Celtics, Brian Scalabrine, Danny Ainge, Delonte West, Eddie House, Glen Davis, James Posey, Justin Reed, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, Lester Hudson, Mikki Moore, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, NBA Draft, Orlando Magic, Paul Pierce, PJ Brown, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, Scot Pollard, Seattle SuperSonics, Stephon Marbury, Tony Allen

One More Thing -- Hoopsvine.com Interview with Jay Bilas

By Zach Harper | July 2, 2009 | Talk Hoops

Before I leave you for the Fourth of July celebration weekend, I wanted to make sure that everybody checks out the Hoops Vine interview with Jay Bilas about the NBA Draft. The Hoops Vine brand name has been around for a while but the new and improved Hoops Vine social basketball network is a growing entity powered by the genius and hard work of Lang Greene. Lang is a friend of Talkhoops and has even let me be so kind as to let me answer a mailbag for his readers (last April). Lang is a really smart basketball mind and great at covering the sport and furthering the discussion. I highly recommend this interview with Jay Bilas and Hoops Vine in general. It should definitely be a part of your daily internet rounds. Lang: I wanted to get your thoughts on the draft. What were your initial feelings when the...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: 2009 NBA Draft, Hoops Vine, Jay Bilas, NBA

The 8th Seed Podcast -- Volume Two

By Zach Harper | July 2, 2009 | Talk Hoops

There is a joint venture going on through some people who I met at Blogs With Balls back in June. It involves a pretty great crew of people -- eight people in fact. Here's the crew: - The Incomparable Jared Wade from Both Teams Played Hard- The Impossibly Tall John Karalis from Red's Army- The Blogs With Balls Project Spurs-Chronicles of Crotty Hybrid Drinking Contest Champion Michael De Leon of Project Spurs- The Man who will assuredly represent us when we get sued for liable because of this podcast Jeff Garcia from Project Spurs- The Ladies Man of Twitter Rey Moralde from The No Look Pass- The Man I Want to Be when I grow up Adam Best from Fansided- The Man with the fastest growing internet show Glenn Moore from Dugout Sports ShowThose men plus myself make up the 8th Seed. A clusterf*&k of opinions about the NBA and...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: 2009 NBA Draft, Both Teams Played Hard, Dugout Sports Show, Fansided.com, NBA, Project Spurs, Red's Army, The No Look Pass

Lakers 3 On 3 Basketball Tournament Presented by Nike and Fan Fest -- Aug. 14 - Aug. 16

By Zach Harper | July 2, 2009 | Talk Hoops

INAUGURAL LAKERS 3 ON 3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NIKE AND FAN FEST TO TAKE PLACE FRIDAY, AUG. 14 - SUNDAY, AUG. 16 AT L.A. LIVE IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES Team registration is currently open to all participants and closes Friday, July 31 LOS ANGELES - Ever fantasized about being a basketball world champion? Here is your opportunity. The 2009 World Champion Los Angeles Lakers will play host to the first-ever Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament presented by Nike and Fan Fest, Friday, Aug. 14- Sunday, Aug. 16 at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. The spectacular event will be spread across multiple city blocks with approximately 70 outdoor basketball courts in and around L.A. Live to accommodate the thousands of athletes who will compete for bragging rights, prizes and chance to be named champion. Players young and old, men and women, elite and beginner are able to participate...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: 2009 Off-Season, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Things to do this summer

Pistons sign Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva

By Zach Harper | July 2, 2009 | Talk Hoops

What in the hell happened to the Detroit Pistons?What in the hell happened to Deeeeeeetroit Baaaaaaasketbaaaaaallllllll?This was a hard-nosed group of perfect role players, committed to defense, rebounding, and being tougher than the other team. It was a well-coached team that was putting together streaks of holding opponents under 70 points. And now?Now, they've spent over $90 million to acquire Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva - two good basketball players but two players that don't exactly scream blue-collar basketball like Motown once did. Now, the two players that the Pistons have agreed in principle to add to the roster on July 8th aren't bad by any means. Ben Gordon is a really good scorer off the bench who can win games for you by taking over in the fourth quarter. In fact, BG was 17th in fourth quarter scoring this past season, So you know he can fill it up....

