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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

Artest, Ariza Signings Should Not Have Cavs Fans on Suicide Watch

By Amar Panchmatia | July 3, 2009 | Cavalier Attitude

Cavaliers introduce Shaquille O'Neal All Cavs fans wanted Ron Artest in the wine and gold. Unfortunately for them, Ron-Ron's heart bled purple and gold, and in the end, the Cavs couldn't compete with the bright lights of Los Angeles -- Shaq and LeBron or no Shaq and LeBron.And while a player like Trevor Ariza would have been a great fit for the Cavs, at what expense? The midlevel exception at $33 million for five years (which is what the Rockets reportedly gave him)?Ariza's a nice player, and he has a fan in me after how he played in the postseason. But it's easy to look good when you are option #5 behind Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher. And if Ariza wants to go to a Houston team that is being gutted by the minute, then more power to him. He has his ring already, and although...

Read more | 5 Comments | Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Anderson Varejao, Anthony Parker, Antonio McDyess, Carlos Boozer, Charlie Villanueva, Chris Bosh, Cleveland Cavaliers, Danny Ferry, Derek Fisher, Dirk Nowitzki, Joe Johnson, Josh Howard, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Larry Hughes, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Redd, Pau Gasol, Ray Allen, Ron Artest, Shaquille O'Neal, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash, Toronto Raptors, Trevor Ariza, Tyson Chandler, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Artest > Ariza

By Rey-Rey | July 3, 2009 | The No-Look Pass

So, yeah, Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest swapped teams. Ariza is going to be saddled with more responsibilities in a team that MIGHT have trouble making the playoffs while Artest is going to be asked (and probably willing) to be a #2, 3, 4, 5, or even #6 option in a championship team. Last we heard, Ariza (or rather Ariza's agent, David Lee... no, not the New York Knicks player) wanted $8-9 million. I think Mitch Kupchak knew what he was doing. He knew that Ariza wasn't going to get much more than the mid-level exception (projected to be around slightly less than $6 million per year). The only ones that could've paid him more were Detroit, Portland, and Toronto. Detroit already spent their dough on Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon. Portland and Toronto are busy wrestling over Hedo Turkoglu's services. So Ariza explored his options. But when Ron Artest...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Aaron Brooks, Agent Assface, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons, Hedo Turkoglu, Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Portland Trailblazers, Ron Artest, Shane Battier, Toronto Raptors, Trevor Ariza

Say It Ain't So: Is The "R" Word In Store For The Bulls?

By T-Boogie | July 3, 2009 | Bull Riding

All signs point to it. The Chicago Bulls have been stockpiling young, cheap players the past couple seasons. They have several expiring contracts on the roster and have yet to move them. The front office drafted two power forwards, which likely spells the end of Tyrus Thomas' tenure as a Bull. The team is comprised mostly of recent draft picks (7 players have three years or less experience entering the upcoming season). The front office has used made thinly veiled references to it, mentioning the "process" and "learning curve" that will require patience and time. Most recently, we let our top scorer from last year walk. Yep, the signs all lead to one thing. The Chicago Bulls are rebuilding. I know, the R word is a dirty, vile, horrible label to put on a team, and this team isn't completely hopeless just yet. The front office could still pull...

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Ben Gordon, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Chris Bosh, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Elton Brand, James Harden, Jeff Green, Joakim Noah, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Miami Heat, Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Richard Jefferson, Russell Westbrook, Toronto Raptors, Tyrus Thomas

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

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- Shaq & Nash Doesn't Work, Cavs' Part Owners Want Yao & Raptors to Sign-and-trade Bosh

By Adam Sweeney | June 19, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Shaq & Nash Have to Part Ways?Is it only a matter of time before Shaquille O'Neal leaves the desert? The Arizona Republic thinks so and are stating that Steve Nash may want it too. Steve Nash met with general manager Steve Kerr in New York on Thursday, where the point guard made it clear that he wants to be sure about the roster before he sign an extension. The Republic says, "The problem isn't a personality clash. It's that Nash and O'Neal can't co-exist on the court. You could not piece together a worse combination to defend the pick-and-roll, one of the most elementary plays in the NBA. It's one of the glaring flaws in this basketball team, and for that and other reasons, O'Neal must be traded in the coming months."Shaquille O'Neal is better off on another team. Cleveland makes a lot of sense because they don't really run...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Chris Bosh, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash, Toronto Raptors, Yao Ming

NBA Outsider Mock Draft: Toronto Raptors Select DeMar DeRozan

By Staff Report | June 12, 2009 | MVN Outsider

NBA Outsider is hosting a 2009 NBA mock draft, where bloggers from all over come together in an attempt to project the draft results that will take place June 25th . Trevor Smith from Hoopsaddict.com picks for the Toronto Raptors at at No. 9. The Raptors find a very physical player to compliment Bosh and Bargnani in DeMar DeRozan. Follow the mock draft here.With the ninth pick, the Raptors select DeMar DeRozan from USC. In DeRozan, the Raptors acquire the Draft's most explosive athlete and most intriguing prospect. It is rare that a team has the chance to acquire a player with true superstar potential with a pick this late in the Draft, but DeRozan certainly fits that bill: his physical gifts suggest that his no ceiling in terms of potential, though he is far from a sure thing. DeRozan is an incredible leaper and explosive finisher who is the owner...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: NBA, NBA Outsider, Toronto Raptors

NBA Rumor Mill: Celtics Shopping Rondo & Allen, Rasheed a Cav & Bosh Wants Out of Toronto

By Adam Sweeney | June 5, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves but it certainly appears that the Orlando Magic are out of their element in the NBA Finals. Yes, it was only one game but what a thorough dismantling it was. MVN Outsider, on the other hand, is right in its element when it comes to talking hoops, and we have some hot rumors this week. So get your postgame speech ready. We're dropping rumors like dimes from Chris Paul. Allen & Rondo Being Shopped By Celtics? It looks like the reign of the Big Three in Beantown may be coming to an end. That's what SI.com is saying anyway. Ray Allen's contract expires next season and the Celtics look to be trying to invigorate their roster with some youth, not exactly what Allen provides the team right now. The Celtics may be worried that Allen's age is catching up to him, a thought that...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Boston Celtics, Chris Bosh, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Toronto Raptors

Chris Bosh Will Win a Title ... with the Orlando Magic

By Adam Sweeney | May 2, 2009 | MVN Outsider

We're headed into the heart of the NBA Playoffs, but that doesn't concern the crystal ball. What concerns me right now is one of the other big names in free agency in 2010. No doubt you've heard every rumor about LeBron James, who apparently is getting offers from Marvin the Martian now to play for the Mars Red Riders, but Chris Bosh is quite the free agency prize himself. There's talk that the power forward will be heading to Motown, but for some reason I don't see it. Detroit won't have the pieces to make a big playoff run, which is something I think Bosh will be looking at now that the Toronto Raptors have underwhelmed. New York is always a draw, but they will be too busy pushing for Bron to notice Bosh.There is part of me that says Bosh could be lured to Houston in a few years....Read more

Read more | 9 Comments | Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors

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

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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