Collinson gets his big chance posted by Andy Charles

That collective sigh you heard was the one coming from New Orleans Hornets fans when they learned that All-Star point guard Chris Paul would be missing for maybe as long as two months in the wake of knee surgery.

Paul needs arthroscopic surgery for a cartilage tear in his left knee, an injury suffered in freak fashion seconds from the end of the loss to the Chicago Bulls last week when he collided with a photographer on the baseline as he went to retrieve an errant shot.

Results of a scan showed that Paul had a partial tear of his meniscus, an injury that really cannot be played through and could develop into something serious if left untreated for a long spell of time.

But maybe, just maybe, Paul’s absence will not be felt as badly as some NBA Predictions first thought, based on the performance of his replacement Darren Collinson in the 109-102 overtime win over a decent Memphis outfit on Saturday night.

Collinson played all but a few minutes of regulation and ended the game with 17 points and a superb Paul-esque 18 assists, working well in tandem with fellow rookie Marcus Thornton in the backcourt.

But is playing two rookie guards, with very little depth to come off the bench, what the Hornets need in the middle of a fierce playoff race that sees eight teams covered by only three-and-a-half games (as of Monday).

Sure the Hornets have plenty of experience further up the court in David West, Emeka Okafor and Peja Stojakovic, but another injury among their current starting five would put them in deep trouble with most NBA Bets and there isn’t really much coming off the bench that could be traded for an established veteran to help out.

Goons Gone Wild - Jr. Edition posted by Goon Squad

I really hate to call this kid a Goon. I think punk ass bitch fits him better!

Patrice Cormier, Team Canada's World Junior captain and forward for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies was ejected from a QMJHL game in overtime on Sunday when he came off the bench for a line change, cut through the faceoff circle at center ice, and layed an elbow to the face of Quebec Remparts defenseman Mikael Tam.

The 18-year-old defenseman suffered trauma to the skull and brain and lost many teeth. He is now hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to be released possibly as early Tuesday.

A Remparts spokespesron said a brain scan was taken after the game, and a second scan Monday showed "everything normal."

The Remparts' official team website says fans can send "get well" messages to Tam.

Cormier, a 19-year-old native of New Brunswick, was traded to the Huskies on January 7th. The little bastard who was playing in just his third game with the team, has not yet been heard from publicly.

Remparts head douchetard/coach, Patrick Roy, filed a complaint with the Quebec Provincial Police following the game. They are now handling the incident and have collected several witness statements. (I guess video proof isn't enough these days.)

Could this be Karma coming back at Roy for the shit he's encouraged his own children to do in the past?

Ron Artest is an alcoholic lunatic posted by Colin Linneweber

Psychotic Los Angeles Lakers small forward Ron Artest claimed this week that he boozed a French cognac during games when he played for the Chicago Bulls from 1999-2002.

“I used to drink Hennessy at halftime,” Artest, 30, said in an interview with the Sporting News. “I kept it in my locker. I’d just walk to the liquor store and get it.”

Artest, who was born and raised in the Queensbridge projects in Queens, New York, played college basketball at St. John’s University and he was selected by the Bulls with the 16th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.

“When I was a 19-year-old father, whew. I was a single pimp! I was wild,” said the unbalanced hoopster who infamously once attended a practice with the Indiana Pacers donning only a bath robe. “A lot of marijuana and alcohol. I still party and have fun, but not like I used to. I used to drink every night and party every night.”

Artest, the 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and four-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection, also revealed to the famed athletic periodical that he doesn’t regret as a Pacer inciting the violent brawl in Detroit that halted a contest against the Pistons.

The vicious melee “wasn’t my fault…I don’t see anything I could have done differently.”

Artest is simply crazier than a shithouse rat.

The ghetto ballplayer from Gotham needlessly mugged Pistons center Ben Wallace in the waning minutes of a Pacers blowout victory in November 2004.

New Era of NBA Bigs? posted by Scott Shepherd

Have you looked at the league leaders yet this season?

There are some familiar faces atop some of the big categories. Kobe leads the league in scoring. Nash leads the league in assists. Rondo leads the league in steals.

You almost expect to see those guys near the top of those categories.

But have you taken a look at the league leaders in rebounds? It’s not exactly a who’s who of NBA big men over the past few years.

