Yardbarker: Maurice Evans

Maurice Evans Signed by the Hawks

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:30:54 -0500

It was reported that Maurice Evans was close to signing a 3-year deal with the Warriors, but Evans has signed with the Atlanta Hawks to fill the gap Josh Childress left, which may be a reason the Warriors matched the Clippers' offer for Kelenna Azubuike. After being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers with Brian Cook, Mo Evans averaged career highs of 9.3 PPG and 3.1 RPG with the Orlando Magic. He might not have J-Chill's scorching 57% FG, but Evans averaged 49% from the field and 59% FG in the conference semi-finals. The 29-year-old Evans will be a good swingman for the Hawks and adds veteran experience that the Hawks lack with their young team. He's a journeyman who's also played with the T'Wolves, Kings and Pistons in his 5-year career. Now he faces the challenge of becoming the 6th man for the Hawks and helping them to get to their 2nd straight playoff appearance.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Lots of Signings Edition

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:16:08 -0500

Former Celtic Sebastian Telfair isn't the only player who plays with guns. Hornets' guard Rasual Butler was arrested June 23 after witnesses told Miami Beach police a man holding a firearm had made threats. Based on the arrest report, when police arrived at the scene, Butler was seated in the back seat of a sport utility vehicle. When officers asked Butler if he had any weapons, he told them he didn't, but that his gun was in the car. The police found an automatic weapon that was cocked and had a bullet in the chamber on the floor of the car. Butler was scheduled to enter a plea on Wednesday, but the hearing was reset for Aug. 4. First, the Clippers signed Baron Davis away from the Warriors. Then, the Warriors signed Corey Maggette away from the Clippers. But the Warriors were not about to let the Clippers get another of their players if they could help it. They have matched the offer that the Clippers made last week to Kelenna Azubuike. The Warriors also signed Ronny Turiaf away from the Lakers, who chose not to match the offer, and they signed their second round draft pick, forward Richard Hendrix. The Warriors then completed a very busy day by re-signing their free agent guard Monta Ellis to a six-year, $67 million contract. Ellis got quite a raise in that as the 40th player selected in the 2005 draft, Ellis was paid just $770,610 last season. He will earn $11 million in 2008-2009. Ellis was the Warriors' shooting guard last season, playing next to Baron Davis, but with Davis' departure, he is expected to move to point guard this season. By keeping Azubuike, the Warriors will no longer pursue free agent swingman Maurice Evans who was reported to have signed with the Warriors. But, a Warriors source told Bay Area News Group that Evans spurned their three-year, $6.4 million looking for more money, and so the Warriors changed direction and matched the Azubuike offer. There have been rumors that the Celtics have contacted Evans and it seems that he would be a nice fit for the Celtics who could use an athletic swingman like Evans who's known as a solid defender and good three-point shooter (sound like anyone the Celtics just lost?). The Warriors still have unfinished business though as they haven't re-signed free agent Andris Biedrins. Biedrins' top choice is to stay with the Warriors. He is looking for a salary somewhere in the ballpark of the five-year, $50-plus million. With the other signings for the Warriors, it looks like that kind of a deal is out for Biedrins, however. He could reject any Warriors' offer and accept the $3.6 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next offseason or he could accept any of several lucrative contracts being offered by European teams. Just hours after bringing former Nugget Chris Anderson back to the team, the Denver Nuggets agreed to a one-year deal with free agent guard Dahntay Jones. Jones was drafted by Boston in 2003 but sent to Memphis in the trade that brought Kendrick Perkins and Marcus Banks to Botson. Jones was also given a look by the Celtics last season in training camp. After a good showing in Summer League, the Nuggets gave Jones a one-year fully guaranteed deal for the NBA minimum of $926,678. Some money details are coming out on a couple of big deals. The Express News reports that The deal that the Spurs gave Kurt Thomas was for a total of $8 million — $4.2 million next season and $3.8 in 2009-10. The Spurs have also signed Anthony Tolliver, who impressed on the Spurs' summer league squad, to a partially guaranteed contract. This is similar to the contract the Celtics signed Brandon Wallace to after his impressive summer league last season. Details on Josh Childress' contract with Olympiakos have emerged. His contract is worth $32.5- million over 3 years. The Hawks had offered five years at $33 million but it wasn't enough to keep Childress from jumping the NBA ship for Europe. After landing the big free agent of the offseason in luring James Posey away from Boston, the Hornets are trying to re-sign their own free agents. They are hoping to resign Jannero Pargo who wants a three-year deal but they lost Chris Andersen to the Nuggets. Word is that they are going to let Bonzi Wells walk but may make an offer to try to keep Ryan Bowen. With the official signing of Anthony Roberson on Wednesday, the Knicks now officially have 16 contracts which is one more than the NBA max and their league high payroll is once again over $100 million at $100,161,287. They need to do something and odds are that with a crowded backcourt, Marbury and his $21.9 million contract may be the one to go. other options may be Malik Rose, or one of the other smaller contracts like Balkman or Collins who have a team option for the 2009-2010 season. Sebastian Telfair's three-year deal with the Wolves is worth $7.5 million with $2.3 million this coming season and an option to stick with the Wolves in 2010-2011 for $2.7 million. Reports are that the Wolves appear to be getting closer to re-signing Ryan Gomes. Their offer will probably be in the $3 million a year range. There aren't many teams who can offer much more than that left in the hunt for free agents. After losing one of their free agents, the Lakers are still trying to come to an agreement with their other free agent, Sasha Vujacic. Vujacic is seeking a multiyear deal from the Lakers averaging about $5 million a year. Vujacic was hoping for a six-year deal, but anticipated it could be a shorter contract. However, word from Vujacic is that he is prepared to leave the team and accept an offer from a European team in the next few days if the Lakers don't make him an offer he considers to be fair. East Valley Tribune suggests that the flexibility that Matt Barnes will give the Suns makes Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa expendable and might open the door for them to go after Kirk Hinrich who they have been interested for some time. I still think that Barnes would have been a great pick up for the Celtics, especially since he signed for a minimum contract. It seems as though the Blazers will spare nothing to try to dissuade teams from signing Darius Miles and thus put his $9 million in salary back on their club. First there was the leaking of the details of his suspension to the median. Now, Blazers GM is giving out details of Miles' injury that could land him in hot water. From the Sports Tribune: "Two doctors said Darius had the worst microfracture injury they had ever seen," Pritchard said on an Oregonlive.com blog this week. "They would never have him play basketball and the odds of having knee replacement surgery is high. I hear that, and as a general manager, I didn't want it on my conscience – that I had a kid have to go through a knee replacement surgery. That's a pretty major surgery. They saw (two bones) and replace (the knee). It's a bad deal." In a story posted April 14 on the Portland Tribune's Web site, Pritchard said, "The doctors had actually said, 'If you were my son, I'd never have you pick up a basketball again.' I'm the kind of GM (that) I wouldn't want that on my head that he ever had to have knee replacement." By revealing the specific details of Miles' injury, Prichard is in violation of the privacy provisions in the Health Insurance Portability and Availability Act of 1996. All of the underhanded activity by the Warriors in trying to prevent teams from giving Miles a chance make me really hoping the kid gets his comeback. Besides, I still am angry over the league not giving the Celtics any relief when Reggie Lewis died. I really hope Miles comes back and sticks it to the Warriors. Josh Childress has opened the flood gates for NBA players considering jumping to Europe for lucrative deals when they can't get what they feel they are worth in the NBA. The latest to consider the jump is former Celtic Delonte West. Russian basketball team Dynamo Moscow is discussing a two-year, $10 million offer with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West, according to source close to West. Delonte is a restricted free agent and he could sign a $2.76 million qualifying offer for the 2008-09 season and become an unrestricted free agent next year if he chooses to stay in the NBA and doesn't feel that the Cavs are offering enough. Delonte has been plagued with various injuries throughout his career so far and so taking the qualifying offer is risky if he is unable to stay healthy and earn a bigger payday next season.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Six Degrees of Separation Edition