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: 2009 Off-Season, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Detroit Pistons, NBA

Today's Rumors and More: A Run-Through

By Celticsfanatic | July 2, 2009 | Celtics 17

NEW RUMOR: Gary Tanguay reporting from Twitter -- Garnett, Danny Ainge, and Wyc Grousbeck will all make the trek to Michigan to meet with Rasheed Wallace. It's unknown whether or not Paul and Ray make the trip too. If they do, then I'd say Ray Allen will be a Celtic next year. Why would the Celtics bring him along if they were planning on trading him anyway?Cavs very interested in Artest, Ariza.According to several league sources, the Cavs are attempting to land Houston Rockets free-agent forward Ron Artest, and the pitch included a meeting with LeBron James on Tuesday night in Los Angeles as both were in Southern California for various events. In addition, a league source indicated the team is trying to attract Los Angeles Lakers swingman Trevor Ariza, who appears to be disgruntled with the Lakers' early attempts to re-sign him. Ariza's agent, David Lee, told the Riverside,...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Avery Johnson, Ben Gordon, Bill Laimbeer, Boston Celtics, Carmelo Anthony, Chicago Bulls, Chris Wallace, Cleveland Cavaliers, Danny Ainge, Detroit Pistons, Joe Dumars, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzles, NBA, Paul Pierce, Quentin Richardson, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey, Ron Artest, Tayshaun Prince, Trevor Ariza, Zach Randolph

Quick Rumor Post

By Celticsfanatic | July 2, 2009 | Celtics 17

Just wanted to get these out quick. I'll be sure to give you guys a deeper look into these rumors like I did yesterday in a full post later.Clippers sending Zach Randolph to the Grizz.Knicks enter bidding for Jason Kidd.Ariza leaning towards an LA departure.Cavs very interested in Artest, Ariza....

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks Jason Kidd, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzles, NBA, New York Knicks, Quentin Richardson, Ron Artest, Trevor Ariza, Zach Randolph

Weekly Fix Podcast - Episode 62

By Zach Harper | June 30, 2009 | Talk Hoops

Other than Andy Eisner and Brandon Gallawa trying to foolishly convince me that Summer Catch isn't the best baseball movie of all time (it SOOOOO is) and Andy trying to single-handedly offend every race, credo, and orientation, I really can't even figure out what this episode was about. I mean, I love Summer Catch. Free Agency is starting. Andy might have a story for us. Bell's Palsy can be entertaining. That about sums up the history of our podcast. Listen at your own risk. And if you are offended by anything in this episode, get over it. Musical Break: Death of Autotune by Jay-ZAny comments, concerns, or criticisms can be directed to zharper@talkhoops.netDon't forget that we're still looking for more iTunes reviews and more subscriptions. We don't care if you listen off of iTunes. Just download and Support the Habit....

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: audio, NBA, What in the hell are we talking about

NBA Outsider: Memphis Grizzlies Draft Follow Up

By Staff Report | June 30, 2009 | MVN Outsider

3 Shades of Blue tells how this years draft picks are not super stars but certainly upgrades.WHEN THE DRAFT GIVES YOU LEMONS..... The Memphis Grizzlies exercised all three of the picks with which they entered the 2009 NBA draft-nos. 2, 27, and 36, selecting Hasheem Thabeet, Demarre Carroll, and Sam Young. Sure, when the year 2020 comes around, the potential for this year's draft crop to be viewed as one of the best ever is pretty low-but as the title states, the draft might give you lemons...and sometimes the lemonade takes a bit longer to make and isn't quite as good as Grandma's on a 90-degree day, but it should still be pretty tasty. What Michael Heisley has stated many times is that he wants to field a more defensive-oriented team (a philosophy with which I heartily agree), and this draft bears his mark in bold ink. Thabeet, Carroll, and...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, NBA Draft, NBA Outsider

NBA Rumor Mill: Wade Angry at the ATL, Trade Talk for Blazers and J.R. Smith Knocks Cuban

By Adam Sweeney | May 2, 2009 | MVN Outsider

We've seen a couple of tremendous games this week and are preparing for the second round of the NBA Playoffs. At MVN, we don't miss the shots, so take a seat on the bench as we go overtime this week to examine the latest rumors in the NBA.Wade Thinks Hawks are AmateurThe Atlanta Hawks may be on the rise in the Eastern Conference, but they still need to behave like a Playoff team concerning their on the court behavior. Their childish behavior has angered Dwyane Wade, claims SLAM Online. D-Wade is mainly frustrated by guard Mario West. West celebrated after Wade couldn't connect on a three-pointer before the half in Game 5, which the Hawks won 106-91. The Hawks held a 23-point lead going into the half. Wade said West's celebration was "funny", rhetorically asking, "What is this game coming to?" Wade wasn't thrilled either by Atlanta forward Josh...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Dwyane Wade, J.R. Smith, Mark Cuban, Miami Heat, Trail Blazers, Travis Outlaw

NBA Great Debates: Which First Round Playoff Series is the Most Intriguing?