Here’s the top ten:

1. Gerald Wallace 13.8

2. Marc Gasol 11.9

T3. Chris Bosh 11.6

T3. Carlos Boozer 11.6

5. Dwight Howard 11.1

6. Joakim Noah 11.0

T7. Brendan Haywood 10.7

T7. Al Horford 10.7

T7. Zach Randolph 10.7

10. Emeka Okafor 10.5

I know it’s still very early in the season, and inevitably some of these names will fall out of the top ten. But as of right now, only three of the top ten rebounders have ever played in an all-star game (Bosh, Boozer, Howard).

Last year, six of the top ten rebounders have been all-stars. The year before that the number was five. Before that, it was eight.

What does it all mean? Probably nothing. Like I said, it’s still early.

But, it could mean that there has been a shift in the way teams are putting together their rosters.

Earlier in the decade, there seemed to be a real focus on finding big guys who could not only rebound, but contribute offensively as well. The logic behind that makes sense; you want a player that can do everything in your lineup.

Breeder's Cup missing the giants posted by Johnny Matheis

These 2 days of racing in California, what sticks out the most is the absence of the giants in the industry. The three most respected trainers, McGaughey, Zito, and Nafzger not only don't have any entrants in ANY of the Breeder Cup races, but in none of the other races on the cards.

We know these three don't enter unless they feel they have a strong chance. This year, as we see from the low payoffs, there are too many trainers just "showing up to lose". Theses races are supposed to be the BEST in each race, and logically should be all 7-1 in a 10 horse field. Low payoffs are a sign of dishonest and poor training.

And low payoffs don't mean Good Form. The low payoffs yesterday were all incredible UNDERLAYS, horses who ran the best races of their lives, and who would've been 15-1 or higher to anyone who reads the Daily Racing Form. So, is the Daily Racing Form giving false information? I doubt that. Instead, this means that other trainers in the races are there to booze it up and bet down these underlays.

On paper, no one stands out in the classic. In the standard method of determining class, none of them even surpass the $400,000 mark. In this race, that's very unusual. Zenyata is undefeated and has a good forward move, but it would be lackluster most years, and this year the filly could well be the slightly deserving favorite.

Many of them aren't bred for the distance. Mine That Bird, Summer Bird, and Regal Ransom are bred for sprints and middle distance, and only win at the classic distances on the old super hard dirt surfaces or against weak and hurt horses.

Jordan still Rules (6 Titles, 5 MVP'S, 1 Speech) posted by Kenneth S. Drew

So all I have had to hear over the last few weeks is about the Jordan's Hall of Fame speech. No one seems to be happy with the speech except Jay Marriotti. So I find myself doing something I don't even remember doing when Marriotti was one of the only three sport's writers I knew (the other's being Woody Paige and Peter Vescey), agreeing with him.

To many Jordan gave a petty and bitter speech (obviously they did not hear the Peter Vescey speech that weekend). M.J.'s speech seemed out of place for those who choose to live behind and sell the falsities of the game and life to the public. At the same time it allowed many Americans to say to themselves after 25 years a man who had been in their house more than some relatives, "I don't like Michael Jordan". But the greatest basketball player did nothing of out character. He for once, in front of the camera was completely his self and to be honest, I liked it and found it humorous.

Jordan lost no fans in his speech, for 25 years we have been told how competitive he was. He simply reconfirmed that and gave us a great insight on who and what motivated him at every level, and that my friends was fascinating. Kobe Bryant is almost as competitive as "his airness" and in many ways has modeled his self after MJ, but Kobe is often faulted for having a cosmetic personality. Yet MJ showed the public what the media had been hiding for the sake of not upsetting the status quo, suddenly, many want the cosmetic, corporate MJ. Folks this is why corporate executives paid $25,000 to spend a week in his camps, they posses they have same character traits and they "want to be like Mike". The smile is for the camera and the stockholders, the personality pays the bills. 

Shock as NBA player shows loyalty! posted by Andy Charles

Dwyane Wade is one of many star players to become a free agent next summer, although according to basketball betting, he seems to be one of very few who is keen to stay where he actually is at the moment, right in the heart of Miami with the Heat.