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:37:01 -0500

On the day that James Posey was introduced in New Orleans and vows to do whatever the coach asks of him for a team he sees poised to make a run at the title, the Celtics officially re-signed Eddie House and Tony Allen. On Sports Tonight, Tony said that the math was simple. If Posey signed, he and Eddie would have had to find a home elsewhere. It was one or the other. Danny said that Doc was worried about letting Tony go because he feels that Tony is going to have a break out year after watching him practice at the end of last season. Another player who would have fit nicely on the Celtics is off the market. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Chris Andersen is returning to the Nuggets. The Birdman had visited Boston for 2 days early in the free agency period and Danny seemed to have interest in him and vice versa. Now, Andersen has agreed to a one year contract with the Nuggets and will continue his NBA comeback in Denver where he was a fan favorite from 2001-2004. I was hoping the Celtics would sign him, even though they already signed Patrick O'Bryant to back up Perk since O'Bryant may be more of a project than immediate help and Andersen would come in with athleticism and energy off the bench at the center position. Good signing by the Nuggets. Denver was reported to be seriously considering signing Francisco Elson to replace the recently departed Marcus Camby. With Andersen signing in Denver, that leaves Elson out and looking for another team that may want him. Depending on how quickly Patrick O'Bryant develops, a one year league minimum contract to Elson might make sense for the Celtics. Although, it would remain to be seen how KG would feel about playing with a guy who called him gay. Another player who had been linked to the Celtics as a possible Posey replacement was Maurice Evans. Mercury News reports that the Warriors have signed Evans to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. This means that the Warriors will not match the offer that their restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike signed with the Clippers. Evans would have made sense to replace Posey because he is an athletic swingman who's known as a solid defender and good three-point shooter and would have filled those roles left vacant by Posey's departure. The Clippers and Jazz have swapped point guards. The Clippers will receive Jason Hart from the Jazz and will send Brevin Knight to Utah. Last season, when the Celtics were in the market for a back up point guard, Knight was considered a serious candidate but signed with the Clippers instead while Sam Cassell was bought out by the Clippers and ended up signing with the Celtics. This is starting to feel like a game of 6 degrees of separation. In David Thorpe's chat on ESPN.com, he was asked what he thought about JR Giddens and whether he will amount to anything or if Danny wasted a pick on him. Thorpe's response was that his athleticism could be a help off the bench. And when asked which 3rd year guy he sees improving the most from his sophomore season, Thorpe mentioned that Rondo should improve his game overall for next season. The Portland Trail Blazers signed guard-forward Nicolas Batum on Wednesday. Batum played the past three seasons in the French ProA League. He was the 25th overall pick in the draft by Houston who traded his rights to Portland. Leading up to the draft, Batum was a popular choice on the mock drafts for the Celtics with the 30th pick. The OC Register reports that the Lakers are no longer pursuing a trade for Ron Artest. Instead of the Ron Ron rumors in Laker land, there is talk that the Lakers have joined a list of teams interested in signing Luol Deng. The Bulls and Deng are having a hard time coming to an agreement on a deal and so rather than risk losing him, they may resort to a sign and trade and the Lakers are interested in making an offer if it comes to that. I can see a pattern to the players that the Lakers are pursuing this off season. Both Artest and Deng are known for giving Paul Pierce a hard time on defense. One of the problems the Lakers had in the Finals was trying to stop Paul Pierce. Getting either Artest or Deng would assure them of having a player who has given Pierce problems in the past. Now, if they only had an answer for KG, Ray Allen and Leon Powe, they would be all set. The Sixers have reached an agreement with Royal Ivey, who spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Ivey will not officially sign the minimum-salary contract until Monday, which is believed to be for 2 years and include a significant guarantee. Ivey will come off the bench to complement Lou Williams, that is, if the Warriors don't lure Williams away from Philly. That will give the Sixers 9 players under contract. Now that Josh Childress has made the leap to play in Europe next season, there is a lot of talk going around about other's following suit. Perhaps the most interesting is Jason Kidd talking about going to Europe when his contract is up. Playing in Europe could extend a player's career by a few years because they don't play the physical game that is found in the NBA. This is also why many European players have trouble adjusting to the NBA as they aren't used to the physical play that they run into when they come here. Carl Landry is also considering a jump to Europe if he can't get a satisfactory offer from an NBA team. Nenad Krstic is also considering joining fellow Nets free agent Bostjan Nachbar in accepting an offer to play overseas if he can't get the right deal from an NBA team. On the other hand, Bobby Brown, who made a big impression with his summer league play, rejected several offers to play overseas and is set to sign a 2 year deal with the Sacramento Kings. It seems that Brown was in demand as the Hornets pursues him along with Israel's Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Spanish giant Barcelona before he decided to accept the Kings' offer.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Options are Dwindling Edition

