Trading the Lakers' Enemies? I Don't Think So posted by Greg Archuleta

Shaq can't even proclaim himself "The Big Trade."

The defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic trumped Los Angeles Laker ex Shaquille O'Neal's move from the Phoenix Suns to the Cleveland Cavaliers when they acquired Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets.

Carter's relocation to Disney World seemingly would keep the Magic in control of the ever-increasing wild, wild east. Although, it is intriguing to imagine what The Big Change of Address (five teams in the career of the most dominant center of our generation? Hard to fathom) might do for King James -- His Royal Poor Sport -- and the Cavs if Shaq is properly motivated.

Yet, the biggest immediate threat to a potential Laker dynasty -- if properly healed -- comes from our Green "friends" in Boston.

If Kevin Garnett can return to 100 percent form from the knee injury that derailed his 2008 season just inches from the start of the playoffs, the hated Celtics remain the most viable candidate to make good on that "Beat L.A." chant.

Remember, Boston was one game away from knocking Orlando from the postseason in the Eastern Conference semis without Garnett, not to mention Leon Powe.

Sure, two of the key figures in the Celtics' 2008 run to the title -- the New Orleans Hornets' James Posey and 77-year old P.J. Brown -- aren't returning anytime soon to help them.

And the Chicago Bulls almost eliminated the C's in the first round.

But the scary thing about the Celtics is their toughness was evident as ever in the playoffs despite their short stay. And that was without Garnett, their toughest player.

San Antonio nba chapms in 2010? Welcom to the Alamo Mr. Jefferson posted by john howard

The Spurs clock is running out, but they pushed back time yesterday when they acquired Richard Jefferson for virtually nothing.  They traded Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas to Milwaukee and Frabricio Oberto to the Pistons in return for Jefferson.  Parting with Bowen will be hard for the fans, but he fell out of the starting spot and Jefferson is such a good player.  The lineup now has Tony Parker, Manu Ginobilli, Richard Jefferson, Matt Bonner, and Tim Duncan.  The team may start Roger Mason and use Ginobilli off the bench like they have done.  They need some help inside now, but free agency will provide that. George Hill was perfrect for this team last year as a rookie and will only get better.  Good job San Antonio!Continue reading "San Antonio nba chapms in 2010? ..."

San Antonio Spurs draft pick posted by john howard

The San Antonio Spurs don't own a first round pick.  But they do have 3 second round picks at 37, 51, and 53.  Let's take a look at how each have done in the past 14 years to determine what the chances are that the Spurs will get someone who can help them.

 37th pick--As of right now, there have been three players that have been productive for their teams with the best being Eddie House.  None of the three have been regular startes.  So that puts the chances 3 out of 14 that they will find value here.

51st pick--Sharp shooter Kyle Korver is the only one to make a name for himself.

53rd pick--Greg Buckner has played solid defense everywhere he has been. And, that is it here.

Based on past results, the Spurs have a 5/14 chance to find someone productive in this year's draft.

The 35 Best Basketball Players in the World, Right Now posted by Matt Clark

1.  LeBron James:  Analysts and writers seem to be 50/50 on the LeBron/Kobe debate.  I pick LeBron.

2.  Kobe Bryant:  Probably one of the 10 greatest players ever.  And counting.

3.  Chris Paul:  Best point guard on the planet.  Does EVERYTHING for his team. Led league in asts/steals 2 years in a row.

4.  Dwyane Wade: Wade circa 2006 & 2009 makes you put him in LBJ and Kobe's class.  Gets to the rim at will.  

5.  Dwight Howard:  Best center in the world.  5th player ever to lead league in rebs/blocks.  Only improving offensively.