Last week there was much talk of Wade returning to his roots in Chicago or heading off to New York to play for the Knicks or Nets.

Much was made of Wade buying a new home in Chicago, a $1.4m riverfront townhouse right in the middle of downtown, but those making mountains out of molehills and having him on the verge of signing with the Bulls conveniently forgot he called the Windy City his home in the offseason.

Although the Bulls could obviously do with a player of D-Wade’s ability, they would be foolish to mortgage the franchise for such an expensive guard, when they already have a bunch of decent ones and are in dire need of a big man.

But it was never going to happen anyway just because a player bought a house on a development already favored by NBA players – maybe LeBron will buy one there as well and spark even more fervent (useless) gossip. Just imagine the Bulls with LeBron, Wade and Derrick Rose!!

The fact remains that Wade is keen to stay in Florida, and the Heat have more money to splash out on salaries next season than any other franchise in the NBA – and they won’t be in on the LeBron sweepstakes unless they want to upset their fans and let D-Wade walk.

"Next year will be a big year for myself and for the team, but the plan has always been to stay with the Heat, and that's still the plan," Wade said. "I want to be one of those players that stays with one franchise for his entire career.”

Bulls summer league posted by john howard

The Chicago Bulls had a nice summer in Vegas:

James Johnson was the leading scorer with 16 points a game, 7 rebounds and 3.6 assists.  His number one downfall was the 40% fg shooting.

Rookie Taj Gibson only played in 2 games. He grabbed 20 rebounds and 26 points in those 2 games. 

Guard Anthony Roberson has a non-guaranteed contract this year and averaged 12 points with 1 assist.  He didn't hurt or help his chances of staying on the roster.  With the Bulls signing Janero Pargo this summer, it may be a no for Roberson.

Also, not on the roster but playing well was DeMarco Nelson.  He was the teams second leading scorer with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists a game.  He also shot a nice 48%.

James Johnson will compete for playing time this year as will Gibson.  They may have found another in Nelson.  Overall I would say that the summer league was a plus for this team.

Chicago Bulls draft posted by john howard

The Chicago Bulls had a really good year and did well in the playoffs without Deng.  With Deng back at full strength and Derrick Rose a year older, another step towards the title can be made.  Those two things should happen.  What has Bulls fans holding there breath right now is free agent Ben Gordon.  With out him, the team takes a step backward.  The Bulls have the 16th and 26th picks in the draft.  If Gordon goes, they could use these picks to replace him through the draft or a trade.  Of the past 14 drafts, 6 bench players and 3 starters have been produced.  2 of the starters have become all stars.  8 players have been found with the 26th pick.  4 became starters and one was an all-star.  So, both picks have some weight to them.  The Bulls could maybe use one pick to find a solid bench player to develope.  But, they really need Gordon to stay. Continue reading "Chicago Bulls draft"

Whatever happens in NBA Finals, Jackson is Tops posted by richard Kagan

It looks like the Los Angeles Lakers, up 3-1 in the series vs. the Orlando Magic, will come up with the title before the series is over.  Maybe the Magic will win game 5 and send it back to LA, but it will likely end in game 6.  The Lakers have the best player, Kobe Bryant, and the best coach, Phil Jackson.  Jackson will end up with 10 NBA titles as head coach.  That is a number that's hard to believe.  Years back Pat Riley was the hot coach, when Kareem and Magic Johnson were in their prime.  You have to have great players to be a winning coach.  And, a great coach finds a way to keep his great players playing at the highest level.  Jackson benefitted from coaching Jordan and Pippen and the rest of the Bulls, not to forget, Dennis Rodman.  He was able to get Rodman to play his best, and that was not an easy thing to do.

Jackson won 6 titles with the Bulls.  Six is a lot of titles.  They won three in a row. Took a year off, and came back to win another 3 in a row. The stamina, consistency, and patience, to do that is noteworthy.  It's no so easy when every night, someone looks to knock off "the champs."  But the Bulls and Jordan were ready to play.

Then Jackson goes west and gets Shaq and Kobe.  They won again.  Now, Kobe is left and trying to earn 3rd or 4th ring. Jackson has been there. He got elected to the Hall of Fame. You can't knock Red Auerbach, the Celtics coach, and you have to give Phil Jackson a lot of kudos.  He can coach.

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