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:51:04 -0500

Options are dwindling for both teams and free agents as teams continue to make moves. Here is what is going on around the league today: Josh Childress has indeed left the Hawks to play in Greece. The Journal Constitution is reporting that Childress has agreed to a a three-year, fully guaranteed contract worth far more than the $20 million originally proposed. It will remain to be seen how this affects NBA free agency in the future. Any player not getting what they want can flaunt a European contract at their team and will have to be taken seriously. But, there are still many players who want to be in the NBA even if they are making far less than they could in Europe. Josh Smith, the Hawks' other big free agent, was wined and dined by the Sixers and then they signed Brand. Then, he was wined and dined by the Clippers before they got Camby. Now, the only team under the cap that could offer him more than the MLE is the Grizzlies but they are in cost cutting mode. So, it seems that Josh Smith is stuck with the Hawks unless they can work a sign and trade with someone. Sources say that the Hawks are offering Smith a six-year deal worth $60 million. The Journal Constitution is reporting that this isn't true, however and that the Hawks have never offered anything near that. The San Antonio Spurs re-signed 36 year old Kurt Thomas on Tuesday. Thomas joined the Spurs last season in the trade that sent Brent Barry and Francisco Elson. In a rather fishy move, Barry was released by the Sonics and went back to the Spurs to join new teammate Kurt Thomas. Thomas' return could put in question the return of Robert Horry and Michael Finley's to the Spurs. When the Nets acquired Keyon Dooling, Marcus Williams vowed to fight for his job as the Nets' point guard. He may be fighting for his job, but not with the Nets as they traded him to the Warriors for a future first-round pick. The Warriors are going to give Williams a chance to start along side of Monta Ellis, who is more of a shooting guard than a point. First Camby was traded to the Clippers for a second round pick and now Williams traded for a first round pick. Must be nice to be under the cap and able to pick up players for peanuts (and draft picks). The Warriors pick has plenty of strings attached, though. The pick is lottery protected for 2011. If it goes to 2012, the pick is protected 1-11. It's protected 1-10 for 2013. If they still haven't received the pick by 2013, the Nets get second-round picks in 2013 and 2015. ESPN reports that Detroit has offered to trade Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince twice this off season already. The first time was to try to pry Carmelo Anthony away from Denver. The second offer was to Houston for Tracy McGrady. Both offers were rejected. With the rumors that Detroit is considering making a bid for Artest they could be making a 3rd attempt to trade Billups and Prince. There seems to be some smoke here and there may be some fire behind it. It would be interesting to see the crowd react to Ron Ron being introduced to the Palace crowd for the first time as a Piston. Talk about mixed emotions. Personally I wouldn't want Artest for anything. The guy has been a cancer and a distraction everywhere he has gone. Ryan Gomes is such a classy person. The Star Tribune reports that Gomes is participating in the Wolves' summer promotional caravan. He doesn't have a deal with the Wolves but is on their promotional tour. "I made a commitment at the end of the season to do this," Gomes said from Mankato. "They (the team) asked me if I'd like to do this and I'm a community guy, so I said yes. I don't know where I'm going to be yet. I made a commitment and stuck with it." Gomes is looking for the full MLE but chances of getting it are dwindling. It seems unlikely that the Wolves wouldn't match anything less. I would really like to have him back in Celtics Green but all the Celtics could offer is half the MLE and unless Danny has incriminating pictures of McHale, the Wolves would probably match any offer we could afford to give. At this point in his career, he is looking for some security and possibly accepting the qualifying offer and then seeing what he can get as an unrestricted free agent next season could be his best move. As hard as Gomes works, his value should only improve. Mark Bartelstein has said that several teams, including the Celtics have inquired about his client, Devean George. In his interview on WEEI, Danny said that he hasn't had any talks with George. So, either Bartelstein is floating rumors to try to get other teams to make an offer before another team snaps him up or Danny is not wanting to tip his hand. I remember Danny being interviewed on WEEI another time as the trade deadline approached when he said that the Celtics had nothing in the works and nothing even close. Four hours later, the Celtics traded for Wally Szczerbiak. So, you can't trust what an agent says or what Danny tells you for that matter. The News Herald reports that Bartelstein is also in talks with the Cavs concerning George. Now that the Celtics have signed House and Allen, Danny says that he is taking some time off. He may make another deal, or he may roll the dice with the team we have. The Celtics lost Pollard, PJ Brown, Cassell and Posey. The Celtics have 2 promising rookies who could fill in the blanks. Gabe Pruitt should be able to fill in at the Point along with House. Tony, if healthy, can replace Posey's defense. Giddens and Walker may get a chance to prove themselves. Danny may go with what we have now and then save space to pick up someone if there is a need later on. The Charlotte Observer reports that negotiations with Emeka Okafor are at an impasse. He has one more year left and if they don't agree on an extension, he can walk after next season as an unrestricted free agent. Rather than let him walk for nothing next season, the Bobcats may try to arrange a sign and trade. Some possibilities for a sign and trade swap are Shawn Marion, Anderson Varejao, Andris Biedrins, Al Harrington, and Luol Deng. Delonte West is still unsigned. The News Herald reports that the Cavs want to sign him but that they aren't close to an agreement at this point. Other teams are interested but have been scared off by his restricted tag, figuring that since the Cavs do want him, they will just match any offer made. Daniel Gibson signed a 5 year contract with the Cavs that starts at $3.7 million and West is looking for more since he is the starting PG and Gibson is the back up. Of course, if they can't reach an agreement, Delonte could just accept the Cavs' qualifying offer of $2.76 million, play out the year, and the become an unrestricted free agent next year. That could be good or bad for him. If he has a great year, he will demand even more money next season. If he continues to be nagged with little injuries and struggles, then as a restricted free agent, he may not get as much as he would now. It's a gamble that may or may not pay off. The Express News is reporting that it appears that Robert Horry's days with the Spurs are over. Big Shot Bob has won 7 rings in his 16 seasons in the league. He has said that he wants to play another season in the league but the Spurs don't seem inclined to bring him back. Unless he gets an offer from another team, he may be forced to retire. Could Big Shot Bob be the next aging veteran to come on board the Celtics? Danny loves these guys who seem to be on their last legs but who have tremendous experience and can help a team in little ways. Horry fits the profile. The Portland Trail Blazers signed first-round pick Nicolas Batum on Tuesday. Batum was actually drafted by Houston with the 25th overall pick and then traded to the Blazers for two draft picks. This brings the team's roster to 14 players. They still have not made a decision on whether to sign Petteri Koponen. They don't feel he is ready for the NBA this season, but if they don't sign him now, he will likely sign a long term contract in Europe. If they sign him, he could spend some time in the D-League and accelerate his development. The Clippers signed Golden State forward Kelenna Azubuike (8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) to a three-year, $9.3 million offer sheet last week and the Warriors have until Friday to match the offer, but according to sources they won't match it because they signed forward Maurice Evans to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. We are about to enter into the quiet (read completely dead) part of the season for Celtics fans. Danny is going to take some time off. He lost one free agent and brought back 2 others. He still has to deal with the Celtics 2 draft picks and possibly pick up another free agent or even make a minor trade. But keep in mind, it wasn't until the end of August that Danny signed Posey last season and so he may wait until the dust settles to make another move. Reports are that Bill Walker is working hard to come back from the knee surgery and depending on how he looks, Danny may not make another move. If ready to contribute, Walker could be the back up at the 3 that the Celtics still need. I like the kid and think he could prove to be the steal of the draft.