6.  Tim Duncan:  Still the best power forward in the league.  Still gets 20 & 10 in his sleep.

7.  Brandon Roy:  3rd best shooting guard in the league, and one of the top closers.  Deadly mid-range game.  

8.  Kevin Durant:  Yep, #8.  THE most underrated player in the NBA.  Had a monster year, and hardly anyone noticed.

9.  Deron Williams:  Terrific shooter, and underrated distributer too.  Great penetrator.

10.  Pau Gasol:  Only now is it revealed how good he is, because he no longer gets double teamed, like in Memphis.

11.  Carmelo Anthony:  Barkley says he the best pure scorer in the world.  Extremely versatile.  Very tough cover.  

12.  Dirk Nowitzki:  Still carries the franchise, and can shoot with the best of 'em.  

13.  Kevin Garnett:  His stats have dipped, but he makes up for it with defense and being the coach on the floor. 

1 post-Jordan player to build around: Duncan posted by Matt Clark

If you could pick one player to start a franchise around post-Jordan, who would it be?  I'd take Tim Duncan.  The Spurs have had the best winning % in professional sports since drafting Timmy.  Yep, in all of pro sports.  4 championships too.  Almost a couple more.  Duncan's only lost in the 1st round of the playoffs twice, once when he was hurt.  One of the best teammates in history.  Gets along with EVERYONE.  Plus, he's never really had a truly great sidekick for an extended period of time.  Robinson was starting to breakdown just as Timmy was entering his prime. Parker and Ginobili have only been all star caliber for a few years.  The Spurs filled in the gaps with journeymen and role players, and still somehow Duncan won 4 titles.  Incredible.  The greatest power forward ever. Continue reading "1 post-Jordan player to build around: Duncan"

Dallas Mavericks weakened by Denver Nuggets' physical play in Game 1 posted by Peter

The Mavs have just finished the series with the San Antonio Spurs who plays with speed and finess. Now, they face a Nuggets team that plays a different brand of basketball: a physical, pound the paint, and defensive style of playing that the Mavs could not adjust to in Game 1.

The Nuggets went for every block and every steal while clogging up the lane and batting away any one who dares come near the basket. The Mavs were frustrated by the non-calls and could not play their slow, half court game. The Mavs became careless with the ball and just gave away the ball in the second half. That, and the Mavs bench didn't show up.

What will the Mavs need to do to have a chance at winning this series? Take care of the ball, and play some defense in the paint. Nene scored 24 points in game 1 when he averaged only around 10 in the Nuggets-Hornets series.

And maybe if the refs would call a few more fouls on the Nuggets instead of the street ball: no blood no foul mentality. Jason Kidd touches the hair on Melo's arm and gets a foul, but Dirk getting pulled down at the waist in the middle of a shot by Nene doesn't count? We have HDTV now, refs, we can see everything you missed!Continue reading "Dallas Mavericks weakened by Denver ..."

Why Lakers fans should worry about facing LeBron in the NBA Finals posted by Chris Strickland

I'm a Kobe fan. Huge Kobe fan. He's practically my generation's MJ. Nothing against MJ, I just never saw him play much. I went to the United Center once, when I was seven, and all I remember is Scottie Pippen's crew-cut and cotton candy. Also, I'm from D.C., so the fact that MJ ruined the entire development and chemistry of an up-and-coming Washington Wizards team, just so he could milk a little more limelight, doesn't really sit well.

Having lived in the LA area now for two years, I've become a Kobe fan. Which is why I'm genuinely worried for the Lakers, should they play LeBron's Cavaliers in this year's NBA Finals. I'm worried for three reasons: 

1) Defense. Having witnessed the Boston Celtics' utter demolition of the Lakers last June, first-hand, in a crowded Georgetown bar amongst rabid Boston Masshole fans yelling while chugging beer (I didn't even think that was possible), I've watched Kobe's squad carefully all year for any signs of an improving defense. I didn't see much worth noting, other than the fact Ariza was sorely missed. If Bynum's back to full strength, that's one thing, but I highly doubt he is. Let's check some stats: at year's end, LA was giving up 100 points per game on average to its opponents. Through its first four games with Utah in the playoffs, the Lakers are allowing the Jazz 98 points a game. LeBron, in comparison, led his Cavs to a first-round sweep of the Shadowy Pistons, including holding them to a pathetic 78 a game. A twenty-point-differential? Don't the playoffs get harder as you progress? I realize the Jazz are tougher than Detroit, and way more physical, but don't be fooled if you think Roy/Aldridge/Blake, or Artest/Yao/Brooks, whoever Kobe faces next, won't be a tougher challenge. Especially if it's vs. Portland, on the road, where the Rose Garden owns Los Angeles.

Jets Lose Cutler Bidding and Win & The Top Ten College Players of the Past Twenty Seasons posted by Colin Linneweber

Jets Lose Cutler Bidding and Win 

The Denver Broncos traded Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler and a fifth round pick in the 2009 draft to the Chicago Bears for signal-caller Kyle Orton, first round picks in both the 2009 and 2010 drafts, and a third round pick in this April's draft Thursday evening.

The trade materialized less than two days after Broncos owner Pat Bowlen announced that the rift with his former leader and 11th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft was irreconcilable.

Bowlen said he spoke with Cutler’s agent, Bus Cook, and realized that “Jay no longer has any desire to play for the Denver Broncos.”

The Broncos beleaguered owner continued, “We will begin discussions with other teams in an effort to accommodate his request to be traded.”

