http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4408 Recent articles about Vince Carter en-us I love covering the NBA. It's amazing sometimes how one comment or one second-hand report bounces around in the echo chamber and suddenly becomes a big story. Take, for instance, Rod Thorn's comment that Richard Jefferson "didn't seem very happy" when the news broke about the trade that would send him to the Bucks. Keep in mind that Thorn hadn't actually spoke to Jefferson when he made that comment. He had only spoke to Jefferson's agent and tried to call and text Jefferson himself. Suddenly, there were reports everywhere that Jefferson was upset with being traded to Milwaukee. Some people even wondered if he'd try to force a trade elsewhere. There's that echo chamber that I was talking about... (Read the rest after the jump.) Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:32:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287356 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287356 As they were putting some of the finishing touches on the Richard Jefferson-Yi Jianlian deal, the Nets received a call from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who offered them Wally Szczerbiak and his expiring, $13.2 million salary for Vince Carter. According to two Eastern Conference executives, who asked for anonymity so as not to spill Rod Thorn's secrets, the Nets considered it -- but not for very long. Thorn would not comment on the discussion yesterday, but while the deal would have crippled his offense, it would have freed up yet more money for the 2010 free-agent market. The Nets have only $36 million earmarked toward player salaries that summer, and the removal of Carter's four-year contract would cut that in half. Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:07:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283525 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283525 The NBA draft is just days away and undoubtedly, someone will make a franchise crippling decision, like drafting the next Kobe Bryant and trading him for an over-the-hill center, or passing on the next Dwayne Wade in favor of the European mystery bag that is Darko Milicic. Only time will tell how good (or not so good) this class will be, but for now, let's take a look at some blunders of the past. 10. Jonathan Bender, Toronto Raptors/Indiana Pacers Perhaps 13 teams missing on Kobe Bryant three years earlier played a role in this 1999 selection, but Bender was undoubtedly a mistake. Selected fifth overall by the Raptors and promptly dealt to the Pacers, Bender was selected in front of talents like Shawn Marion, Richard Hamilton, and Corey Maggette. 9. Ed O'Bannon, New Jersey Nets One could argue that Joe Smith was a bad pick at number one overall, considering the talent in the 1995 draft class. I would argue that 13 years later, he's still in the league. By 1997, Ed O'Bannon wasn't. Not good for a top ten pick. Michael Finley or Brent Barry would have been more serviceable picks. 8. Shawn Bradley, Philadelphia 76ers It's tough to call a guy who lasted 12 years a bust. At 7'5", Bradley was supposed to be a giant who could run the floor. Unfortunately he was just a giant. Despite his lack of athleticism, size can help a whole lot in the NBA, and he sure had that. However, the Sixers probably wish they would have sent the card in with Penny Hardaway or Jamal Mashburn's name instead. 7. Kwame Brown, Washington Wizards In 2001, the Wizards were looking to start over and Kwame Brown was to be the face of the franchise. Sadly, it was an ugly, ugly face. Averaging 7.5 points and 5.7 boards a game for a career, Brown was a huge bust. It's astonishing that the Wizards were able to deal him to Los Angeles for Caron Butler, who went on to play make back to back All-Star appearances in 2007 and 2008. 6. Michael Olowokandi, Los Angeles Clippers The Clippers tend not to draft well. With a pretty good 1998 draft class, they really shouldn't have bombed, but boy did they… The "Kandi Man" was selected first overall, in front of Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison and Mike Bibby. 5. Rick Robey, Indiana Pacers How does one average less than 15 points and 8 rebounds a game in college and still get drafted in the top three? It's still a mystery thirty years later, but in 1978, the Pacers made Robey a top three selection. In hindsight, they probably shouldn't have let a hometown kid from Indiana State fall to the Celtics at pick six. Larry Bird probably would have been a better selection. 4. Dennis Hopson, New Jersey Nets Hopson was picked third in the 1987 draft and actually went on to have a decent career. But it wasn't the career of a Scottie Pippen, Kevin Johnson or Reggie Miller – all picked after him. 3. Darko Milicic, Detroit Pistons You knew he was coming. The 2003 draft was among the best in history, and certainly in recent memory. But pick number two was not one of the next big stars in the NBA. Darko was selected in front of Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, David West and Josh Howard, among others. 