Warriors Sign Maurice Evanssss

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:25:50 -0500

The Clippers aren't done dealing. They signed Golden State forward Kelenna Azubuike (8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) to a three-year, $9.3 million offer sheet last week.

The Warriors have until Friday to match the offer, but two NBA sources said they will not because they signed forward Maurice Evans, who split time between the Lakers and Orlando last season, to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. -- The Press-Enterprise

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Another One Gets Away Edition

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:42:39 -0500

AZ Central is reporting that Matt Barnes is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix Monday, expecting to sign a one-year veteran's minimum deal with the Suns after completing a physical. I was really hoping Danny would make an offer to Barnes as he would be a great replacement for Posey. It seems as though one free agent after another is being signed and the Celtics have yet to make a move to fill the empty spots on the bench. I just don't get Danny not having made a minimum offer to this guy already. Maybe he should give him a call real quick and make an offer. Xtra Sports has a couple of interesting rumors on their website. First is that the Celtics have approached the Lakers concerning a trade for Trevor Ariza. Scal's salary fits. I wonder if they are looking for a glue guy since Turiaf left. Along with the inquiries about Ariza, they report that the Celtics are talking to Orlando's Maurice Evans, the Warriors' Matt Barnes, and the Wolves' Ryan Gomes. Word is that Gomes is looking for a 2 year contract for the full MLE. The Celtics may offer that, but since Gomes is restricted, the Wolves will probably match. I like the idea of getting Barnes. I think he would be a great fit for the team but probably won't come cheap. Also according to Xtra Sports, rumors are flying around that the Lakers are trying to clear roster space in order to make a major trade to acquire Rasheed Wallace from Detroit or Ron Artest from Sacramento. They didn't match Turiaf's offer and that may clear the way for the trade for Artest. With the Nets deal for Dooling almost final, Marcus Williams is the odd man out and the Nets would like to trade him. They are said to be looking to package Williams and one of their other young players, such as forwards Josh Boone or Sean Williams, for a veteran. They still have eight players on their roster with two years' or less experience in the league. Maybe the Nets would like Scal back. What better player to guide their youngsters. Sean Williams and Marcus Williams would be nice additions to the Celtics. Come on, New Jersey, you need a glue guy like Scal and now he can bring championship experience (sort of) to your team. Atlanta Hawks free-agent forward Josh Childress is strongly considering a three-year, $20 million offer from Greek powerhouse Olympiakos, several league sources said Sunday night. Childress flew to Greece late Sunday and is scheduled to meet with Olympiakos officials on Monday. Childress has been frustrated with the Hawks who have refused to make a sign-and-trade deal for Childress with another team. One source reports that there's a better than a 50-50 chance he'll sign with Olympiakos. News is breaking that the Celtics have agreed to terms with two of their own free agents, Tony Allen and Eddie House. Both have agreed to 2 year deals. The Celtics used Tony's Bird rights but needed approximately half of the M LE to secure House. This pretty much eliminates the possibility of bringing Ryan Gomes back to Boston as he is seeking a deal close to the full MLE.

Moving Past Posey... Who's Left?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:50:42 -0500

