Yardbarker: Kwame Brown

Kwame Brown Prefers Low Expectations

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:09:51 -0500

Former overall number one pick Kwame Brown has had a terrible start to his NBA career. Brown has been traded twice, and this season he’ll suit up for his fourth team in seven years. Kwame’s potential has been a gift and a curse. He finds teams that believe in his game only to eventually disappoint [...]

Kwame Brown Prefers Low Expectations

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:09:51 -0500

Kwame Brown: The Most Underrated Defender or the most dissapointing 1st overall selection ever?

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:47:18 -0500

When referring to the fact that he's been traded multiple times during his brief NBA career Kwame Brown said ""This is the life of a professional athlete." No Kwame, this is the life of the most disappointing 1st overall selection since the Kandi Man! I know he doesn't think before he makes a move with the rock in his hands, but doesn't he think before he speaks in public FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A PISTON? Congratulations to the Detroit Pistons for throwing away 4 million on a guy who has been cursed by Michael Jordan and who thinks he's actually underrated. Ha!

Team Preview #2: Detroit Pistons

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:23:25 -0500

Let's go to Detroit for #2. LAST SEASON The Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for an impressive 6th year in a row, but they lost there for the 3rd year in a row and Flip Saunders got fired as a result. Joe Dumars has done an incredible job crafting this team, and they will continue to contend in the East thanks to their emerging young talent. Their Pace Factor of 87.3 was dead last, but they still managed to rank 17th in ppg. OFFSEASON MOVES Key Additions: Kwame Brown, Walter Sharpe, Will Bynum Key Losses: Jarvis Hayes, Theo Ratliff, Lindsey Hunter In a surprising (and somewhat disturbing) move, Dumars decided to sign current #1 bust Kwame Brown to a 2 year, $8 million contract. I can understand a team wanting to sign him as their backup center, but not Detroit, and not for 8 million dollars (if you can make any sense of this move, please contact me). Will Bynum had a cup of coffee with the Warriors a few years ago, and now he'll try to replace Lindsey Hunter as their #3 PG. I don't know anything about Walter Sharpe, other than that he's NOT a 3-point shooter, which is what Detroit lost when Hayes signed with New Jersey. ROTATION / PLAYING TIME Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton will be holding down Detroit's backcourt for the 7th year in a row. Last year however, their minutes hovered around 32-33 mpg instead of the 36-37 mpg they averaged the year before. They got more rest than usual because youngsters Rodney Stuckey (19.0 mpg) and Arron Afflalo (12.9 mpg) proved to be more than capable backups. There have been rumors about Billups being moved to open up more PT for Stuckey, but it looks like they'll keep the former Finals MVP around for now. So expect the veterans to play 30+ minutes once again while Stuckey's minutes get bumped up to 22-24 and Afflalo plays 14-16. At small forward, Tayshaun Prince's minutes (32.9) were down and his fantasy stats were very mediocre. However, I'm expecting Prince's minutes to shoot back up to 34-35 now that Hayes is gone. Antonio McDyess (29.3 mpg) started 78 games at power forward last season, but there's a lot of young talent behind him waiting to steal his minutes. For starters, Jason Maxiell (21.5 mpg) is an athletic beast who I'm expecting him to take over the starting PF spot this season (more on that below). Amir Johnson and Walter Herrmann are also very skilled players, and despite having power forward size, one or the other might actually backup Prince at SF this season. Rasheed Wallace's 30.5 mpg in '07-08 was his lowest average in 9 years. Surprisingly, his stats were almost identical to the year before, but he'll have trouble duplicating them again if his minutes fall any more. Maxiell is strong enough to guard centers, Kwame Brown is good for 6 fouls, and Cheick Samb is a talented shot-blocker, so the Pistons have plenty of big men at the moment. DON'T SLEEP ON: Jason Maxiell & Walter Herrmann Maxiell stands just 6-feet-6 with shoes on, but there are plenty of things to like about him. Let's start with his 7-3 wingspan, excellent leaping ability, and