2. LaRue Martin, Portland Trail Blazers If you're the number one pick in the draft, you should really stay in the league longer than four seasons. You should probably average more than 5 points a game. It could be argued that Bob McAdoo (picked second) or Julius Erving (picked twelfth) would have been better picks in 1972. Perhaps… 1. Sam Bowie, Portland Trail Blazers Taken number two overall in 1984 by the Blazers, Bowie had an okay career. But what makes a bad pick a bad pick in the NBA isn't necessarily how good or bad you were, but how good or bad everyone around you in that draft was. And in the Blazers defense, they already had Clyde Drexler, so the pick made sense at the time. Unfortunately for Sam Bowie, and the Blazers, the team passed on guys like Charles Barkley, John Stockton, and some guy who used to wear 23 in Chicago. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:27:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281819 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281819 Dan Fegan, agent for Heat forward Shawn Marion, said Sunday night it is "highly unlikely" that his client will opt out of his $17.8 million for next season. Marion must finalize his decision by Tuesday at 6 p.m., but Fegan said unless there was a dramatic shift in talks with Heat President Pat Riley, "I don't think we're opting out." While bypassing the opt-out would leave Marion under contract for 2008-09, on the final year of his contract, it also would cast doubts on the forward's presence with the Heat in the long run. Marion had hoped to negotiate a long-term extension, in the $60 million range, a package that would have been easier to arrange under salary-cap rules had he opted out by Tuesday and then agreed to a new deal in the offseason, similar to the move made last summer by New Jersey Nets guard Vince Carter. Now, any extension for Marion in the range the forward is seeking could cut severely into the Heat's cap space for the 2010 offseason, when players such as Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh can become free agents. Riley has stressed that maintaining cap space for that offseason is his financial priority. The most amicable resolution with Marion should he not opt out would be a trade, with Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Clippers forward Elton Brand and Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer among the options. Marion would be eligible to be dealt as soon as Tuesday's opt-out deadline passes. Marion was acquired in February from the Phoenix Suns along with point guard Marcus Banks in exchange for center Shaquille O'Neal. Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:57:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281013 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281013 As the 2008 NBA Drafts looms closer and the New York Knicks have the sixth pick overall I am reminded of the man in this video. His name is Frederic Weis. You will notice here he gets tea-bag dunked on by Vince Carter, something that shouldn't happen if your a professional athlete, and then something that really shouldn't happen if you are seven feet tall. I bring him up because the Knicks drafted him once many moons ago. Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:24:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276887 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276887 Here's an offseason preview for the New Jersey Nets. This installment asks the burning questions and postulates potential moves that would or could be made if PHSports was the GM. Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:49:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275871 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275871 With Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley questioning the Gasol deal to the Lakers, is that the worst trade in recent NBA history? If not, which ones were worse? There are some options to reflect on at RaptorsForum to refresh some of your memories incase you can't remember some of them. ;) Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:39:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274431 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274431 There's something glorious about watching a basketball player shatter a backboard with a thunderous dunk. Its even more special to watch a 4 minute compilation of dunks destroying backboards. This is just fun right here. Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:08:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273743 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273743 One thing I agonize about all the time is finding that perfect wallpaper for my desktop. I'm sure many of you can back me on this when I say that this is a long tedious process that requires hours of relentless searching to only come up short of finding that perfect wallpaper. With you, the user in mind, we have compiled a Top 10 list of NBA Superstar Wallpapers to try and ease some of the searching struggles. Tue, 27 May 2008 11:57:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271394 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271394 (Here is my follow-up article to the '07-08 Slam Dunk stats). Which players throw down lots of dunks, but still have solid 3-point range? Which players rack up steals and blocks, but don't commit a ton of fouls? The ones with the most Divergent Skills of course! The "Divergent Skills Gauge" was created by USA Today several years ago. The leaders are some of the most athletic & versatile stars in the NBA. Click below to see who