ICYMI @BallerBall:

At the ESPN TrueHoop affiliate BallerBall:

"C'mon, say it with me: Together we are Jeff Green!" "I still think this would be cooler if we were being traded for Captain Planet."

Al Horford Has Angel Wings: Identity, Injuries, and Hope in the NBA

"We'll be alright once we get _________________ back."

What sports fan hasn't at some point uttered the above statement, whether out of confidence or sheer desperation? The imagination of sports fans exists in a realm of hypotheticals, what ifs, and naive wish fulfillment. Injuries to significant players flatten the playing field, allowing both wealthy and impoverished fans alike to create a parallel universe where, with one crucial addition, anything can happen. It’s the absence of a player that brings them down, and this absence also allows them to imagine the previously unthinkable: that a team whose achievement has grown stagnant can still shatter glass ceilings.

Number of the Day: Zach Randolph's #50

For most of his career, we have not known Zach Randolph. He has been the prodigal, making brief stops at Michigan State, Portland, and New York, displaying volatile rumblings of talent and substance, to change and manipulate the NBA's power structure, but, in most cases, every time he has appeared ready to change the landscape of how things are he has turned out to be more smoke than fire. But not any more; now, after nine years in the League, he appears ready to ssshhhhhh his critics with an array of post moves that would have even the great Tim Duncan tipping his hat in admiration. And that's the thing about the Grizzlies, it would be easy to only view Randolph and his cohort of young teammates as a group of adolescents playing with matches, burning down the old and cackling in the new, but that doesn't seem fair, that line of thought seems to view them in the same light that made so many of them cast offs and vagabonds in the first place. The Grizzlies need their story told.

San Antonio Goes Down 3-1 to the Grizz...

and now I know what Martin Sheen must have felt like in a movie that went way over budget, ran way too long, and had all of us searching for meaning--real or imagined:



Timmy, I'm sorry your birthday had to suck so much, and, now, I'm off to bed with nightmares of Coach Pop as Colonel Kurtz: The horror! The horror!

But if you know the Spurs, and especially Matt Bonner, their style of basketball is probably much more akin to Vietnam meets the Hundred Acre Woods. They never quite fit comfortably into that rabbit-sized hole that champions pass in and out of so easily.

American Idol Judges the NBA's Western Conference Playoffs

Ryan Seacrest: Last night, our judges laid down all the things our Eastern Conference teams need to work on and strive to improve in order to make the Finals, so today we're bringing you their critiques of the final eight Western Conference contestants. Now, remember these are music professionals giving insider tips to basketball players on how they can maximize their athletic potential into pure entertainment.

NBA Preview Part 4: Southwest Division

NBA previews continue with the Western Conference and the Southwest Division.  With the Western Conference I will be using actual Over/Unders released by Vegas instead of last year's win total.

Dallas Mavericks
Last Year: 55-27, lost in first round
Additions: Tyson Chandler, Dominique Jones
Subtractions: Erick Dampier
O/U: 49.5

Basically the same team except they are one year older, and that is a important year as the entire starting lineup and 6th man Jason Terry will be on the wrong side of 30.  Nowitzki was as good as ever last year, and Haywood and Chandler in the middle along with Nowitzki is one the biggest frontcourts in the West. Jason Kidd is 37 and Caron Butler's play fell dramatically last year, so they need to play young guard Rodrigue Beaubois more as he is a player that could emerge as a dependable scorer alongside Nowitzki and who could replace their old guards sooner rather than later.  They are still a middle of the road playoff team who could make it out of the first round, but they won't win the West.  With the general improvement of the West, I will go slightly under.
Prediction: 48-34, 6th place, first round exit


San Antonio Spurs
Last Year: 50-32, lost in semifinal
Additions: Tiago Splitter, James Anderson
Subtractions: none of note
O/U: 50.5

The triumvirate of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili are looking to make one more run before father time catches up to them. Last year many things went wrong, as Duncan had his worst numbers as a professional averaging 17 and 10, Parker missed 26 games due to injury, and Richard Jefferson was completely underwhelming as a new addition.  But they were still able to scrap together a great ending to the season, giving them promise that they have enough left in the tank to challenge the Lakers before the window closes.  With the additions of George Hill and Dejuan Blair last season, and Tiago Splitter and James Anderson this season, they have infused enough young talent around their Big Three that beyond injuries or a total collapse in production from one of them, they will build upon the end of the last season and finish high up in the standings in the West.  But  is Duncan too far removed from his prime to for them win a title?
Prediction: 55-27, 3rd place, semifinals exit