surprising quickness for such a beefcake. He gets off the floor in a hurry to block shots and he attacks the rim with a vengeance that few players possess. Maxiell is more than just a physical specimen tho, as his midrange jumper has improved drastically and his low post moves are pretty solid as well. Want more? He's entering his prime (25 years old) and he posted Detroit's 3rd best Roland Rating in last year's playoffs (while shooting 62.5% FG). His playing time (and thus, fantasy value) was limited in '07-08, but I'm expecting a breakout season of sorts for Mad Max. Walter Herrmann was everyone's favorite "sleeper pick" in 2007, but after averaging just 8.2 minutes and 3.4 points per game, none of those people are gonna go near the guy in 2008. At least, not until he starts playing big minutes and dropping threes left and right. Which is more likely to happen than you think. Jarvis Hayes cramped his style last year, but Hayes is no longer in Detroit, which means that Tayshaun has no clear-cut backup. With Juan Dixon and Lindsey Hunter likely gone as well, that's a lot of 3-point shooting to replace. Stuckey & Afflalo are going to play more this season, but they combined to shoot just 20.3% from beyond the arc last year (ouch). Enter: the finger rolling Fabio. Herrmann has proven that he can knock down threes, and if Prince ever gets hurt, he could have serious value. People are going to be sleeping on this guy, but I suggest you watch him closely. BE CAREFUL OF: Antonio McDyess & Rodney Stuckey I've always been a fan of the Dice Man, but not this year (at least fantasy-wise). He turns 34 in September and the statistics indicate that his production is rapidly declining. After posting a solid 18.1 PER in '06-07, that number plummeted to just 14.1 in '07-08. Additionally, his -3.2 regular season Roland Rating was actually the WORST among all Piston regulars last year. To top it off, his 10.8 points and .8 blocks per 36 minutes were the lowest marks of his career. Someone in your league is going to draft him based on his 8.5 boards per game, but McDyess is going to be a fringe fantasy player at best in '08-09. It feels weird to warn people about Stuckey, because the guy is clearly a future star in the making. Unfortunately, some fantasy sites are hyping this guy up WAY too much. I'll tell you right now, if you target him in the "early-middle rounds" then you're asking for trouble. For starters, Stuckey is a guard with limited 3-point range. His senior in college, he made 1.5 treys per game, but he shot just 26.7% 3P (very poor). As a rookie, he attempted just 16 threes (making only 3) in 1,081 total minutes. For non-three-point-making guards to have serious fantasy value, they must either get a ton of assists (Andre Miller) or a lot of steals and shoot an excellent % from the field (Monta Ellis). Sure, Stuckey is capable of racking up steals and assists, but that's pretty tough to do in under 30 minutes per game, which is where his minutes will likely be unless Billups gets traded. I have no problem swooping up Stuckey with a late round pick, but if you're using an "early-middle round" pick on someone based on the assumption that the guy ahead of him will be traded, well… good luck with that. ROUND BY ROUND TARGETS (Where you should draft these guys in an 8-cat Roto league with 12 teams and 14 man rosters) Billups: Late 3rd Hamilton: 6th - 7th Wallace: 6th - 7th Prince: 10th - 11th Stuckey: 12th - 14th Maxiell: 13th - 14th McDyess: Don't draft (I told you to be careful) Herrmann: Don't draft (but pickup if Prince goes down) Johnson: Don't draft (but watch if you need blocks)

THE AFTER PARTY

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:17:09 -0500

What Does the "Brass Bonanza" and Carmen Electra Have in Common?
The trade deadline: The most wonderful time of the year
Six Degrees of Derek Jeter
Manny Ramirez is a Disgrace
2008 NFL Movie Posters

12 Things to do Before Football Season Kicks Off
Every potential fantasy football player in terms of real football value
Detroit Lions 2008 Preview, set to Queen lyrics
Inside the head of soccer haters
Austrian Olympian triathlete tried to bribe lab tech

New female sports blogger Web site thingy!
Iron Ref: Round Five, Crowd Goes Wild
Number 10 Meets Number 23
Kwame Brown vs Kwame Kilpatrick
First Annual USA vs. Europe WAG-OFF results

Dumars's "Detroit Raiders" Add Another Misfit; So What Else Is New?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:03:21 -0500