made the cut. *As an added bonus, you get to see why the Warriors are the most versatile team in the league (w/ a Mac Mall song to back it up) and why the Knicks suck so bad! Sat, 24 May 2008 05:22:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270528 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270528 This is the second of five installments of my position-by-position rankings, where I consider the four major factors that affect a player's total value: talent (statistical performance), affordability, age and potential. To see a more detailed explanation of my approach, give my point guard rankings a gander. To summarize a player's stats, I'll use the NBA Efficiency statistic, which is defined as: EFF = ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) - ((Field Goals Att. - Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Att. - Free Throws Made) + Turnovers)) Essentially, the order of this list depends on the answer to the question - would you trade Player X for Player Y, assuming the goal is to win a title in the next three seasons, while also building a strong franchise for years to come? On with the rankings: 1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers Age: 29 EPG: 26.8 Contract: three years, $69.1 M ($23.0 M per) His salary is astronomical, which makes it difficult to rank him ahead of the almost-as-effective-for-half-the-price Manu Ginobili, but Kobe is probably the league's best one-on-one player and is the only guy who can match Manu's fire and competitiveness. 2. Manu Ginobili, Spurs Age: 30 EPG: 19.9 Contract: two years, $20.6 M ($10.3 M per) Ginobili should still be effective for the next three years, so his very reasonable contract makes him a reasonably close second to Kobe. His game has no holes and he is one of the best players in the league in the clutch. 3. Brandon Roy, Blazers Age: 23 EPG: 19.4 Contract: three years, $12.2 M ($4.1 M per) Who would you rather have - Roy for $4.1 million per season or Dwyane Wade for $15.8 million? I'd take Roy and spend the difference elsewhere. He's a terrific combo guard that has helped to bring the Blazers back to respectability. (See the rest of the list after the jump.) Mon, 19 May 2008 13:23:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/268570 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/268570 This article from hoopsworld.com takes a look at how the NBA has been impacted by UNC. It talks about Jordan, Worthy, Sheed, Jamison, Felton ..... the past, present & future greats out of Carolina. Worth a read, even if you are a Duke fan. Fri, 09 May 2008 12:57:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265237 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265237 No question about it, MVP Kobe Bryant is the best shooting guard and the best player in the NBA. He averaged 28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG and 1.5 SPG, while leading his team to clinch the top seed in the West. He's one of the most explosive players in the league, and if you want the ball in anyone's hands in the 4th quarter, it's in his. Player (Current Team/Former Team) PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, BPG * = Best in Category (R) = Rookie Steals 1+ Shown 1. Kobe Bryant (LAL) 28.3*, 6.3, 5.4, 1.5, 1.2 BPG (Playoffs) 2. Allen Iverson (DEN) 26.4, 3, 7.1*, 2* 3. Tracy McGrady (HOU) 21.6, 5.1, 5.9, 1 4. Dwyane Wade (MIA) 24.6, 4.2, 6.9 1.7 5. Joe Johnson (ATL) 21.7, 4.5, 5.8, 1 6. Vince Carter (NJN) 21.3, 6, 5.1, 1.2 7. Jason Richardson (CHA) 21.8, 5.4, 3.1, 1.4 8. Manu Ginobili (SAS) 19.5, 4.8, 4.5, 1.5 9. Michael Redd (MIL) 22.7, 4.3, 3.4 10. Ray Allen (BOS) 17.4, 3.7, 3.1 11. Kevin Martin (SAC) 23.7, 4.5, 2.1, 1 12. Brandon Roy (POR) 19.1, 4.7, 5.8, 1.1 13. Monta Ellis (GSW) 20.2, 5, 3.9, 1.5 14. Rip Hamilton (DET) 17.3, 3.3, 4.2, 1 15. (R) Kevin Durant (SEA) 20.3, 4.4, 2.4, 1, 0.9 BPG* 16. Mike Miller (MEM) 16.4, 6.7*, 3.4 17. Leandro Barbosa (PHX) 15.6, 2.8, 2.6 18. Ben Gordon (CHI) 18.6, 3.1, 3 19. Jason Terry (DAL) 15.5, 2.5, 3.2, 1.1 20. Raja Bell (PHX) 11.9, 3.7, 2.2 21. Randy Foye (MIN) 13.1, 3.3, 4.2 22. Rashad McCants (MIN) 14.9, 2.7, 2.2 23. Cuttino Mobley (LAC) 12.8, 3.6, 2.6, 1 24. DeShawn Stevenson (WAS) 11.2, 3.9, 3.1 25. Larry Hughes (CHI/CLE) 12.2, 3.4, 2.7, 1.5 26. Anthony Parker (TOR) 11.4, 4.1, 2.2, 1 27. Ronnie Brewer (UTA) 12, 2.9, 1.8, 1.7 28. J.R. Smith (DEN) 12.3, 2.1, 1.7 29. Wally Szczerbiak (CLE/SEA) 11.5, 2.9, 1.4 30.. Willie Green (PHI) 12.4, 2.5, 2 Just Missed It Juan Carlos Navarro 10.9, 2.6, 2.2 Michael Finley 10.1, 3.1, 1.4 Jerry Stackhouse 10.7, 2.3, 2.5 Wed, 07 May 2008 13:21:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264312 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264312 Some things don't happen very often. Total eclipses, Haley's comet, a Knicks win. So that's why when something extraordinary happens, you have to take notice. Tonight, the Raptors stepped up and played a solid game, playing like a team that just wanted it more than the other team they were playing. But that's not the part that was so abnormal. No, that came as the Raptors got their asses served to them in the first quarter, but then MADE DEFENSIVE ADJUSTMENTS that actually worked, resulting in a complete shut down of the Nets. The Nets were simply being more aggressive than the Raptors in the first quarter, attacking the basket and using their