Now that James Posey has made his decision and moved on to the Hornets, the Celtics need to make a move to fill their bench once again. At this point last season, everyone was talking about the Celtics weak bench and the need to fill the back up positions and we are back in the very same position this year. We have the starting 5 in place and if anything, they should be better than last season with both Perk and Rondo having another season of experience under their belts. Ray Allen came into last season after having double ankle surgery in the offseason and he should start out much stronger than he did last season. They have 2 promising rookies who are both known for their athleticism and defense. They also have Big Baby Davis, Leon Powe, and Gabe Pruitt who will all be another year better. They just signed Patrick O'Bryant to back up Perk in the center and he has a lot of potential but is also a question mark at this point. So, who is left out there to fill the blanks at the wing positions off the bench? Tony Allen 6'4" 26 years old 6.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 18.4 mpg The most obvious would be to resign Tony Allen on a 2 year league minimum contract. He didn't make a great impression on the league last season so I don't imagine he will be offered much more than that by another team. He's a potent slasher who can get to the rim thanks to a quick first step, and he's a thunderous finisher in transition. Like Posey, Tony excels on the defensive end of the court. Tony's athleticism makes him a very strong defender. The Celtics can re-sign him without using the MLE by using his Bird rights or a minimum contract. Matt Barnes 6'7" 28 years old Matt Barnes might be the free agent with the closest skill set to what the Celtics lost in James Posey. He is a hustle defender who can guard the 2, 3 or 4 and he can also hit big shots. His shooting draws big men away from the basket in the half court, and he handles the ball well enough to be a point forward at times. His toughness is valuable and his activity in the passing lanes makes him a threat to steal the ball. I think Danny can get him for a portion of the MLE just as he did Posey last season. Barnes would be my first choice along with a combination of Tony Allen and another player or two. Eddie House 6'1" 30 years old 7.5 ppg, 1.9 apg, .8 spg House wants to come back to Boston, but he wants more than the 1.5 million he got last year along with a longer contract than one year. House knows the system, played well last season and bought into ubuntu, never complaining when his minutes were cut and coming up with big shots in the playoffs. He is instant offense off the bench and can handle the point guard duties effectively. Danny shouldn't overpay for House, but if he can get him back for a reasonable contract, he should go for it. Maurice Evans 6'5" 29 years old 8.9 ppg, 1.1 apg, 3.1 rpg He can hit 3-pointers from the corner and will pull up from 17 off the dribble going to his left, plus he's a good rebounder for his size.Evans is a stay-at-home defender who rarely gambles for steals, but his size can be a negative when he's used at small forward. He's a poor dribbler but is strong and quite athletic. He'll throw down jams on the break but isn't as good in the halfcourt. Jannero Pargo 6'1" 28 years old 8.1 ppg, 2.4 apg, .6 spg With the signing of Posey, Pargo may have become more expendable. He hit some big shots in the playoffs for them and may have improved his stock. He has been mentioned as a target by several teams. He's quick and a decent shooter, so he can be very tough to guard when he gets rolling, but he isn't a great ball handler and tends to get called for carrying the ball at least once or twice a game. Defensively, Pargo struggles, which may eliminate him as a target for the Celtics as they built their team around defense last season. His lack of both size and strength makes him easy prey for opposing guards to post up, plus he gambles a too much. His quickness is an asset against fast guards, but on most nights he's a liability. Chris Andersen 6'10" 30 years old 1.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, .8 bpg Andersen is another player who may have become much more available with the signing of Posey. The Celtics have shown interest in him and he was in Boston for 2 days working out and talking with the Celtics. He should be available for the minimum or slightly above. He can back up the 4 and 5 and can defend the 3, 4 and 5 because of his sizes and athleticism. Stephon Marbury 6'1" 31 years old 13.9 ppg, 4.7 apg, .9 spg Marbury seems to be the odd man out in New York and there are reports that the Knicks will buy out the remainder of his contract. He has mentioned that he would like to play in Boston and KG has mentioned that they had a good relationship in Minny when they played there together. Pierce has mentioned that the Knicks should cut Marbury because he would fit better with a veteran team. Marbury isn't as explosive as he was in his prime, but he still is one of the strongest drivers in the league when going to his right. Marbury has improved his catch-and-shoot game the past couple seasons and his high-arcing 3-point shot has to be respected. Defensively, Marbury has the strength to handle matching up against shooting guards in a small backcourt. He does a reasonable job staying in front of point guards too. Marbury wouldn't do anything to replace Posey, but he could replace Cassell and House. The question with him would be attitude, but with KG on his case, that shouldn't be a problem in Boston. He also may sign for the minimum if NY gives him enough in his buyout. Ricky Davis 6'7", 31 years old 13.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.4 apg Ricky was one of my favorite players when he was in Boston. There were reports of his being a problem, but only after he was gone. Davis is one of the best midrange shooters in the league. He's absolutely deadly from 15 feet off the curl, especially on the left side of the court. He's also a very good passer.Davis locks in when guarding the ball, especially if it's a big-time scorer, but away from the play he tends to lose focus, not to mention his man. I doubt Danny would go for RickyD part 2, but he is an option and wouldn't be a bad one either. Quentin Ross 6'6" 27 years old 4.1 ppg, 1.2 apg, 43% 3P% Ross was all but useless offensively in his first two pro seasons, relying solely on his defensive skills to earn his playing time. But he has become more of an offensive threat, shooting 43% from beyond the arc last season. Ross' outstanding agility makes him one of the league's best defensive stoppers. He's not quite in the elite category because of physical limitations -- he's 6-6 so some bigger players can shoot over him, and at 193 pounds he's not as good in post defense as he is on the perimeter. However, he's great at staying in front of people and manages to be a pest at the same time -- he ranked in the top 20 at his position in both blocks and steals per minute. He would very likely sign for the minimum. Trenton Hassell 6'5" 29 years old 2 ppg, 1.3 rpg, .7 apg Hassell is a tough defender who does his best work against taller players. He's a good leaper who gets up to challenge shots even against 6-9 or 6-10 opponents, plus he has good quickness and a stopper's mentality. He never gambles -- he had the worst rate of steals per minute at his position -- but instead relies on his ability to challenge shots. Offensively, he is a liability. He can make the midrange shot when open, but shouldn't be counted on to make the big shots that Posey did. But, he would fill the hole left on defense that Posey's departure leaves. Bonzi Wells 6'5" 31 years old 9.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.3 apg One of the strongest guards in the league, Wells is nominally a shooting guard but prefers to play around the basket. He's tough to guard on the blocks, where he likes to shoot a high-arcing turn around jumpers. He is a very good rebounder and his rebound rate ranked first among all guards two seasons ago. He's not a good long-range shooter, however, shooting only 33% from beyond the arc for his career. Defensively, Wells has great anticipation that helps him to a very high steals rate. But he's also 31 and has had multiple knee surgeries, so beating him off the dribble isn't much of a challenge for quicker guards. As a result, Wells rarely guards top scorers and instead looks to intercede off the ball. There are more, but this gives hope that the Celtics can land a few good players who can give them the same qualities on the court that James Posey did. There are restricted free agents such as Josh Smith and Josh Childress, and Ryan Gomes who would be a great fit, but they are likely to demand much more than the Celtics are looking to spend and their teams would probably match any offer the Celtics could make. I think there are enough talented players out there that will give the Celtics a bench just as good if not better than last season. Now it is up to Danny to put Plan B into effect and find the right players at the right price.

The Breakdown On The Elton Brand Betrayal (From All Sides)