Houston Rockets:
Last Year: 42-40
Additions: Yao Ming, Brad Miller, Courtney Lee, Patrick Patterson
Subtractions: Trevor Ariza, David Anderson
O/U: 48.5

The Rockets overachieved last season, as their two highest paid players last season, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, never stepped on the floor, and the rest of roster of support players led the Rockets to a winning record.  They received career years from Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry, and Chuck Hayes.  They also did this with their best offseason acquisition last year Trevor Ariza mostly a disappointment and then traded during the season.  They addressed their weakness in the frontcourt with the addition of Brad Miller, Patrick Patterson, and obviously the return of Yao Ming from foot surgeries.  He will be limited in minutes and in games played, but his size and scoring ability inside was missed.  If Yao can contribute close to his production before the injuries, and Kevin Martin can stay healthy and regain his form from a few years ago, then they will improve their win total and make the playoffs, as we saw last year what the floor is for this team.  But the over is too rich for my blood, so I will go slightly under.
Prediction: 47-35, 7th place, first round exit


4)  Memphis Grizzlies
Last Year: 40-42
Additions: Tony Allen, Xavier Henry, Grevis Vasquez
Subtractions: Ronnie Brewer
O/U: 38.5

Good turnaround last season for the Grizz, as they took advantage of something that most teams do not have, interior scoring. Its rare for NBA teams to have a big man who can reliably score in the post but can also hit the outside jumper, and the Grizz are blessed with two such players.  Zach Randolph had a career year and Marc Gasol has established himself as somebody other than Pau Gasol's brother.  They are great scorers inside and out, but they also are great offensive rebounders, and they were the best offensive rebounding team in the league.  Their defense is their biggest obstacle to becoming a playoff team as they were bottom 5 in points allowed.  They need Hasheem Thabeet to bounce back from a disastrous rookie season, and they need newly signed Tony Allen to provide some defensive intensity and have it rub off on Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo.  Mike Conley is a below average point guard who doesn't distribute well, and they don't have much of a bench behind the starters.  I will pick the over, but they won't take the next to step.
Prediction: 40-42


New Orleans Hornets
Last Year: 37-45
Additions: Jerryd Bayless, Willie Green, Trevor Ariza, Aaron Gray
Subtractions: Morris Peterson, Darren Collison, James Posey
O/U: 41.5

Major changes in the offseason for the Hornets as they cleaned house after a disappointing 37-45 season.  They rebuilt the foundation by hiring a new GM and a new head coach, two guys I know nothing about but from what I read have excellent pedigrees.  There were wholesale changes on the roster again as only 6 players remain from last year's team and only Chris Paul, Peja, and David West remain from their playoff team two years ago.  Their best offseason move was to keep Chris Paul, as their are very few transcendent players like him and anything they would have received in a trade would have been pennies on the dollar and began a massive rebuilding project, something I'm not sure this franchise can survive in this economic climate. They have created some cap flexibility and will be well under the cap for next season, but they will need to be successful this season to prove to CP that they can win in the future, and that cap space can help provide leverage in signing an impact player next offseason.  As for this season, they have a solid starting five with Paul, rising guard Marcus Thorton, Ariza, West, and Emeka Okafor. But they lack toughness and defense in the interior and they have one of the worst benches in the league.  Ultimately if the starting five can stay healthy, they can possibly sneak in the playoffs.  Any injuries to West or CP though will prove devastating.  Important year for the Hornets.
Prediction: 44-38 9th place

Memphis Grizzlies Preview: "Self Portrait"

In an effort to gear up for the NBA season, we will view the upcoming season through the eyes of Edward Hopper. Feel free to add your thoughts on the 2010 Grizzlies in our comments section.A chewed up dog pisses on a garbage can that stoops by a rusty fire escape. Imagine Napoleon dragging on all four paws to plant a French flag in midst of a wasteland, and you have what this mutt has accomplished. A thick sludge made up of what appears to be either coffee or lava lurks in the curb. The whole street smells of urine and fast food. Hot air creeps up through the cracks in the sidewalk, as if the whole neighborhood rested over Hell's furnace. At night, devils walk in and out of apartments and down rickety metal stair cases, making deals and bargains, over souls and minds and time, whispering through televisions and crack pipes. The dog lowers its leg, pokes its nose up in the air, and smells the new day, already cloaked in yesterday's guilt. The canine barks at an oncoming car and then mopes down the street passing by the window of a first floor apartment.

The window is open, and flies buzz in and out of the slits in the screen. An old man rests face down on a cot that sits beside the wall opposite the window. Next to the cot is an old milk crate, coated in dusty magazines and newspapers. Piles of old clothes litter the floor. They look like they either came from or are on their way to the local thrift store. On the floor below the window is an old television set, complete with an aluminum foil antenna and a knob for changing the channel. The television has not been usable since the switch from analog to digital.