athleticism to create scoring opportunities. It didn't look like the Raptors were going to have any sort of plan to stop the Nets and to be honest, it didn't look like they were completely into the game. As much as we often wonder what was said at halftime that leads to the Raptors coming out and stinking up the joint in the third quarter, tonight was the complete opposite. After the first quarter, you could see the Raptors staying back a step and a half, tempting the Nets to take the outside jumper, in essence, playing themselves out of the game. Once those outside shots started missing, you could see the frustration setting in and sure enough, Richard Jefferson disappeared like he typically does when he misses a few or doesn't take off right at the start of the game. Was it just me or were there a lot of touch fouls tonight? Wow. Some of them were almost Jordanesque. Good to see the TJ/Jose combo working well again and it was also good to see that while Devin Harris burned TJ a couple of times by putting the ball on the floor, TJ didn't come right back trying to prove a point. He just came back down the court and found a way to create a shot for his teammates. That's a good sign of maturity, which is something TJ has lacked at points during this season. It was good to see Carlos Delfino making some shots again, but you have to wonder what is going on with Jason Kapono. In one of the threads on our message board, I was talking about how Kapono hasn't really been doing any work to create shots for himself, meaning that he hasn't been moving in order to get good looks. Nobody thinks he is a Rip Hamilton out there, running a marathon every time down the court in order to get a shot off, but when you are a shooter, play 17 minutes and get off 1 shot, you have to wonder what the hell is going on. If plays are not being run specifically for him out there (and if plays were actually being run by the Raptors, Kapono would probably be a bit down the list), but if they aren't, then he has to create some openings so the Raps can actually get a pass to him where he can square up and let'er rip. So speaking of Rip Hamilton, the Raptors head into Detroit on Sunday for a mid-day affair that will not be easy. Hopefully some of the lessons learned tonight carry over to their next game. Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:48:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235844 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235844 There have been so many games this year that were considered "statement games" that the term lost its importance realtively early. When you have to make so many statements, you either aren't speaking the language properly or your talking has required you to do more talking. The Raptors didn't look like anything special against the Bucks the other night and I wouldn't consider that a game that speaks to the team being ready to head into the playoffs. Would a win against the Nets make any more of a statement? Well, it all depends on what kind of a win we are talking about. Remember, we have seen a few different Nets teams this season. We have seen a Nets team that has had its ass handed to it, but we have also seen a Nets team that has just outhustled the Raptors. When you have Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson outhustling you on any given night, you have to take a serious look in the mirror. You have to wonder if there is a worse pair of quitters in the NBA, two other guys who simply disappear in games where they are either bumped around a bit at the start or miss their first few opportunities. The Raptors and their fans can keep talking about statement games and showing everybody that they are a good team, but they will need to convince themselves that they are able to get a lot tougher; that they are able to take care of teams like the Nets. That isn't to say that the Nets are a bad team, they're not. Let's be honest here, they're not that far behind the Raptors. As much as they are able to completely disappear during games, RJ and VC have been playing well lately, actually looking like they care about playing for something. I haven't seen either one of them put on their ass lately, so that may account for something. Throw out Primo in the first few minutes to send a few messages their way and maybe we could see RJ and VC crawl back into their oh so familiar holes. The guy I always dread is Nachbar. For some reason, he just seems like he gets a lot of good looks. This could be because he isn't as deadly of a threat from 3 as people seem to think he is (35%), so there isn't a real need to play right up on him, but I think he also does a good job of moving without the ball and creating space. You have to lose some respect for a guy who is supposed to be a shooter, yet shoots under 80% from the line. That says, "headcase" to me. Guy has a sore back right now, so he might see a lot of bench time anyway. Seriously, Stromile Swift is still in the NBA? I guess…he had 10 and 6 against the Raps last time around, but he just seems like a guy who just can't put it all together. Sometimes it is strange how a guy just has an image like that. Well, enjoy the game. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:01:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235180 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235180