By Staff Report | April 17, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NBA Outsider's Joe Boikess and Adam Sweeney debate the issue: Of the eight playoff series set to get underway in the National Basketball Association, which is must-see TV?Joe Boikess can't wait to watch the Spurs and Mavericks square off:This is my favorite time of year, and not only because of the arriving warm weather or the approaching end of the school year. It's NBA Playoffs time, and this year's batch of first round matchups, especially in the Western Conference, is shaping up to be the best ever.Basketball junkies have more than a few intriguing series to pay attention to. In the East, the best looking series would have to be the Hawks taking on the Heat in the always-tough-to-predict 4/5 matchup. But aside from that, Cavaliers-Pistons, Celtics-Bulls and Magic-76ers should all be entertaining as well.The real TNT-style drama is going on out West. The top-seeded Lakers get to see...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Playoffs, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz

NBA Playoffs: First Round Preview

By Joe Boikess | April 17, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The NBA Playoffs tip off this weekend with eight games over the course of two days. Here's what you need to know to get you ready for the madness that is the first round...Eastern Conference(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Detroit PistonsSeason series - Cavaliers won 3-1Drama factor - Low. The Pistons have gotten past the first round each of the past seven seasons, but expect that streak to come to an end. The Cavaliers are the better team here, and the only way that the Pistons can still make the series interesting is if the effort is there. In years past Detroit has looked lackluster in the first round, and this year they can't afford to do that against a much tougher and more well-rounded team.Key Player - Tayshaun Prince. He has the honor of guarding LeBron James, and his success in that department will likely determine how long the...Read more

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Playoffs, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz

NBA Awards: The Best of the Best

By Joe Boikess | April 14, 2009 | MVN Outsider

With only two more days remaining in the NBA regular season, it's about time to hand out my awards for the best individual performances of the season...Rookie of the Year - Derrick Rose (Bulls)My Ballot:1. Rose2. O.J. Mayo3. Brook LopezThe rookie class of 2009 was incredibly deep, but Rose gets my vote for a number of reasons. As the number one overall pick in last year's draft, he shouldered a ton of pressure and responsibility as the Bulls' new starting point guard, and yet he managed to put up consistent production for a team that was in the playoff hunt all year long. He averaged over 16 points and six assists per game and shot better than 47 percent from the field.Mayo had a great first season as well, especially in the scoring department where he averaged 18.4 points and shot a decent 38 percent from downtown. But his team,...Read more

Read more | 10 Comments | Tags: NBA

NBA Great Debates: Reaching the Conference Finals

By Staff Report | April 9, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NBA Outsider's Adam Sweeney and Joe Boikess debate the issue: Who will be the final four playoff teams alive in the NBA conference finals?Adam Sweeney argues that the Magic and Rockets will join the Lakers and Cavaliers:As huge of a college hoops fans that I am, the Final Four was about as exciting as watching Fast and Furious (sorry if anybody liked that movie). In honor of the Final Four and merciless beat down the North Carolina Tar Heels gave the Michigan State Spartans, why don't we choose our own Final Four for the NBA playoffs? Are you up for that, old chap? Sorry Joe. I'll never call you old chap again.I think we can both agree that the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers are going to make it to their respective conference finals. L.A. has shown itself to be the elite team in the Western Conference and Cleveland...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: NBA, NBA Playoffs

Five Questions: Talking Hawks, Playoffs with Hoopinion

By Anthony Hall | April 8, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Last year, the Hawks came within a game of pulling off a stunning upset of the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. This year, they're looking to build on that postseason momentum by nabbing homecourt advantage in the first round (they current sit in the Eastern Conference's fourth seed) and winning a playoff series against their likely opponents of either the 76ers or Heat. While a lot of attention has been paid to the three teams above them in the Eastern Conference standings, we wanted to take a closer look at this Hawks squad as the playoffs draw nearer. So, for the latest installment of NBA Outsider's "Five Questions" series, we recently sat down with Hawks blogger Bret of Hoopinion for an interview:1. At the moment, the Hawks are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. What's your assessment of how they match up with the...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA, Orlando Magic

NBA Great Debates: Cuban Criticizes Refs Via Twitter

By Staff Report | April 3, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NBA Outsider's Joe Boikess and Adam Sweeney debate the issue: Did the NBA go too far by fining Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban for his Twitter remarks?Joe Boikess believes the NBA is out of line:In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably confess one thing before getting into this topic. As many of my readers know, I am a near-lifelong fan of the Dallas Mavericks and its colorful owner, Mark Cuban. For objectivity's sake, I have put my allegiance as a Mavs fan aside for this debate.With that in mind, I can still confidently say as a neutral follower of this issue that the NBA was once again out of line in fining Cuban for criticizing the referees, this time via Twitter.Since Cuban became the Mavericks owner more than nine years ago, he's racked up a bill with the NBA for more than $1.5 million, mostly for criticism...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, NBA, Twitter

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