Cutler’s relationship with the Broncos organization deteriorated after Head Coach Mike Shanahan was fired and replaced by the New England Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.

McDaniels, 32, an unprepared and incapable joke that has zero chance whatsoever of succeeding as an HC in the NFL, considered trading Cutler, 25, in a three-way deal that would have sent the 2005 SEC Offensive Player of the Year from Vanderbilt University to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and reunited the former New England coach with his Foxboro pet project, quarterback Matt Cassel.

Understandably, in the immediate aftermath of a tremendous 2008 campaign on the gridiron, the trade rumors chapped Cutler’s ass and he subsequently listed his Colorado home for sale and officially asked the Broncos to trade him to a more logical organization.

To The San Antonio Spurs: Thank You! posted by Jason

By Jeff Carr of Bleacher Report

In this day and age of selfishness, showboating, and lack of loyalty, I would like to take just a moment to say thank you to those who deserve it.

Two words that still have significant meaning that aren't said enough, at least not with sincerity. 

This isn't a thank you like the one I gave when that guy held open the bathroom door for me at work. This is a deep, heartfelt sign of appreciation to some true heroes in sports today.

Thank you to R.C. Buford, Peter Holt, Gregg Popovich, and the entire Spurs organization. 

I know that nothing that I write here today will reach the eyes or the ears of the Spurs and I am okay with that. Maybe one of the dozen that actually read this will at least take something away with them after finishing this article. 

I have been a Spurs fan since David Robinson entered the league.  Prior to that, I was a Celtics fan.  We here in St. Louis did not have a team and I didn't want to jump on the Bulls bandwagon.

From day one watching the Spurs, I noticed something. That something was a sense of pride to wear the silver and black. Not the sort of pride the Raiders have with their colors. I am talking about convict-free pride. Robinson, Elliot and Cummings had me holding my breath on countless nights watching the late western conference games. 

To Check out the rest of this article head over to http://bleacherreport.com/articles/148992-to-the-san-antonio-spur

TSP Venue Reviews; TD Banknorth Garden posted by The Sports Point

One of us took a trip to the TD Banknorth Garden Sunday to take in the game between the Spurs and Celtics. The game took a familiar NBA tone, boring first 2 1/2 quarters followed by an intense final 18 minutes. As discussed in the Roundup the Celtics ended up winning by 8, however the game felt like it was missing something with Kevin Garnett out for the Celtics and Tony Parker missing from the Spurs.

As for the entire fan experience, it had its peaks and valleys. First of all, the parking situation was convenient and cheap compared to other big cities I have attended games in, we only paid $10 to park!! We had to walk about a 1/2 mile to the arena, but walking through the picturesque Boston Common, City Hall section of the city was well worth the trek. Something about walking in Boston makes me feel smarter, not sure why it just does. Me and the group I was with stopped at a sports bar right across from the arena named The Harp. Looking to get a quick burger and drink before the 1pm start of the game, we were surprised to find out that the bar did not serve alcohol until Noon!! Other then that the place was great and I bought a burger and a beer (Blue Moon) for $15.00, not bad at all.

Upon entering the arena I was expecting to feel the same ambiance that I feel when I walk inside Madison Square Garden. Although the arena is very nice and clean, it should be given it is only ten years old, there was no aura at all. From the epic stories I heard about the old Boston Garden, I honestly expected a little more mystique. There were plenty of places to eat and drink inside the arena however, the beers were an affordable $6.50.

Jefferson glad to be with winning Spurs (AP)

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From Yahoo! Sports

Spurs acquire F Jefferson from Bucks (AP)

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From Yahoo! Sports

Bucks to trade F Jefferson to Spurs (AP)

A Bucks official with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday that Milwaukee plans to trade scoring forward Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto, giving them a veteran cast and financial flexibility. The person confirmed the pending trade to The Associated Press and requested anonymity because the deal is not official until a call later Tuesday. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Jordan jersey stolen from Tony Parker (AP)

An autographed Michael Jordan jersey has been stolen from the home of San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker. The Bexar County sheriff's office says Parker's manager reported the jersey missing last month. It had been taken from a gym under construction at Parker's home. Detectives found a listing for the jersey on Craigslist that was posted by Christopher James Carolan. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Miami's Collins withdraws from NBA draft (AP)

Dwayne Collins has withdrawn his name from the upcoming NBA Draft and says he will return to the University of Miami for his senior year. Collins had workouts with the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat, but had not hired an agent to retain the option of returning to the Hurricanes. He made the announcement Friday. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports