THE Lakers are angling to shoplift Jason Kidd, a Western hearing aide claims, for a couple draft picks, Kwame Brown’s expiring contract ($9M), Jordan Farmar ($1M) and Vladimir Radmanovic ($5.6M with an additional $19.2M over the next three seasons). Not unexpectedly, the Nets aren’t interested in assuming Radmanovic’s long-term guarantee. There’s nothing not to love about Farmar, yet New Jersey already has a promising, young caretaker in Marcus Williams.
December 24, 2007
Kidd to Lakers?
Miami trying to make a deal for Miller, Swift
Desperate to give Dwyane Wade a long-distance shooter on the perimeter, where Miami misses Jason Kapono and James Posey, the Heat is looking at making a deal for Memphis’ Mike Miller. With Alonzo Mourning suffering what figures to be a career-ending knee injury, the Heat might also try to expand the deal to include Stromile Swift
December 22, 2007
Isiah: I like where we’re headed
Nowhere!
“I like the direction we’re headed,” Thomas said Friday, before his team lost to the Bobcats. “I’ve said this before: our future is definitely much brighter than it was when I got here four years ago. Cost-wise we’re down. Talent-wise we’re up. We did a good job of putting people in the seats. I think we’re pretty close this year to getting back on track again.”
Close to get back on track. How far away was the train that it took 4 years?
December 20, 2007
Lee, Crawford lead Knicks in win over Cavs
New York Knicks 108 Cleveland Cavaliers 90
That was the first big win for the Knicks this season. David Lee had 22 (17 in the first half) and 11 rebounds and Crawford had 21 and 6 assists. I think Lee is the barometer of this team as far as team play, fast break and effort goes. Whenever Lee is good the Knicks are winning, passing more and give more effort defensively. That probably has to do with him not needing the ball offensively or creating his own shot.
Crawford is good in 1/3 of the games – basically the team’s record 8-17 – when he’s on fire he puts 30 and 40 pts. nights but when he has bad shooting night he is completely off and finish with 2-20. Richardson had 16 and 7 boards Randolph finished with 17 and 6 for the Knicks.
For the Cavs, Lebron had a great game with 32, 8 rebs, 6 asts and 6 steals, but Hughes and Pavlovic had only 15 pts together on 6-20.
McGrady hurt in Houston loss to Orlando 97-92
Yahoo.com
Orlando’s star of the past got hurt and the Magic’s star of the present carried them to a victory.
Dwight Howard had 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks and the Magic took advantage of former Orlando star Tracy McGrady’s absence in the second half to beat the Houston Rockets 97-92 on Wednesday night.
Yao Ming scored 19 on 7-for-18 shooting and had 17 rebounds in the first faceoff of the season between two of the game’s best centers.
“It was a good matchup,” Howard said. “I thought I did a better job of not letting him get to the middle, making him shoot fadeaways, instead of letting him get into a good rhythm.”
KNICKS FANS GIVE ISIAH A ‘PINK SLIP’ AT GARDEN
December 19, 2007 — Knicks fans irate over the team’s lousy play under coach Isiah Thomas have a message for Madison Square Garden management: You can toss us from our seats but you can’t shut us up!
Nearly 50 die-hard Knicks fans — carrying a giant 8-foot-tall pink slip for Thomas — gathered this morning and said they won’t let up until Garden bosses stop tossing critical fans from games and instead put the miserable team’s coach out in the cold.
The Knicks are 7-17 this year and 40-66 since Isiah took over as coach. I think Dolan won’t fire him this season not because they are best buddies, he won’t because it will stir the focus of the media to Dolan’s incompetence managing this franchise.
I think Thomas and Dolan are both the reason why these Knicks team are so bad. Trying to find the quick fix through bad trades and giving up picks in the process, instead of rebuilding gradually, like any other team in this league are aiming for. What’s sad is Knicks fans (yeah me too) don’t know when they will be relevant again. Well, at least we have the young guns (Lee, Collins, Balkman, Nate) to keep us staying positive.
December 18, 2007
Celtics. How far can they go?
The Celtics are now 20-2 and are on pace with the ‘72 Lakers (69 wins) and the ‘96 Bulls (72). Is it possible for them to match these great records? Highly unlikely.
First, they are not as deep as these teams. After the big three, Rondo (9 points and 5 assists) and Perkins (7 and 4.9 rebounds) round up the starters. The bench is to thin Posey, Tony Allen and Pollard can provide some scoring and hustle, when one of the big three has an off night but is it enough?
Secondly, age – the three are over 30, they are not as young as the 96 bulls were, and as the season progress, fatigue will be an issue. When that moment comes who will cover for them? or worse, what if one of them is injured?
So the 2007-08 Celtics will end up to be a great team, maybe a 55-60 win season is a more sensible target. Are the Garnett-lead triplet will win a ring? It’s possible, the trip to the finals in the east is easier. The three must be healthy and few of the reserves has to step up big time for them to win it all. Still, I put the Spurs, Dallas and Phoenix ahead.