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:20:43 -0500

Every interview I've watched or listened to has Elton Brand stating emphatically "It wasn't about the money." Clearly that is TRUE because he left a lot of money on the table to go to Philly instead of Golden State which was offering him a more financially lucrative deal (about $2M/yr more). So let's talk about that. What could it have been about, if not the money? He says that he felt "disrespected by the Clippers". So HOW did they "disrespect" him, you ask? I'll get to that theory in a minute. I started the rumor that Brand was demanding 1) Guaranteed/Up-front Money AND/OR 2) A No-Trade Clause in his contract and I stand by it because it makes total sense. Now, anyone who knows about the Clippers knows about Donald Sterling and his renowned unwillingness to let go of two things: MONEY and POWER. Unfortunately, it appears that Elton went for the jugular in asking for BOTH. Was this the demise of the contract negotiations? I don't know. But I DO believe that one of those things was a factor and also was the way he used to buy himself time knowing that he was NEVER EVER going to get those demands out of Scrooge Sterling. First of all, he spent SEVENTY GAMES on the bench last season and hasn't earned that kind of "demand power" due to his diminished capacity and secondly because, let's face it, HE'S NOT KOBE BRYANT…. And the only person in the NBA with a no-trade clause IS KOBE. For Brand to have demanded that as a rider to his contract is not only absurd but INCREDIBLY BALLSY. The fact that Donald Sterling and the Clippers Organization was not going to be agree to those demands was what I believe perceived to be "disrespectful" to his so-called star quality. I'm just going to say this. He hasn't brought the Clippers any Championships and has no right to be demanding things like that when he can't bring it home single-handedly some nights the way people like Kobe, Lebron, or KG do on a REGULAR BASIS. That's all I'm gonna say about dat. Also, now let's also address the so-called "charity move" Elton made by opting out of his contract so that the Clippers could free up some money to go and "get him some help", most likely in the way of a point guard. IF the rumors that I heard swirling long before he "so graciously" agreed to opt out are TRUE, he ACTUALLY didn't need to opt out AT ALL in the FIRST PLACE. My little birdies tell me that the Clippers had NO INTENTION of signing Shaun Livingston because he was a liability…..So his money was already in the kitty. Also, they were not planning on pursuing Corey Maggette and thus, his money was up for grabs as well. So let's do the math: That leaves roughly $14.2M for next season's payroll (in addition to what they already had opening up). That being said, considering they went out and got Da Boom Dizzle for $13m/yr, JUST LIKE ELTON ASKED, they still had $1.2+ leftover to throw into Elton's kitty. Elton STOOD to make $16,440,000 next yr if he'd had exercised his option and stayed with the Clips. INSTEAD, he chose to go to Philly for $15,959,000/yr (a half million less). CONCEIVABLY, considering the choices the Clippers MADE, they could've afforded to give him the $16.4m his option allowed for AND another $1.2m for a total of about $17.6m. So clearly it's not about the money. Mike Dunleavy went on the record this morning on ESPN Radio saying that David Falk was trying to strong-arm the Clippers for $120M. Donald Sterling, responded by basically saying "Considering that injury, which could be career-threatening, I'm hesitant to be throwing around that much money. Let him play out the rest of his contract this season and if he proves himself and he's worth it, I have NO PROBLEM GIVING HIM THE MONEY." (I consider that to be a fair deal… you?) …..So Dunleavy relays this to Brand and Falk. THEN, Elton tells Dunleavy on the SIDE "Coach, my intention is to be here. It's always been to be here. If you can get Baron and get me $75m, I'll come back". So he sends that info along to Sterling and BossMan says "Ok, done deal". From that point on, Dunleavy suddenly couldn't get his texts, emails or phone calls returned. SO WHY DID HE F**K OVER HIS BOY, BARON DAVIS, BY LETTING HIM LEAVE ALOTTTTTTT OF MONEY ON THE TABLE TO COME TO HIS (NOW WORTHLESS) TEAM ….. AND WHY DID HE LIE TO THE CLIPPERS? Here's my take: He never had any intention of staying with the Clippers and he simply strung them along to buy time to find himself, what he considered to be a "CONTENDER TEAM" that would offer him somewhere in the same ballpark as the money he would get with the LAC but give him the opportunity to get some bling before his career went bust. But why would he burn his buddy and tell him to come to L.A. and "let's make magic" and then bone out at the last minute, burn the team, his friend and his reputation all because he THINKS he's going to have a better situation and a better shot at a title in Philly? One never knows but we DO know that Falk is the PuppetMaster here and everyone knows about the axe he has to grind with the Clippers for passing over Mike Bibby (his client) as the #1 pick "way back when". I'm going to say this. I think Elton made one of the worst mistakes ever in abandoning Baron Davis, who I believe is one of the best point guards in the LEAGUE let alone the Western Conference. He thinks he's going to be find greener pastures and a shiny ring at the end of that rainbow but I think all he's going to find is a lot of regret and disappointment in his decision. I think he and Baron Davis could have made the team of the future (and definitely would have been a strong contender for the NOTORIOUSLY BRUTAL Western Conference Playoffs) if he had stuck around. I also think that he was very petty in trying to tie in those stupid little demands but like I said, I think it was all smoke and mirrors and even if Sterling HAD agreed to that, he'd STILL have jumped ship. This whole thing is more confusing than trying to understand a Czechoslovakian TRAIN SCHEDULE but I'm definitely on Team Dunleavy with this one. Now here is where the rubber meets the road and the reason I wrote this in the first place. I don't care about Philly… and I don't care about the Clippers (sorry Johanna). But I DO LIKE BARON DAVIS and am really happy to see him in a better situation than the underappreciated nonsense he was subjected to up north (I know you agree with me Kath & Renee). HOWEVER, now that they have no Elton, no Maggette, a rookie shooting guard and a white boy playing center, the Clippers are kind of back at square one …. UNLESSSSSSS, they do, what I would consider a "Two Can Play At That Game" move by offering Andre Iguodala (who I ALSO think is an under-utilized player) an "offer he can't refuse" and poaching him for the Clippers. Many believe that Iggy was a big part of the reason he decided to go to Philly. Sources have said that Elton Brand believes he is the "missing link" to getting the 76ers over the hump in the Playoffs and putting themselves in contention for "That #1 Spot" in the East vs the Celtics. Somehow I don't see him being that "over the hump" kinda of addition that will make it happen, but that's a story for another time. The Clippers now OFFICIALLY have plenty of money to make it happen (Might I suggest $4.2m/yr?) and it would BURN PHILLY'S HOPES of putting together their version of the Dream Team to take on the Big Bad Boston Three Party. My last suggestions would be to go grab 7 footer Mikki Moore (since it looks like the Dark Side Duo of him and Artest's days in SAC are numbered) for about $6m (maybe 7?), snag Robert Horry for backup at $4m, then grab Carl Landry from the Rockets for about $3m, move him to SF Then see if you can snag Mo Evans from ORL … by then you'll be about $20m deep and you SHOULD have a fairly stacked squad in case of death or injury. Everyone loves Baron Davis. He's like Mikey Likes It. With lucrative offers and players that make sense together, there's no telling the kind of dynasty that could be created around B-Dizzle and the Lakers may end up having to share the Staples Center spotlight next season.