The man on the cot rolls over and places his two feet on the floor. With his toes, he can feel that the floor needs to be vacuumed. Hard bits of dirt and old toe nail clippings nibble at the bottoms of his feet. His head rests in his hands. The day is not met with enthusiasm.

He takes an old pair of slacks off the floor and pulls them up over his legs to his waist. An old leather belt still weaves its way through the loops; he tightens it to the third notch, to keep his pants from sagging like the young hoodlums that roam the block outside his apartment. He doesn't bother changing his undershirt; it's only on day two. He puts a button up on over it, and tucks it in. His shoes are well worn, and the laces feel like they will fall apart in his hands as he ties them. On his way out the door, he grabs his hat and jacket. He looks like an old newspaperman, like he knows stuff in books but is smart enough not to tell everyone he meets. The shoulders of the jacket show that he used to be a strong man, but, now, they curl like the cover of a paperback book that's been folded in half. The jacket looks worn like a book's broken spine. He passes the landlord, Mr. Stern, on his way out.

"I'm not running a charity, Iverson. You gotta give to get," Mr. Stern says these words without looking up from his crossword puzzle. " You gotta give to get in this world."

"Can you watch my door for me? Broke the lock last night when the key got stuck." Allen Iverson is only half lying. The lock on the door is broken, and it did happen last night; but a key never entered the lock. Allen lost his keys on his way home from the bar, and used his shoulder to force the door open, busting the lock. Allen didn't remember the ordeal until he put his left arm through the sleeve of his dress shirt. The sharp pain of a sprained rotator cuff helped him to remember everything from searching the bar for his keys, from his regular barstool all the way to the toilet, to his impromptu decision to yell, "Geronimo!" while charging into his door like a buffalo with a limp.

Mr. Stern responds to the request, "Gotta give to get. Give to get." He saves the rest of his vocabulary for his puzzles.

Allen eyes the gray sky as he walks down the sidewalk, wondering to himself, "How the hell did I wind up in Memphis?" He does not find the reasons to be all that revealing. He got laid off from his job at a Detroit auto plant, and he was told that his age made him an insurance liability. When he first heard the explanation, he planned on taking the company to court; but, on his way home that day, he slipped on some black ice and threw out his back. In court, the company's lawyers demonstrated that Allen Iverson could no longer physically perform the task of lifting up car doors hour after hour and day after day. Allen lost the case, and moved to Memphis because it was warmer than Detroit, cheaper to live than LA, and had a better bar scene than Charlotte. It was also as far as he made it on his way to Miami before his car broke down. Memphis meet Mr. Iverson, the man without a true destination.

Allen walks by a chain link fence. He holds his right arm out, and drags his fingers along the metal. He walks as if each joint in his leg has a bullet in it; each step presses bone to lead. The pain causes Allen to stop. He clings to the fence with both hands, and peaks through the diamond-shaped holes at some kids playing basketball on the other side. Two tall gangly boys are picking teams. To Allen, they look like teenagers. Their smiles look like their baiting the world to come close enough to their mouths to be swallowed, and their laughs suggest they are cocky enough to try.

"I'll take Gasol. Who you got, Rudy?"

"Conley."

"Thabeet."

"That's all there is, OJ. Who else am I going to pick? That old man with the limp? Puhlease. We'll take you two on three," he takes the basketball he's been dribbling between his legs this whole time and heaves it at the kid named Rudy. "You other scrubs can go play over there." He points to a backboard across the court with no rim. Streaks of brown mark where the rim should have been. As the game begins, Allen thinks how light the ball looks in the hands of these boys, like they're gods dribbling the earth. A sharp pain in his back then reminds him what a toll playing Atlas can have. He turns from the court, and walks on. It's late morning and time for a drink.

San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili...

played his first game of the 2008-09 season tonight, finishing with 12 points and 4 rebounds in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies. George Hill led the way with 20 points. Roger Mason chipped in with 18, and Tim Duncan was his usual self with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Manu, you were missed--Rakim sounds much better over Eric B.'s scratches than he does going acapella. 

The team is now 7-6 and 6-2 since Tony Parker went down with an ankle injury, meaning they've recovered from a 1-4 start that could have been disastrous, yet another reason of many showing that we take Tim Duncan for granted.  The other 95 reasons were nailed to a church door and started Protestantism.  

Anyway, I digress.  Welcome back, Manu, one of the most unique players in the history of the game, which on second thought, makes Manu much like another unique individual, who has also been on hiatus:


You either love them or hate them.

I think I have a man crush.