The point guard is a four-time loser in the NBA. The shooting guard was deemed too skinny and frail, and was dumped. The small forward was looked at cross-eyed when drafted. One of the big men was labeled a coach killer and a disruption. The other big man's knee was so wrecked that few felt he'd ever play another minute in the league. With the exception of the big man who might be a coach killer and a disruption -- because he can be, at times -- the above paragraph is no longer an accurate description of the current starting five for the Detroit Pistons. But it was, at one time. Chauncey Billups, one-time NBA journeyman. Cashiered by the Celtics, then the Raptors, then the Nuggets, then the Timberwolves. Only one of those teams -- the Celtics (and only recently) -- have won anything of note after Billups' banishment. Meanwhile, with the Pistons, Billups has appeared in six straight conference finals, two NBA Finals, and won a championship. Not bad for a four-time loser. Rip Hamilton, skinny and frail, once upon a time. Will never amount to more than a shot-happy, defensive liability. Or so the Washington Wizards thought, when they traded the former University of Connecticut standout to the Pistons in 2002 for the enigmatic Jerry Stackhouse. Stackhouse has since been bounced over to the Dallas Mavericks, where he still seeks a championship. But Hamilton's heart was apparently never measured, because since becoming a Piston he's worked hard to shed all of the negative labels that were whispered about him. He, too, is a six-time conference final participant, along with all those things Billups has accomplished. Tayshaun Prince, from the University of Kentucky. They play some good basketball down there, in case you didn't know. But when Joe Dumars drafted Prince in 2002, there were yawns. Except from the Pistons themselves. In his rookie season, Prince rarely got off the bench. The yawners kept yawning. Until the 2003 playoffs, when Prince became coach Rick Carlisle's secret weapon. He's been a starter and a major contributor ever since. Rasheed Wallace, cantankerous center/power forward. A perceived ringleader of Portland's "Jail Blazers" from several years ago. Judged as being too hard to handle, too much of a loose cannon. A bitch to coach. Often that's been true. It's been true in Detroit. But much of it has been half-truths or rumor or simply a tired tale that's been regurgitated so much that it's accepted as fact. But yet he remains the loosest of the Piston cannons, regardless. Antonio McDyess, the tragic figure of the Pistons. Once a leaping, high-scoring forward. A first round draft choice, back in the day. Then, a serious knee injury. Then another. Then a career that appeared to be over, until Dumars came calling in 2004. Since then, some tantalizingly close brushes with greatness as a Piston for McDyess. Now is probably the player that teammates and fans would most like to see as a champion. No one takes losing as hard as McDyess, who joined the Pistons as they basked in their '04 title. To all this, and we haven't even mentioned the young studs waiting in the wings, comes young (still) Kwame Brown, the newest Piston. His resume and NBA experience would seem to fit nicely with the group in Detroit. Former high draft pick -- the highest, actually. Another multiple loser -- the Pistons being his fourth NBA team, and he's only 26. Another who Dumars is taking a gamble on. The Pistons, it might be said, are the Oakland Raiders of basketball. The Raiders, especially in the 1970s and '80s, were famous for resurrecting careers, a haven to pro football's old, its misfits, its discards. There was something about putting on the silver and black that acted as a fountain of youth, or in some cases, a portable rehab center. There are those who already are willing to overlook Brown's checkered NBA career, mainly because if anyone has kissed the Blarney Stone more often than anyone in the league, it's Joe Dumars. Same thing with the Raiders. Al Davis would bring in players that, had anyone else in the NFL done so, they would have been laughed at and scorned. But since it was Davis, and since it was the Raiders, then folks simply shrugged and said, "Well, if anyone can get blood from a turnip, it's Al Davis and the Raiders." Dumars hasn't always rolled seven with those dice. Witness Darko Milicic and Rodney White and Mateen Cleaves and Chris Webber. You play enough craps, you're gonna lose on occasion. But the Brown "gamble" would appear to be a low-to-medium risk, considering the only thing at stake here is some of Bill Davidson's money. At 26, Brown could still have the best years of his basketball life in front of him. He's just a baby, really. Just another misfit whose career might have needed this. Sound familiar?

