New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season
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steve williams
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Or how about the Heat losing to the the Sixers which I gather is the NBA's lowest ranked team
steve williams
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CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cavaliers center Andrew Bynum is playing in his first NBA game since 2012.
The 7-foot-Bynum, who didn't get on the court for one second in Philadelphia last season after he was acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers, entered Wednesday night's season opener against Brooklyn with 3:40 left in the first quarter. Bynum received a loud ovation from Cleveland fans, who have been wondering if they would ever see him play after his disastrous tenure with the 76ers.
The Cavs signed Bynum to a two-year, $24 million contract in July. Only one season is guaranteed and the team holds the option for next season.
Bynum hadn't played since May 21, 2012, when he was with the Lakers.
Before the game, Cavs coach Mike Brown said he would play Bynum ''very limited'' minutes. Bynum has been steadily doing more in practice the past few weeks, but Brown said the Cavs will not push him.
''We don't want to rush him,'' Brown said. ''We want to make sure as best we can that we take our time and do this thing the right way.''
Bynum had his first shot blocked by Andray Blatche. Bynum later grabbed a rebound and picked up two assists as the Cavs overcame a 10-point deficit to open a 27-26 lead after one quarter.
If healthy, the 26-year-old Bynum gives the Cavs a large inside presence and a complement to star point guard Kyrie Irving.
The 7-foot-Bynum, who didn't get on the court for one second in Philadelphia last season after he was acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers, entered Wednesday night's season opener against Brooklyn with 3:40 left in the first quarter. Bynum received a loud ovation from Cleveland fans, who have been wondering if they would ever see him play after his disastrous tenure with the 76ers.
The Cavs signed Bynum to a two-year, $24 million contract in July. Only one season is guaranteed and the team holds the option for next season.
Bynum hadn't played since May 21, 2012, when he was with the Lakers.
Before the game, Cavs coach Mike Brown said he would play Bynum ''very limited'' minutes. Bynum has been steadily doing more in practice the past few weeks, but Brown said the Cavs will not push him.
''We don't want to rush him,'' Brown said. ''We want to make sure as best we can that we take our time and do this thing the right way.''
Bynum had his first shot blocked by Andray Blatche. Bynum later grabbed a rebound and picked up two assists as the Cavs overcame a 10-point deficit to open a 27-26 lead after one quarter.
If healthy, the 26-year-old Bynum gives the Cavs a large inside presence and a complement to star point guard Kyrie Irving.
On any given night....
Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes and rookie Michael Carter Williams were impressive. If they play the way they did half these season, they wouldn't get into the lottery.
And to think their 2013 1st round, number 6 pick Nerlens Noel is not playing due to an ACL injury. Tanking? Leave that to the Celtics.
And watching that Cleveland game, Tristan Thompson and Deion Waiters are going to be real solid players around Kyrie Irving. The announcer mentioned again the supposed rumor of LeBron making a prodigal return to his hometown and old team, it never made much sense to me till I saw Thompson and Waiters and not just Irving. And if Bynum becomes near the player he was when LAL got 2 titles, then, they will become a contender. And they have No1 overall pick Anthony Bennett as well. LeBron reuniting with Mike Brown and Dan Gilbert? That would make a good soap.
Just saw the highlights of this game. Klay Thompson. 38 points. I love to watch this kid play. And Warriors have Igoudala as a potent to go man down the line. They are looking better.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Why the Clippers' Blake Griffin Isn't an NBA Star ... And Might Not Become One Anytime Soon
This is a good read
By Daniel Frankel | Yahoo Contributor Network
COMMENTARY | Lauded as an Oklahoma University sophomore with Naismith, Oscar Robertson and John Wooden honors, then called one of the top 15 NBA rookies of all time by Sports Illustrated, expectations for Blake Griffin have been, from the start, almost as high as the springy, uber-athletic L.A. Clippers power forward can jump.
And evidenced by that buzzy little car-leaping stunt he pulled off during 2011 pre-All-Star fame festivities, Griffin can get up there.
But entering his fourth season on the Clippers' active roster, Griffin's career seems to be on the precipice of disappointment, at least the mild kind. Certainly, no one is using the B word (i.e. bust) just yet, not with the 24-year-old making three straight All-Star appearances, and averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game over the first 231 contests of his pro career.
Of course, with NBA pundits routinely comparing Griffin to legendary power forwards like Karl Malone and Tim Duncan, the expectations come a little higher than a solid 20-10. And you sense that some of the punditry is starting to become a little impatient.
Working the color commentary for TNT for the Clippers' Oct. 29 opener against the Lakers, for example, Reggie Miller zinged Griffin, noting that it didn't look like he'd worked at all on his post moves during the summer.
It's not the first time the polish of Griffin's fundamentals have come under scrutiny by an NBA Hall of Famer, with none other than Hakeem Olajuwan noting in 2011 that the young forward is the current player who needed his renowned post-up coaching the most.
Perhaps unfairly, Griffin's personal life might be affecting the feedback he's getting from some regarding his work ethic. In September, it was revealed that Griffin's girlfriend, Brynn Cameron, gave birth to his first child, a son. The birth of a child is hardly news for a young pro athlete, but, of course, Cameron turns out to be the former girlfriend of Matt Leinart, the poster boy for pro-sports underachievement.
As for the hard data, Griffin's numbers aren't on the kind of incline that would suggest he's killing himself like Kobe to grow his game.
His point production actually fell precipitously through his first three seasons, from 22.5 points per game to 18 in 2012-13. His rebound-per-game average also dropped from 12.1 to 8.3 over that span. And at a moribund 66 percent, Griffin's free-throw shooting is only slightly better than the 64 percent he shot in his first active season.
Griffin's 0.6 blocks-per-game average in 2012-13, meanwhile, was also only slightly better than the 0.5 he put up his first season.
By comparison, Karl Malone -- the broad-shouldered Hall of Fame prototype Griffin has often been compared to -- saw his scoring average jump from 14.9 to 27.7 over his first three seasons, while his rebounding average went from 8.9 per game to 12.
Tim Duncan, another definer of the modern-day power forward, saw his scoring increase steadily from 21.1 ppg to 23.2 over his first three years, with rebounding also increasing from 11.9 to 12.4. Perhaps most notable, Duncan led the San Antonio Spurs to an NBA title in his first season in 1998-99.
It's perhaps in the postseason where Griffin -- again perhaps unfairly -- has come up short in the eyes of pundits. Spraining an ankle in practice last April in the midst of the Clippers' first-round series with Memphis, Griffin averaged only 13.2 points per game, playing an average only only 26.3 minutes per contest, as L.A. fell in six.
Of course, at 24, Griffin is still young, and he now has a championship-winning coach in Doc Rivers, who has been lauded in the past for turning guys like Kevin Garnett into NBA champions.
Of course, by the time Garnett joined Rivers in Boston in the summer of 2007, he was an accomplished, 31-year-old former Most Valuable Player who was lauded for his work ethic and only seemed to lack a ring.
Again, by comparison, Griffin falls short.
This is a good read
By Daniel Frankel | Yahoo Contributor Network
COMMENTARY | Lauded as an Oklahoma University sophomore with Naismith, Oscar Robertson and John Wooden honors, then called one of the top 15 NBA rookies of all time by Sports Illustrated, expectations for Blake Griffin have been, from the start, almost as high as the springy, uber-athletic L.A. Clippers power forward can jump.
And evidenced by that buzzy little car-leaping stunt he pulled off during 2011 pre-All-Star fame festivities, Griffin can get up there.
But entering his fourth season on the Clippers' active roster, Griffin's career seems to be on the precipice of disappointment, at least the mild kind. Certainly, no one is using the B word (i.e. bust) just yet, not with the 24-year-old making three straight All-Star appearances, and averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game over the first 231 contests of his pro career.
Of course, with NBA pundits routinely comparing Griffin to legendary power forwards like Karl Malone and Tim Duncan, the expectations come a little higher than a solid 20-10. And you sense that some of the punditry is starting to become a little impatient.
Working the color commentary for TNT for the Clippers' Oct. 29 opener against the Lakers, for example, Reggie Miller zinged Griffin, noting that it didn't look like he'd worked at all on his post moves during the summer.
It's not the first time the polish of Griffin's fundamentals have come under scrutiny by an NBA Hall of Famer, with none other than Hakeem Olajuwan noting in 2011 that the young forward is the current player who needed his renowned post-up coaching the most.
Perhaps unfairly, Griffin's personal life might be affecting the feedback he's getting from some regarding his work ethic. In September, it was revealed that Griffin's girlfriend, Brynn Cameron, gave birth to his first child, a son. The birth of a child is hardly news for a young pro athlete, but, of course, Cameron turns out to be the former girlfriend of Matt Leinart, the poster boy for pro-sports underachievement.
As for the hard data, Griffin's numbers aren't on the kind of incline that would suggest he's killing himself like Kobe to grow his game.
His point production actually fell precipitously through his first three seasons, from 22.5 points per game to 18 in 2012-13. His rebound-per-game average also dropped from 12.1 to 8.3 over that span. And at a moribund 66 percent, Griffin's free-throw shooting is only slightly better than the 64 percent he shot in his first active season.
Griffin's 0.6 blocks-per-game average in 2012-13, meanwhile, was also only slightly better than the 0.5 he put up his first season.
By comparison, Karl Malone -- the broad-shouldered Hall of Fame prototype Griffin has often been compared to -- saw his scoring average jump from 14.9 to 27.7 over his first three seasons, while his rebounding average went from 8.9 per game to 12.
Tim Duncan, another definer of the modern-day power forward, saw his scoring increase steadily from 21.1 ppg to 23.2 over his first three years, with rebounding also increasing from 11.9 to 12.4. Perhaps most notable, Duncan led the San Antonio Spurs to an NBA title in his first season in 1998-99.
It's perhaps in the postseason where Griffin -- again perhaps unfairly -- has come up short in the eyes of pundits. Spraining an ankle in practice last April in the midst of the Clippers' first-round series with Memphis, Griffin averaged only 13.2 points per game, playing an average only only 26.3 minutes per contest, as L.A. fell in six.
Of course, at 24, Griffin is still young, and he now has a championship-winning coach in Doc Rivers, who has been lauded in the past for turning guys like Kevin Garnett into NBA champions.
Of course, by the time Garnett joined Rivers in Boston in the summer of 2007, he was an accomplished, 31-year-old former Most Valuable Player who was lauded for his work ethic and only seemed to lack a ring.
Again, by comparison, Griffin falls short.
These kinds of articles should help Griffin. It helped Lebron. Headlights & Moose. Choker. Loser.... See what happened? Even Doc after Lebron threw in 45 on a Game 6 elimination playoff game was implying that the press should stop calling LeBron a non-winner and choker.
I personally feel Blake needs refinement in his post up plays instead of pure brute force in driving in. Hakeen could have helped out but he's employed now by Houston. And then, he needs to have Chip Engeland of the Spurs as a free throw shooting coach.
See what happened? Even Doc after Lebron threw in 45 on a Game 6 elimination playoff game was implying that the press should stop calling LeBron a non-winner and choker. I personally feel Blake needs refinement in his post up plays instead of pure brute force in driving in. Hakeen could have helped out but he's employed now by Houston. And then, he needs to have Chip Engeland of the Spurs as a free throw shooting coach.
Nice game by the Clippers at home. I saw the Lakers banner covered, and Chris Paul had an incredible game. I don't think lob city should be dismantled, it provides for sure and easy points, and some Clips are young and still fly. Nice to see ex Laker and Iverson strangler Tyron Lue sitting beside Doc instead of behind Doc. There is now some defensive pattern here for the Clips.
There is now some defensive pattern here for the Clips.
The Clippers-Warriors game was incredible. Super dual between Chris Paul and Seth Curry.
Regarding Blake Griffin, he does need to take the next step - develop a mid-range jumper, hit his free throws and improve his post play. Too bad he didn't spend a summer with Olajuwan before the Rockets hired him full time. Phil, you were right on with that comment
Charles Barkley loves to rip Blake up, and there is some truth in what Charles says, but Blake did have 23 points and 10 rebounds. That's not too shabby.
The big surprise for the Clipppers has been the improved play of D'Andre Jordan. Doc has really helped him step up his game.
Regarding Blake Griffin, he does need to take the next step - develop a mid-range jumper, hit his free throws and improve his post play. Too bad he didn't spend a summer with Olajuwan before the Rockets hired him full time. Phil, you were right on with that comment
Charles Barkley loves to rip Blake up, and there is some truth in what Charles says, but Blake did have 23 points and 10 rebounds. That's not too shabby.
The big surprise for the Clipppers has been the improved play of D'Andre Jordan. Doc has really helped him step up his game.
Hi WLVCA,
Yeah, it was a thrilling game, and fun to watch Paul and Curry have that scoring duel ala Bird and Dominque in the 80s. Curry was unconscious with those late 3s.
Blake is going to look better with Doc designing plays for him and he is a very good offensive rebounder as well, so that is big plus for the team. After 4 years, Blake is still a raw talent, much like what Phil Jackson called Shaq when he arrived in LAL. Hopefully, we're going to see Blake morph into a finer post up player. And yes, DJ is yet another raw talent. And Doc has mentioned upon his arrival that DJ will be his pet project. Look at how Doc used Kendrik Perkins in those Boston title chasing years. Kendrik has virtually no offensive abilities and cannot shoot FTs but was the starting center in those years. Positioning and common basketball sense were his 'strengths'. And DJ needs to shoot a thousand FTs in practice too. Can't believe he shot one that was way off LEFT. And the announcer was just saying this shot looked better than the first.
