http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4465 Recent articles about Randy Foye en-us We all know that it is hard for teams to repeat as champions. None of the Celtics championship teams of the 70's or 80's repeated as champions. They won in 1974 and 1976 and in 1975 and 1977, they didn't even make it to the finals. They had some lean years from 1977 until 1981 when they won their next championship, Once again, after winning in 1981, they failed to make the finals in 1982 and 1983. They won the championship once again in 1984 but in 1985, they lost to the Lakers. They won once again in 1986, but then came the 22 year drought until they won again last year. They had very good teams the year following each of those championships, but still weren't able to repeat as champions. The Celtics are favored to win the East again next season. Here is what Marty Burns said in his Eastern Conference preview: 1. Celtics: The loss of veteran forward James Posey (via free agency to the Hornets) could hurt, especially come playoff time, but for now Boston has to be considered the East favorite again. General manager Danny Ainge re-signed key reserves Eddie House and Tony Allen, and Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen should be even better with another year together (assuming they're not too worn out from last season's long playoff run). The bottom line is that the defending champs didn't make any significant moves ... but they didn't need to. Even without James Posey, the Celtics should be better this season. As Burns said, with a year together under their belt, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett should be better together. Ray Allen finally figured out where he fit in the scheme of things in the Finals and I expect him to pick up where he left off last year. The domination in the finals was the result of the three of them having the experience of the year together. Not only will the three stars play better together, but Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins will be a year better. Tony Allen was finally coming on in the Finals and this could be the year he puts it all together. Eddie House returns and is determined to be better this season. Both Big Baby and Leon Powe are working hard this summer and will be improved. Just the experience of the playoffs and the Finals will make this team better. Add to this the addition of two very promising and athletic draft picks and on paper it seems as though the Celtics should repeat as champions. But, there are several things working against any NBA champions repeating. One is the fact that all the other teams spend their summer trying to match up with the champions and make moves with an eye toward how they can beat the champs. Every team in the Atlantic Division are making big moves. The Raptors brought in Jermaine O'Neal to give their team a defensive presence to match up with the Celtics front line. The Sixers brought in Elton Brand to try to match up with Kevin Garnett. The Nets may have gone backwards by going young with Yi and breaking up their big three of Kidd, Carter and Jefferson. The Knicks are still making changes but will be a much different team than they were in 2007-08. The Cavs have brought in a veteran point guard who can share the scoring load with LeBron. They came close to beating the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals and it is possible that the moves that they made this off season could be enough catch up with the Champions. The Pistons haven't made any major moves, but there are rumors swirling around them that they still may make a trade. The Bulls added the number one pick to a team that underachieved last season. The Heat should be much tougher with a healthy Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion along with the addition of Michael Beasley. So, the competition will be much stronger and the Celtics will be playing with a bullseye on their backs. Every team is out to defeat the champions and will play their best against them. Even with the improvements in the other teams and the fact that they go all out to defeat the champs, the biggest challenge may come from within the Champions themselves. Last year at this time, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were all in Boston and working out along with the majority of the younger players who had been there much of the summer. They had a hunger right from the beginning to get that ring that had alluded all three of them throughout their careers. They were on a mission to win the title right from the beginning. Fast forward to this off season and from all the reports, Paul Pierce is still celebrating the championship. He is in Las Vegas coming home from a club at 3:30 PM. He is hosting Mike and Mike. He is working out some, but no where near the extent he worked out last off season. There has been no word from Kevin Garnett and knowing him, he is already deep into his off season work out regimen. But, he isn't working with the other two as a team like they did last season. Ray Allen has been taking it easy and playing a lot of golf and that in itself isn't a bad thing. He needs to get some rest after the playoff run, but the point is, there just isn't that drive and that hunger like they had last summer. The Star Tribune reports this: Starting today and continuing for two weeks, the Timberwolves will have nine of their top players -- including Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, Kevin Love, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, Corey Brewer, Chris Richard and Mike Miller -- working out every day at Target Center. They will be around until Labor Day, take 10 days off, then resume workouts out until training camp opens. It was the Celtics last season who had the majority of their players in town working out together. This season teams like the Timberwolves have that hunger for a ring and are getting an early start. There have been a couple of the Celtics' young players in town all summer working hard, but where last season they were all there, this season the 3 stars have had their hunger satisfied with a championship and they don't have that urgency that drew them all together last season and that is bringing teams like the Timberwolves together now. Finally, there is luck. The Celtics had a couple of minor injuries, but nothing major that would knock a major player out for a long time. Injuries can knock a contender out of the race no matter how good the team is or how many stars it has. If they can't play due to injury, they aren't going to win. The 1986 Celtics were virtually injury free with just a few minor setbacks. The 1987 team was beset with injury after injury as their aging stars struggled to stay healthy. For some reason, it is difficult for contending teams to remain free of major injuries two seasons in a row. The Celtics did it last season, can they do it again this year? Only time will tell. On paper and in most of the rankings, the Celtics will be favored to win it all again. But, will they have the hunger to put it all out there on the court every game like they did last season? So far, they aren't showing the same hunger they did last season to come together early and work as a team toward that goal. Can they get past the improved competition? Can they stay healthy a second season in a row? A lot of questions must be answered before the Celtics can be crowned repeat champions. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:50:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/308561 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/308561 It appears that the Phoenix Suns' back up point guard drama is about to be solved. Goran Dragic said he wouldn't leave his European club to join the Suns and the Suns they felt they could get him to Phoenix anyway. It appears that the Suns won out as Dragic reached a buyout agreement with Spanish club Tau Ceramica and is en route to Phoenix to sign a contract to play for the Suns this season. Dragic has been pegged 34 year old Steve Nash's back up this season and the Suns see him as the franchise's point guard of the future. Although he was their second round pick, they had considered taking him with the 15th pick and they had him ranked as the 2nd best point guard in the draft, right behind Derrick Rose. The Suns feel they have something very special in Dragic. He is a lefthander who is 6 feet 4 and 181 pounds with a 37 1/2-inch vertical leap and a 6-foot-7 wingspan. His reported 4 year deal is expected to start at nearly $2 million, using part of the Suns' midlevel exception. The Suns' payroll now exceeds the luxury-tax threshold, something they have been trying to avoid for the past few years and the reason they were eager to give up the draft pick that became Rajon Rondo. The US Women's team beat New Zealand 96-60 on Sunday to stay perfect in the Olympic games. They have been absolutely dominant, winning their five pool play games by an average of 43.0 points. The elimination rounds begin on Tuesday night with a matchup against South Korea, who finished fourth in Group A with a 2-3 record. After that, the U.S. will likely face Becky Hammon and Russia, who are 4-1 after pool play, in the semifinals on Thursday. And if the U.S. gets through Russia, they should face Australia, the only other unbeaten team in the competition, in the gold medal game on Saturday, Aug. 23. It's official. The Philadelphia 76ers re-signed Andre Iguodala on Sunday to a six-year contract worth a reported $80 million. The Sixers will be greatly improved this season with Elton Brand to play alongside Iguodala. The Atlantic division won't be a pushover any more as every team the Celtics will face in their division, except maybe the New Jersey Nets have greatly improved. There has been quite a bit of interest in the 7-foot-2 center on the Iranian National team named Hamed Ehadadi. In response, the league office has sent a letter to its 30 teams instructing that they are forbidden to even discuss a contract with Ehadadi. The NBA is applying to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control for a license that would allow teams to negotiate with the Iranian center but until then, no franchise is allowed to do so. When asked if he had been in contact with NBA teams Ehadadi said that he had talked to two or three. One team believed to be interested is the Memphis Grizzlies. In Iran's four losses in Pool B in Olympic play, Ehadadi has averaged 16.5 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. The Iranian basketball federation wants him to go to a team where he will play and not sit on the bench. They feel that those conditions would be very important for Iranian basketball and also for Khadadi. Sounds like the conditions that were put on teams wanting to draft Yi last year. There are several rumors floating around that the Cavs could be talking to the Knicks about a big man. We know that the Knicks are trying to jettison Zach Randolph, but at almost $15 million this season and 3 years left on his contract, he may be too much money for the Cavs who already committed to a big salary to Mo Williams and are balking at giving Delonte $5 million. I'm not sure who else the Knicks would want to give up that the Cavs would want. Personally, I would love to have David Lee. I love his hustle, but the Knicks would be pretty dumb to give him up. If, as I suspect, the Knicks are trying to sever all ties with Isiah Thomas and the team he built, they may consider it. There is a lot of talk about Ricky Rubio. He has been impressive in the Olympics, in spite of his team's trouncing by Team USA. Many expect Rubio to be a top 5 pick in next year's draft. He is also being compared by some to Pete Maravich because of his style of play. In my opinion he has a long, long way to go to be anywhere near Pistol Pete. Pete was one of a kind and I don't see anyone, including Rubio, coming close to his abilities any time soon. Now this is funny. Good article in the Deseret News about Dwyane Wade visiting the Great Wall. Here's a portion of it: There's chaos atop the Great Wall of China, and it's all Dwyane Wade's fault. Well, maybe not all his fault. But the Heat's international superstar is among the more impatient in his group as a painfully slow line for the final segment of the tour — a dicey toboggan ride that certainly wouldn't pass Disney safety standards — is threatening to turn a once-in-a-lifetime afternoon into a near-torturous experience. Wade tries a diversion tactic to slip his way to the front of the pack. "Look, it's Kobe!" No dice. Not even a mention of China's adopted basketball hero Kobe Bryant could budge this pack. It's hopeless. Unless, of course, the trusty celebrity card works at this high an altitude. Has it ever failed? Within moments, Wade and his entire crew, which includes fellow Team USA members Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets and Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz, are being ushered to the side entrance. Apparently even the Mutianyu portion of the Great Wall has a VIP section. Commence chaos. The troop of nearly 20 has to avoid incoming chairlifts, trust rickety equipment and withstand pushy employees who are trying to get this covert operation completed as quickly as possible. Only, there's no way to keep it a secret, so the crowd that was once begging for pictures with Wade is now actually booing him. Kind of loudly. Wade tries to diffuse the situation by doing his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression — "Do it now! Get in the chopper!" — until finally a petrified publicist, Lisa Joseph, kicks off the Great exodus by screaming her way down the mountain. It's a priceless Olympic moment for Wade, who is actually enjoying these Games — the second for the 26-year-old — and enjoying a personal renaissance following a tumultuous last 18 months..... Back at the bottom, autograph and photo seekers appear to be multiplying, but it doesn't keep Wade from bartering for better prices on a Chinese peasant hat and an "I climbed the Great Wall" T-shirt. Wade's celebrity gets him no special treatment down here, where people making a living pleading for fair prices from tourists. Not even from an older woman trying to sell him a bottle of Gatorade with Wade's likeness on the bottle. "Hey, that's me," he says, sounding very much like his fans on the Wall when they first saw him. Then his tone changes when the woman quotes him a price: 10 yuan. "For a Gatorade? This is me on this. I can get this." He can also afford it. So 10 yuan it is (about $1.53). Reminds me of Larry Bird talking about his Olympic experience in his book. He would sneak out of the hotel and go to cheer for the USA baseball team. He just fit in with the crowd and was one of the guy's and had the time of his life. He also balked at paying what they asked for a beer there. Larry was always the frugal one. The long awaited announcement of Oklahoma City's team nickname, colors and logos is expected before the end of the month. The team doesn't want to officially introduce their new players at a press conference until it has jerseys for each player to hold up so none of the players they have acquired in trades, Desmond Mason, Joe Smith and Kyle Weaver, have been introduced in a press conference yet. It is all but certain that their nickname will be the Thunder as it has slipped several times, but the colors and uniforms have been kept under wraps until the official unveiling. Starting today, the Timberwolves will have nine of their top players, including Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, Kevin Love, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, Corey Brewer, Chris Richard and Mike Miller, all working out every day at Target Center. They will be around until Labor Day, take 10 days off, then resume workouts out until training camp opens. The Wolves haven't decided whether to sign free agent Kirk Snyder but it seems unlikely that they will bring him back at this time. This is the kind of work ethic and enthusiasm that the Celtics had last season and part of what