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Ron Ron on the Move Edition

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:57:38 -0500

The Houston Rockets have reportedly reached an agreement with the Sacramento Kings that will land Ron Artest in Houston. After weeks of rumors that the Lakers were close to a deal for Ron Ron, it appears that the Rockets have acquired the troubled and often troublesome player. According to published reports the Rockets will send Bobby Jackson, Donte Greene, a first round pick in the 2009 NBA draft, and cash amounting to around $1 million to the Kings for the storied forward. If Greene is, indeed, involved in the deal then it won't be able to officially take place until August 14th. There are other reports that Joey Dorsey may be included instead of Greene. Rick Adelman had some success with Artest in Sacramento and the Rockets are hoping that he can once again succeed with Artest in Houston. The Rockets get a defensive stopper who can take some of the scoring load off of Tracy McGrady. Artest may give the Rockets a Big Three (Yao, McGrady, Artest) or he may cause more distractions and disrupt their chemistry. With Ron Ron, you never know. The Hawks haven't been able to come to terms with their restricted free agent, Josh Smith, but they are making moves. They have announced that they agreed to a two-year NBA minimum salary contract with Randolph Morris, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound center/power forward who played his first two seasons with the Knicks, seeing limited time with them. The Hawks also officially signed Magic free agent Maurice Evans. Monday, the Knicks traded Renaldo Balkman for Taurean Green and Bobby Jones and on Tuesday, they waived both Green and Jones. Expect more moves from the Knicks including getting rid of Marbury as the new administration seeks to rid themselves of all signs of the Isiah Thomas years. Disgraced referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his part in the scandal that rocked the NBA last off season. I can't help but feel that there is more coming though. Scott Foster must be investigated after all the phone calls from Donaghy to him before and after games that they worked and also the allegations that directions came down from the top for refs to influence games to stretch series out and to keep star players from fouling out. Sources are reporting that Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls have verbally agreed on a new six-year contract believed to be worth in excess of $70 million. The Bulls lost out on several big deals last season because they would not include Deng and so I expected that they would do whatever it took to keep him in a Bulls uniform. Deng is one of the few players in the league who give Paul Pierce problems defensively and for that reason, he would be in demand with teams who are looking for ways to match up against the Celtics. The Bulls are still reported to be far apart in negotiations with their other free agent, Ben Gordon. Krstic signed a two-year deal on Tuesday with Club Dynamo Triumph in Moscow that will pay him 2.5 million euros in the first season and 2.6 million in the second. At the current exchange rate, he will pocket $7.9 million over the length of the deal if he stays both seasons. The Nets tried to find a sign and trade for Krstic in order to avoid losing him for nothing but to no avail. They had talks with the Bulls, Cleveland and Memphis but couldn't get a deal worked out and Krstic joined former teammate Bostjan Nachbar in fleeing to Europe. Signing Kwame Brown could be the end for Rasheed Wallace in Detroit. If Brown plays well, sources say that the Pistons could move Rasheed and his expiring contract at the trade deadline. This is a big if though because so far, Brown hasn't realized any of the potential that made him a number 1 pick. But then again, there have been players who have languished in one system and then broke out in another. Robert "Tractor" Traylor, who is serving time in a halfway house for preparing a false tax return, will ask a federal judge today to amend his probation conditions so he can try out for the Lakers. In September, Traylor was sentenced to three years of probation including three months in a federal halfway house after Traylor recorded that his own two homes were owned by his cousin, convicted drug kingpin Quasand Lewis. Traylor was previously allowed to interrupt his sentence to play pro basketball in Puerto Rico and the probation department allowed him to attend a workout with the Cavaliers and play on their summer league team. Now he is asking for permission to travel to Los Angeles to try out for the Lakers. The Orlando Magic will soon try to re-sign center Adonal Foyle, adding another big man to the roster after waiving little-used power forward James Augustine on Tuesday. They are also looking to add another point guard to their roster. All's quiet on the Celtics front. Ainge has said that is next order of business is to re-sign the Celtics' assistant coaches. Tom Thibodeau is as important to the Celtics as any players and Clifford Ray is one of the best big man coaches in the league. Hopefully they will both be back. The Celtics also haven't signed either draft pick as yet. There have been rumors that Danny may try to stash Walker in Europe for a season. If he does, it appears he will have lots of company from the NBA over there. I'd like to see both remain with the team and see what they can do. I don't exptect a lot more news from the Celtics but with Trader Danny, you never know.