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And let's not forget Dwight Howard, who actually was the reason for the original topic posted by Ron due to his CD ALBUM. He had a rousing welcome himself talk before the home crowd the other day and seems determined to give his best, at least that's what he said. And he matched his words with 17 points and 26 boards. The Rockets are looking good.
He had a rousing welcome himself talk before the home crowd the other day and seems determined to give his best, at least that's what he said. And he matched his words with 17 points and 26 boards. The Rockets are looking good.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Kobe Bryant to receive more than $24 million from Lakers on Friday
Brett Pollakoff
The minutiae of NBA player contracts can give plenty of casual fans headaches, but they’re mostly fascinating to those of us covering the league, as well as to a certain portion of the more hardcore fans that exist.
We have a feeling that this particular detail of Kobe Bryant‘s contract will appeal to ancillary fans and NBA geeks alike.
Bryant is slated to make north of $30 million this season as the league’s highest paid player, a well-deserved honor for being in the final year of a max deal while playing in his 18th NBA season. But players are able to negotiate when those payments are made to a certain extent, and Bryant and the Lakers agreed to a scenario where he’ll receive a very large payment in a lump sum on November 1.
From Eric Pincus and Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
Negotiated as part of his contract, Bryant receives a balloon payment Nov. 1. On Friday, the All-Star guard will receive $24,363,044 from the Lakers.
Bryant’s salary for the entire season is $30,453,805 — the remaining $6.1 million will be paid out over the course of the season.
While there’s a limit to how much a player can receive in advance, Bryant is right at that 80% maximum.
How and when Bryant gets paid is a semi-juicy detail of his deal with the Lakers, but far more interesting to fans of the team is when he’ll be healthy enough to return to the court after suffering the torn Achilles injury that prematurely ended his season back in April.
There’s still no timetable for Bryant’s return, though most estimates expect for him to be back sometime in December. If nothing else, he’ll have an additional $24 million to keep himself occupied until he’s physically ready to come back.
Brett Pollakoff
The minutiae of NBA player contracts can give plenty of casual fans headaches, but they’re mostly fascinating to those of us covering the league, as well as to a certain portion of the more hardcore fans that exist.
We have a feeling that this particular detail of Kobe Bryant‘s contract will appeal to ancillary fans and NBA geeks alike.
Bryant is slated to make north of $30 million this season as the league’s highest paid player, a well-deserved honor for being in the final year of a max deal while playing in his 18th NBA season. But players are able to negotiate when those payments are made to a certain extent, and Bryant and the Lakers agreed to a scenario where he’ll receive a very large payment in a lump sum on November 1.
From Eric Pincus and Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
Negotiated as part of his contract, Bryant receives a balloon payment Nov. 1. On Friday, the All-Star guard will receive $24,363,044 from the Lakers.
Bryant’s salary for the entire season is $30,453,805 — the remaining $6.1 million will be paid out over the course of the season.
While there’s a limit to how much a player can receive in advance, Bryant is right at that 80% maximum.
How and when Bryant gets paid is a semi-juicy detail of his deal with the Lakers, but far more interesting to fans of the team is when he’ll be healthy enough to return to the court after suffering the torn Achilles injury that prematurely ended his season back in April.
There’s still no timetable for Bryant’s return, though most estimates expect for him to be back sometime in December. If nothing else, he’ll have an additional $24 million to keep himself occupied until he’s physically ready to come back.
And he gets to pay about $13m and taxes. Wow.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-b...3-million-today-could-pay-164346254--nba.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-b...3-million-today-could-pay-164346254--nba.html
Nets - Heat game has playoff atmosphere. Very bruising and physical game. And happy to see Pierce and Garnett continue where they left off. Good win for the Nets. They not only have talent, they now have experienced championship caliber players in Pierce and KG. And Joe Johnson's shooting came through tonight. Surprised too at the tough Nets D, they actually have it.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
The Nets almost blew that 14 point lead in the dying minutes of the game. Took 10 minutes to play the last 7 seconds of the game
yeah, and it was like deja vu of game 6 where the heat went to foul and hit 3s to come back. they almost did. but twice, the nets fouled them to sent them to take 2 shots instead of a 3. that is something pop didn't want to do then.
and i like what jeff van gundy said when he pointed out that you can't take any game now as JUST a regular game because you will lose that mindset when you get into the playoffs. each game now is about getting that mindset and of course to get home court all the way. the nets did a lot of what the heat does - tough rotating trapping defense, and spreading for 3's and going inside with brook, blatch and kg. they just have to do in consistently as the games go on. and kidd hasn't been coaching yet. i wonder if that is good or bad.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
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