won the title. I think that is one of the hurdles to repeating as champions. Teams don't have the drive and the urgency once they get that ring. I would love to see them all back in Boston and working out. Big Baby has been there all summer so far. Rondo is going to be there this week, as will rookie JR Giddens. Bill Walker, although not signed as yet, has been there all summer. Hopefully the other players will be in town soon and will get serious about trying to repeat as champs. Team USA completed preliminary play by soundly beat Germany 106-57 this morning. They have won each of their games by an average of over 32 points. LeBron James had a monster dunk over Chris Kaman that had to have rocked the stadium and he finished with 18 points. Dwight Howard led Team USA with 22 points and 10 rebounds. On hand to return the support that the US Men's team showed him by cheering him on to his 8th gold was Michael Phelps who was cheering and having fun watching the game. Kobe Bryant mania has reached another level in China. The Herald reports that he has been virtually a shut in because everywhere he goes, he causes a near riot. Bryant takes plenty of ribbing as a one-man Jonas Brothers sighting. USA guard Jason Kidd says he hates traveling with Bryant. USA power forward Carlos Boozer said they can't take Bryant anywhere. "Yeah they do leave me," Bryant said. "We go to the village and I look up and they're nowhere to be found while I'm standing in the middle of a crowd of people." I guess there is no accounting for taste. It's definitely because he is the best player on the USA team, either. Maybe Kobe should consider playing in China next season instead of Italy. All those adoring young female fans has to be tempting for him. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:30:28 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307912 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307912 ESPN Reports: (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3505709 campaign=rss source=NBAHeadlines) The Minnesota Timberwolves' post-Kevin Garnett frontcourt continued to take shape Friday when they reached terms on a new contract with restricted free agent Ryan Gomes. Gomes' agent, Bob Myers, told ESPN.com that the sides have agreed in principal on a multiyear deal that is expected to be formally signed next week. Terms were not immediately available, but Gomes will soon join forward Craig Smith and guard Sebastian Telfair as players re-signed by the Wolves this month to join a new-look Minnesota core featuring Al Jefferson, Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, Corey Brewer and draft-night acquisiton Kevin Love. Also, a quick scan of HoopsHype (http://hoopshype.com/rumors.htm) tells me that The Machine is staying in LA, Maurice Evans is going to Atlanta, and CJ Miles is staying in Utah. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:39:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295900 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295900 How much better will the Minnesota Timberwolves do this coming season? Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:52:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287474 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287474 Two years ago they made the mistake of shipping out Brandon Roy before he had ever played a game for them. They got back Randy Foye. Exactly. So when the Timberwolves took O.J. Mayo with the third pick, as we predicted here at LBS, I wasn't too surprised. I just really [...] Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:11:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283285 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283285  A little break from football to assess the NBA Draft (lottery picks 1-14).  I was going to do the entire first round, but decided to end with my Golden State Warriors at pick 14.  Here's how I see it: Team 1st Round 1. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose- PG - Memphis:  With only minutes before the pick, this selection had already been leaked to the media, so there was little surprise in the selection of the Chicago native.        2. Miami Heat - Michael Beasley - PF - Kansas State:  I think the indecisiveness out of Miami was a smoke screen. There's no way they could've taken anyone other than Beasley. I don't know why Shawn Marion's decision to not opt-out of his current contract was such a big deal. This isn't the NFL, there's a cap on what rookies can earn, so it's not like hanging onto the 2nd selection is a financial burden.  Marion does equally well at the 3 and 4 spot, giving Beasley a chance to settle into the 4 spot with help around him, and in relief. Great pick. 3. Minnesota Timberwolves - O.J. Mayo - PG - USC:  The fact that the Sonic and Clippers deal for the 4th spot fell apart told me those two teams found out the Timberwolves were going to take Mayo. I don't like this selection, but it's not like Kevin McCale has made a lot of good decisions lately. The Timberwolves already have a back-court with Randy Foye, Marko Jarik, Rashad McCants, and Sebastian Telfair. I had Love or Lopez going here. Bad pick. 4. Seattle Sonics - Russell Westbrook - PG - UCLA:  The Sonics have young talent at every position than center, but instead decided to go with a guy that has had one good season.  I thought the Sonics should've taken Brook Lopez.  