Hoe Cake Kwame Brown Heads to Motown

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:52:50 -0500

Kwame Brown looking to revitalize his career with the Detroit Pistons? Fat chance. Tiny Hands Kwame will never live up to the potential of a first round draft pick, much less the #1 overall.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Ricky D Finds a Home Edition

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:59:07 -0500

The Clippers continued to make changes in their team as they signed former Celtic Ricky Davis to a multiyear contract for two years, $4.7 million with an opt out clause for Davis after his first year. Ricky was one of my favorite players when he was with the Celtics. He always seems to have fun when he is playing and always gave his best out on the court. He has had questions following him his entire career concerning his attitude, but I think he has often gotten a bad rap unfairly. He is athletic and in his prime and can bring instant offense off the bench. I think the Clippers got a very good deal in signing Ricky. The Clippers also have had talks with free-agent center Francisco Elson and they are in talks to retain rehabilitating point guard Shaun Livingston and forward Paul Davis, both unrestricted free agents. . The exodus overseas continues with Nenad Krstic being the latest be considering signing with a Russian team. The Nets have been saying that they intended to resign Krstic at a reasonable amount but he has a two-year deal in place with a Russian team if the Nets are unable to do a sign and trade by midnight tonight. He will have an opt out clause in his contract so that he can return to the NBA after one year if he wants. If he does return next season, he would still be a restricted free agent for the Nets. Kwame Brown was the number 1 pick in the 2001 draft but so far, he has not lived up to that billing. He was sent from the Lakers to the Grizzlies last season in the trade that sent Pau Gasol to LA. After the trade, he played in just 15 games and averaged 3.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in under 14 minutes per game. There is always a spot for big men, no matter how much they underachieve. He has now come to an agreement with the Detroit Pistions on a two-year deal worth $8 million with a player option on the second season. Personally, I think they are overpaying him at $4 million a year. He hasn't proved anything yet in his career. What was rumor yesterday is now a done deal as the Denver Nuggets have acquired forward Renaldo Balkman from the New York Knicks in exchange for guard Taurean Green, forward Bobby Jones and a second-round draft pick in 2010. It has been rumored that this is a cost cutting move to clear some roster space and that both Green and Jones will be cut as their contracts are not guaranteed. I like Balkman and I think Denver has gotten a good player in the deal. He always plays hard and will give them an energy player off the bench. The Toronto Raptors continued their makeover on Monday as they announced that they have signed free-agent guard Will Solomon. Solomon who is 30 years old has played the past two seasons in Istanbul, Turkey where he averaged 17.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 13 regular season games last season. While Ben Gordon has said that he would prefer to remain in the USA and sign with an NBA team, he said on Monday that going overseas is definitely a possibility with the euro being so strong. Gordon turned a down five-year extension worth more than $50 million right before the start of last season. Negotiations have been slow going this season. He can accept the Bulls' qualifying offer and then become an unrestricted free agent next season if he decides to stay here but doesn't get the contract he wants from the Bulls. Former referee Tim Donaghy will be sentenced today for his part in the gambling scandal that rocked the NBA. There were two articles on Donaghy and his sentencing today in the Herald. Although a link has been proved between Donaghy and another referee, Scott Foster, who certainly was involved in the scandal because big money won every in every single game he officiated after talking with Donaghy. , nothing more has come out about it. I personally think David Stern should be investigated too since Donaghy said that the directives to influence games came down from above. Just a funny side note on this, in the Herald, they gave 3 related links at the bottom of the stories on Donaghy. Two of the links were other stories on Donaghy but the third in each case was a story about Sebastian Telfair signing a new contract with the Wolves. Hmmmm I wonder how that relates to the gambling scandal. Delonte West wants to return to the Cavaliers, but negotiations between the former Celtic and the team are still far apart at this point. There were reports that West was considering an offer to play in Russia but those rumors have since been said to be false. West wants a five-year contract. The Cavs have offered several options, including a four-year deal with the final year a team option. The Cavs signed their back up point guard, Daniel Gibson, to a five-year, $20.8 million. So far, the Cavs are offering their starting PG less than they gave their back up. If things break down, Delonte's agent has said that he will play for the qualifying offer of $2.7 million and become an unrestricted free agent after the 2008-09 season. A league source reports that Boston and Miami have both approached the Cavs with sign-and-trade offers for Delonte but were turned down by the Cavs. I would love to have Delonte back with the Celtics and if he is an unrestricted free agent next season, they may be able to bring him back. According to a league source, the Cavs have talked to Philadelphia 76ers guard Louis Williams, another restricted free agent. Williams reportedly turned down a $3.9 million contract with the Sixers. When Sasha Vujacic signed his contract with LA, he insisted that the Lakers keep a haircut clause out of the contract. After being blackmailed with a threat to jump to Eupope, the Lakers gave in with a 3 year 15 million dollar contract without a haircut clause. On his part, Vujacic wants to be the best shooter in the NBA next season. In that case, he will have to cut back on his whining about everything in order to be able to shoot more. The Nuggets roster is shaping up. With the trade for Renaldo Balkman, they now have 11 players under contract and are expected to keep restricted free agent JR Smith, who has gotten some interest from other teams lately. They will probably fill out their roster with vets who will sign for the league minimum. I can see Balkman blossoming on the Nuggets. He is a great defender and plays with a lot of energy. I have always liked him as a player and think the Knicks may regret giving him away. The new leadership of the Knicks are clearly distancing itself from the Isiah Thomas regime. Balkman was one of Isiah's first draft picks and they basically gave him to Denver for two players who are expected to be cut and a second round draft pick. The club also is expected to release Stephon Marbury. A Knicks source says that any transaction involving Marbury won't take place until late September or early October. The Blazers are really hoping that Darius Miles won't sign with a team and Blazers' GM has been doing all he can to dissuade teams from signing him. They have leaked confidential information and now a comment by Pritchard is being scrutinized as being over the line. Pritchard set off alarm bells throughout the league when he was asked if he thought there was a chance that Miles' injury would be declared "career ending," and he responded that he was "optimistic" that it would. I am pulling for Miles to catch on with a team even if it is just long enough to hang the Blazers out for his whole 18 million in salary. I may still be a bit bitter about the league not giving the Celtics any cap relief after Reggie Lewis died. It doesn't get any more career ending than that and they really hung the Celtics out. The 76ers have reached an agreement with free-agent shooting guard Kareem Rush. . Last season, the Sixers were last in the league in three-point shooting and they hope to shore that up with the Rush signing. Chauncey Billups is hoping to keep the core group of Pistons together in spite of statements by GM Joe Dumars that he was looking to break up the group and shake up the club this off season. both Billups and Tayshaun Prince have been dangled in trade rumors. Recently, Billups spent about 30 minutes sitting in a car with Pistons president Joe Dumars and reports are that the Pistons will give their veteran group another chance to win together this season. The thoughts are that the coaching change from Flip Saunders to a tougher Michael Curry, will make a difference with the group they have now. The Bobcats have reached an agreement with their franchise center, Emeka Okafor. The two sides have agreed in principle on a six-year contract worth at least $72 million. Negotiations moved slowly between the two camps with teams inquiring about sign and trade offers but the Bobcats made it clear that they weren't interested in any of the sign and trade offers. Okafor could have opted to take the qualifying offer of $7.1 million and become an unrestricted free agent, but they came to an agreement before it came to that. Yesterday I commented that the Warriors were overpaying for Andris Biedrins, but ESPN reports that the deal is for less than originally reported. The Warriors officially re-signed center Andris Biedrins to a six-year contract Monday worth a guaranteed $54 million and potentially topping $62 million with incentives. Biedrins' deal will pay $9 million annually for each of the next six seasons, with a player option included for Biedrins to return to free agency in the summer of 2013 after the fifth year.