The Buzz Stops Here - Spurs Take The Breeze Outta The Bees

Mon, 19 May 2008 22:37:09 -0500

Somehow I just knew (with 2 minutes to go in the FIRST QUARTER) that New Orleans was gonna lose. Guys weren't hitting shots, San Antonio was guarding Peja like a freshman watches its lunch money and the Hornets just weren't handling the ball well. The Hornets went a PATHETIC 5 for 19 (26%) in attempts in the 3rd . David West did the majority of shooting and he was only 2-8 that quarter. Foreshadowing of doom? Let's talk about what COULD HAVE BEEN: I might be inclined to say that the non-call for what appeared to be a VERY obvious foul at the buzzer before halftime was the defining moment but many are saying that the "ball wasn't out of CP3's hands by the time the red light went off" and thus … no call, no basketball, no foul. I think it's bullshit because, although INTENT is not what they base foul/no-foul decisions ON, it was clear to me Chris Paul was not simply dribbling to get it AWAY from the Spurs players. Dribbling to the corner of Nowhere Lane and No Basket Boulevard HELPS NOBODY …. So if he was going to just get it away from them, he could have just batted it far enough away such that they wouldn't be able to reach it once time expired. That being said, he was OBVIOUSLY going to throw it up (from half-court or somewhere just beyond that) for an attempt. That to me spells THREE SHOTS. Manu Ginobli CLEARLY tripped him and was in the CLEAR PATH of a shot attempt. Had it not been for the tripping, he'd have been fouled by Parker either BEFORE the shot left his hands (TWO SHOTS) or in the act of trying to get the ball UP (THREE SHOTS). Just because they're stupid to even be fouling at the end of the quarter ANYWAYS, I think they should have awarded him 3 shots. Either way, I think Bavetta COMPLETELY DROPPED THE BALL…. Literally and figuratively. Those 3 shots would have put the Hornets at a dead heat going into the 2nd qtr and I think it would have given a much different mentality to the game. Within the last 6 minutes of the game, New Orleans was within 3 … and had they had those 3 pts from before, it would have been DEAD EVEN. Instead, they spent the entire 2nd half trying to play catch-up to a game they shouldn't have been behind in in the first place. I for one, as a devout Lakers fan, am not really looking that forward to watching the Sourpuss Spurs & Deer-In-The-Headlights-Duncan run their tired bullshit ONE MORE TIME. On an up note though, I made a bet with a VERY lofty bet with my friend Dr. Jack. (no, not Ramsay) who is a stanch Spurs supporter. LOL. Jack, get your checkbook ready. What Will Be For The Hornets Next Season? Jannero Pargo has a $2m option to come back next season. Given the show he put on in the 4th today, I predict a "$3.5M or I walk" holdout session in progress. I feel like a first-class a-hole for ever having dissed him when he played for the Lakers, but let's face it … He NEVER PLAYED so he was rusty every single time he stepped onto the court. Granted, he wasn't Kwame bad but that's a rant for WHOLE OTHER ARTICLE. Birdman, Bowen & Bonzi are open for the taking and none of them will most likely be back. MAYBE Bonzi but that's even a stretch considering he made almost $2.3m this season and didn't really have to do much. My SUGGESTION is to look into maybe getting Mo Evans as a back-up SG or possibly Kareem Rush. Kelenna Azubuike might also be a nice fit to their young team, That is, if they could lure him away from Boom Dizzle & The Bay Area Bad Boys. Also, Chris Paul needs a break every once in a while so why not look into Earl Boykins to join your Tiny Terror Squad. Better luck next year guys! I was pulling for you to advance but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Take the summer to regroup and bring back the buzz to the Bayou next season. :-)

Important Fantasy Lines: March 12

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:53:43 -0500

If each night one had the time, energy and will to look through every NBA stat line, one might be very successful at fantasy basketball. One would be able to pick up emerging studs, drop eventual duds and monitor those ify suds. Unfortunately, a manager rarely has the time to do this, but here at Fantasy Basketball Pros we care about you, so we look through all the lines and tell you in summary form what you really need to know. Here are the most telling fantasy lines from Wednesday.

Fantasy Basketball Pickups By Position

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:19:19 -0500

Fantasy Basketball can be hard. It's a lot easier when you know who to pickup. It's mid Week 19 and we thought all you tired, hard working managers would find a list of pickups by position useful. So take a break from your fantasy baseball draft and pick up some of these guys! Green is a great pickup, black is an average pickup and red is a DROP.

DeShawn Stevenson hits Evans on the head

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:04:21 -0500

DeShawn Stevenson got the Technical, but Reggie Evans started it.

The Fantasy Basketball Stock Watch

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 09:25:30 -0500

We are at the point of the season when most coaches have settled on their rotations and most players have settled into their roles. As a result, there are not many players who are going to shock us with a dramatic change in their production level, unless an injury or trade plays a role. Nevertheless, let's take a look at some of the movers and shakers of the fantasy basketball world. We'll tell you why Kirk Hinrich and Gilbert Arenas are players on the rise, why the values of Larry Hughes and Jamaal Tinsley are plummeting, and why Maurice Evans and Kendrick Perkins should be on your fantasy radar.