Tuesday Morning NBA Headlines

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:59:53 -0500

The Bobcats and PF Emeka Okafor have agreed to a six-year, $72 million contract extension. Nenad Krstic will leave the Nets to play for a team in Moscow paying $3 million euros a year, the equivalent of about $9 million dollars. Philadelphia has picked up former Indiana Pacers SG Kareem Rush Detroit and free agent PF Kwame Brown have agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal Ricky Davis' return to Miami didn't last long, as he just agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Knicks have traded F Renaldo Balkman to the Denver Nuggets for a 2010 second round draft choice, SG Taurean Green and SF Bobby Jones.

Too Many Kwames in Detroit

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:23:17 -0500

Frankly, this town isn't big enough for two Kwame's. And the way Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick runs his ship, I wouldn't be surprised if Kwame Brown had a "tragic accident". Watch your back Mr. Brown...

Just in: Ricky Davis & Kwame Brown Love Each Other

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:47:59 -0500

Strange night for the NBA as three things happened: 1. Ricky Davis signed with the Clippers 2. Kwame Brown signed with the Pistons 3. This photo was caught as the two celebrated in Las Vegas Strange night for the much-hyped, over-achieving tandem.

Joe Dumars Losing It - Signs Kwame Brown For $4 Mil

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:21:48 -0500

Remember when Joe D said there was going to be some major changes in D-Town? Well, I guess it means throwing $8 mil in the toilet over two years for Kwame Brown. Sure, he's one of the worst #1 picks ever (Kandiman's still worse), but he is a young big who can play decent position D. BUUTTT, there's no room for him on the Pistons, even if they trade Sheed. Amir Johnson's needs to try and earn his contract, and Maxiell needs to run wild. Plus, $4 million is probably twice what cake-boy was fetching in the open market. Geez, Joe D needs to make some major move - I'm talking T-Mac major - to make up for this inactivity this summer. Oh, you can check out more thoughts here: http://www.ingamenow.com/teams/4/1/NBA Sort of a Twitter for sports.

I Hereby Nominate Kwame Brown For "Luckiest Bastard In The NBA"

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:56:52 -0500

Just when you thought that Kwame would be exiled to the Euro League (where he rightfully deserves to TAKE his butterfinger ball-handling cuz he's washed up), Joe Dumars comes out of hiding to make what is sure to be one of the many "big moves" that he promised at the end of the semi's. It has been reported that DET has offered Kwame "Butterfingers" Brown a 2 yr deal worth $4m per year. How does he keep pulling these deals out of his ass when everyone keeps thinking he's "done and ready to be shipped out"? I just don't get it. (I think he's trading sexual favors but you didn't hear that from me.) All I can say to this deal with Detroit is "ARE YOU F***ING SERIOUS, JOE DUMARS?"... SERIOUSLY!! Although the deal is half the LENGTH of Ronny Turiaf's who just signed with the Warriors, it is basically the SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY …. For about 1/8th the result. It's no secret that I have NO LOVE LOSS for Kwame and nearly threw a parade when he got shipped off to Memphis but this is just ABSURD to be paying a guy like THAT, money that he JUST DOESN'T DESERVE. Detroit is sure to be in serious trouble if THIS is the kind of player they are chasing in free agency. So many people they have had opportunities to get their hands on that would have served them SO MUCH BETTER that they chose to pass on. Exhibit A: BRIAN SKINNER of the PHX SUNS, Exhibit B: Earl Barron of the HEAT, Exhibit C: David Harrison from the PACERS. Ugh…. I am outraged that considering they're in need of a "big man" that they would even consider Kwame over those 3 candidates … not to mention RONNY TURIAF. I mean, I watch the guy play almost nightly here in L.A. and I can tell you that he will definitely be missed as our back-up around here…. Only time will tell but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Joe Dumars, although he won't say it PUBLICLY, will end up regretting the decision he has just made to acquire Krackpot Kwame…. Not to mention that the Pistons will probably be a 5-7 rank team as a result of not pursuing the right kind of talent for their roster.

NBA Free Agency: The Best of Who's Left

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:39:53 -0500

With the Olympics right around the corner and the spotlight soon to be on Team USA, Screaming Sports' Serena Hays takes one finally look at NBA Free Agency and its potential impact on 2008-2009 fantasy basketball. She examines the six best remaining free agents and what role they might play for fantasy GMs this coming season.