Kings Withstand Late Magic Surge, Win 104-100

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:31:17 -0500

Stan Van Gundy got sent a message for not taking the Kings' coaching job. Even though the Kings were up by 19 points early in the 3rd quarter, in the NBA no lead is safe from any team. The Kings attacked early in the game and took advantage of Dwight Howard riding the bench in the 2nd quarter. Despite a late rally fueled by J.J. Reddick and a crazy finish, the Kings were able to hold on against a very good 15-6 road team and maybe sent a message to could have been coach Stan Van Gundy. It was a game of familiar teammates squaring off. Turkish forward and potential all-star Hedo Turkoglu was drafted by the Kings, recieved a warm welcome from the crowd, and played against former Spurs teammate Beno Udrih, while Maurice "Mo" Evans was also a former King, Turkoglu also leads teammeate Rashard Lewis in all-star votes. It's unknown why Carlos Arroyo started at point guard, but it was probably to make Jameer Nelson the 6th man. The game started off hot as Dwight Howard scored the first 8 Magic points. The Kings weren't far behind as they took the lead and didn't look back as Udrih, John Salmons and Francisco Garcia scoring 20/26 first quarter points for the Kings. The Kings shot 4/4 from the beyond the arc including a 35 foot buzzer beater to end the quarter by Dhantay Jones, putting the Kings up 28-16. In the 2nd quarter the Kings took advantage of Howard on bench as they got a 10-0 run. Quincy Douby would come off the Kings bench with confidence as he would score 9 of his 14 points in the 2nd quarter, his second straight 14 point game. Udrih also had a big quarter with 10 of his 17 points in the 2nd as well. Dwight Howard was quiet with only 2 points in the quarter, mainly because they double teamed him, but Lewis would start to heat up with 8 points in the quarter, making it a 53-36 Kings lead at halftime. The Kings came in with a rare line-up of 7 footers at the end with Mikki Moore playing center, Justin Williams (6'10) at power forward and Spencer Hawes at small forward. This was to counter the Magic's interchangable line-up of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, who can play both small and power forward positions well. In the 3rd quarter, the Magic started to fight back, with Howard, Lewis and Turkoglu leading the way with a balenced attack. Together, they'd score 16/20 points in the quarter. Stan Van Gundy lost his cool earning a technical foul at 6:22 after arguing a foul call. The Kings would keep their cool while keeping a distance from the Magic with and Mikki Moore and Brad Miller leading the way. Mikki Moore scored 6/8 points in the quarter and 6 of his points were dunks, including a putback dunk at the end of the quarter. Brad Miller scored 11 points in the quarter and notched his 6th of the game. At the end, the Kings would maintain a comfortable 78-62 lead, but that lead would disappear as fast as it built up. After Keyon Dooling hit 4 free throws, it seemed like it was all over after Dahntay Jones took a rebound in the a from Turkoglu for the putback slam on his head to seemingly put away the game with all the momentum on the Kings side. Rookie center Spencer Hawes even hit his second 3 pointer of the year when it hit the rim, bounced high and fell into the net. This is where the Magic would make their run. An 11-1 run gave life to them and made an 19 point lead to a 9 point lead against a fatigued, undermanned Kings team. That's when rarely used J.J. Redick came in. He made the next 10/15 points for the team, cutting the Kings lead to 101-99. Before Redick made his last free throw, Lewis fouled out finishing with 22 points, 3 rebounds, an assist and a block. Jones and Turkoglu would make 4 straight free throws. Turkoglu would answer right back with a 3 pointer to make it 103-100. Francico Garcia would make one 1/2 free throws to give the Kings a 104-100 lead. That's when things got crazy. Coach Van Gundy made a terrible time out call using his last time out with 37 seconds left, which left no opportunity for the Magic to draw up any last second plays. When Redick passed up a 3 pointer he passed it to an unsuspecteing Keith Bogans who would have it knocked away by Garcia into the backcourt. Redick would get the inbounds going up the court, but in the last second he slipped and fell at the last second as Udrih got the steal and the Kings would win 104-100. Salmons was once again the hero of the night, especially hitting a shot to to beat the shot clock to put the Kings at 101. He had 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and steals each. He was followed up by Miller, who averaged 21.25 ppg, 9.5 rebounds ppg. and 5.25 apg. the past 4 games. He finished with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and a block. Udrih had a great scoring night and finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and a last second steal. Moore stole the show midway through the game with his explosive dunks finishing with 8 points and 12 rebounds (career high 13). Garcia was quiet throughout the game but finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds and a steal. He's averaged 17.2 ppg 5.8 rpg. and 1 spg. in the last 5 games. Quincy Douby led the bench with 14 points, with Dahntay Jones scoring 8 points and Hawes scoring 8 points and 2 rebounds. Justin Williams had 2 rebounds and no points. The Kings go up to 13-20 after coming from a 1-2 road trip and losing 4 straight at home. Their last win at home came against the Bucks Dec. 10. Before Redick's surge, the Kings bench outscored the Magic bench 25-16. Dwight Howard had another huge game with 29 points, 15 rebounds (4 off.), 2 steals, an assist and a block. Turkoglu, who leads his team second in scoring, finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Jameer Nelson, who scored the game winning 3 pointer at Arco Arena last year, came off the bench to score 6 points and had 7 assists, while starter Carlos Arroyo had 2 points, rebounds and assists each. Mo Evans had 9 points 2 rebounds and 3 assists while Keyon Dooling had 5 points a rebound and an assist. This is an very underrated Kings team. They're undermanned with 3 star players injured and 4 young bench players who contribute. Kenny Thomas, the 5th man on the bench can't play anymore and 3/5 of the bench have played less than 2 years. Their current starting line-up is fatigued with 4/5 starters playing near 40+ minutes a night. "It kind of took the fun out of me, you have to have success at the end of games," Kings coach Reggie Theus said. "I look at it in many ways, good teams are always going to make a run. So they made a run and we held them off." The Nuggets, Knicks, Cavs and Bulls have taken advantage of that. Denver was the first team to expose it when they were down big and Kleiza hit the demoralizing game winning buzzer beater which stayed with the team throughout thier home stretch. The Cavs and the Bulls used 4th quarters to beat them and the Knicks used it to cut a 24 point lead to cut it down to 10. Douby and Jones have stepped up the past few games. It's time for Hawes to remember how he played earlier and Williams to remember how he was averaging near a double double at the end of last year. They need minutes to give the starters a break and gain confidence. Van gundy got sent a message by the Kings organization. After basically accepting the Kings job, using the car the organization bought him and even shopping for a house, he bailed out at the last second and accepted the Magic deal in Sacramento when he heard Billy Donovan had second thoughts. He made the right choice making the team a contender in the east but did so in a way that left Sacramento a sour taste. The Magic, however, have no problem being contenders on the road, but it's at home they need to improve with an under .500 record there. They're one of only 3 teams to have beaten the Celtics (Pistions and Cavs). "We were sluggish in the first half and didn't play hard enough until the fourth quarter," said Howard. "They had it going and we didn't. When a team has it going like them it is hard to get over." They'll finish their last western swing when in 4 more games as they take their 22-14 record with them. Point guard Mike Bibby is expected back in exactly 1 week and I'll be able to see him at the Kings open practice to see him and Kevin Martin to see their progress. Bibby has missed 11 weeks after injuring his left thumb in the preseason. Martin has not been cleared to practice with the team yet after a groin strain nearly a month ago. Ron Artest will be out because of his left elbow until next month. Shareef Abdur-Rahim barely played early this season and had knee surgery to finish his year. The worst thing that can happen to the Kings right now is an injury to any of their players right now. That's one more guy not in uniform and one less bench player to turn to. For now they'll have to rely on John Salmons 19.5 ppg. as a starter, the recent all-star play of Brad Miller, Beno Udrih's reliablility as a point guard and the recent bench play of Quincy Douby and Dahntay Jones he faces the team he was on for 4 years, the Memphis Grizzilies.

LA Lakers - Orlando Magic, Trade.

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:50:19 -0500

The Los Angeles Lakers trade gaurd Maurice Evans and forward Brian Cook to the Orlando Magic for gaurd-forward Trevor Ariza. Definitely a trade that will benifit both teams. Orlando's front office is doin' it. With the spot-up-shooting talent of Brian Cook and M.Evans hustle mentality, they should flourish well in Orlando. G-F Trevor Ariza, if given minutes, should help out on boards and defense for the Lakers. But, he will need to work on that unhealthy free throw percentage(64.1% career).