Bad pick. 5. Memphis Grizzlies - Kevin Love - PF - UCLA:  I like Love, but the guy is not a spot player, he's a starter.  Where is he suppose to start on this team?  I had Eric Gordon going here to be teamed with Mike Conley Jr.  They would've made a raw, but very talented back-court that could've become one of the best in the league in a couple years. Not a bad, but not a good pick. 6. New York Knicks - Danilo Gallinari- SF - Italy:  Funny, cause the Jet's picked in this same spot in the last April's NFL Draft, but to get the point, I think the Italian was a lock here after the signing of Mike D'Antoni.  If you don't know already, the Knicks new head coach played with Gallinari's father and knows the young man very well.  It doesn't hurt that the kid was born to play in D'Antoni's offense.   7. Los Angeles Clippers - Eric Gordon- SG - Indiana:  I hope the Clippers don't toy with Gordon at the point.  Even if Shaun Livingston can't return to form next season, Gordon should stay at the 2-guard and not try to be a player he's never been, or will ever be.  8. Milwaukee Bucks - Joe Alexander- SF - Virginia:  With Gordon gone I think the Bucks reach for a talent and not a need.  Alexander is one of my favorite players in the draft whose stock continues to rise. I like what the Bucks are doing, and think a starting line-up of Andrew Bogot,  Richard Jefferson, Alexander, Michael Redd, and the always fisty Mo Williams could be very competetive next season.    9. Charlotte Bobcats - D.J. Augustin- PG - Texas:  Raymond Felton has more talent than Augustin, and has not had the chance to lead a well coached team.  Brook Lopez would've finally added help that Emeka Okafor's been in desperate need of.  Bad pick.  10. New Jersey Nets - Brook Lopez- C - Stanford:  The Bobacts ship a 7 ft gift to the Nets.  He should start right away, and be a key to their rebuilding.    11. Indiana Pacers - Jerryd Bayless - PG - Arizona:  Unlike the selections of Augustin, Mayo, and Westbrook, Bayless offers something different.  He has the mind-set and athletic ability to be a top flight point guard, but has the shot and game of a 2-guard.  With all that's up in the air in Indy back-court, I think he adds more talent to already talented, but shaky guard position.  Update: Bayless to be sent to Portland (see Portland's pick below). 12. Sacramento Kings - Jason Thompson - PF- Rider:  WOW… A little early for Thompson to come off the board.  He's faced few elite oppositions, and shows little to no magic that usually comes with a high selection.  13. Portland Trail-Blazers - Brandon Rush - SG - Kansas:  Rush apparently will be traded to Indiana with Jarrett Jack for Jerryd Bayless.  I think the trade helps both teams, but with all the back-court trading the Pacers are doing it's hard to tell who's going to be a major part of their team next season. 14. Golden State Warriors - Anthony Randolph - PF - LSU:  Talent, talent, talent.  This pick fits a desperate need for talent in the paint.  The kid has struggled with big men, but says he's confident that he can guard the biggest guy on the court.  At 6?11 he has the size and shooting skill the Warriors need to help relieve Biedrins and Harrington.  The fact that he can also play center in the Warriors offense makes him even more valuable.  This is the Warriors 4th big man selected in the last 5 years, with Biedrins being the only success story so far.  Warrior fans might not see much from Randolph in the first year, but his presence in practice should help push Brandan Wright, Al Harrigton, and Andris Biedrins to be better prepared on a daily basis.  The other option is the Warriors will trade this pick in the near future.  Randolph was projected to go as early as the 8th selection, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's dealt.  Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:20:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283190 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283190 Check out what the Minnesota Timberwolves ought to do during their 2008 off season. Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:54:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273964 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273964 DraftExpress is reporting that multiple sources within the Minnesota organization are saying that GM Kevin McHale has locked onto Kevin Love as his favorite prospect in the draft. "McHale reportedly likes the skill-level and all-around feel for the game that Love brings to the table, as well as his winning mentality, and sees him as an excellent potential compliment to Al Jefferson in Minnesota's front-court." A couple of weeks ago, I posted a video of Love in training and commented how he looked leaner and more athletic. It looks like McHale sees the same things. Minnesota's backcourt features Randy Foye and Rashad McCants, and they have Al Jefferson manning the middle, so Kevin Love would seem to be a nice addition to that core group of guys. (Read the rest of the article after the jump.) Tue, 27 May 2008 18:22:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271522 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271522 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 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 "You got to build and you got to start from nothing. But I feel in a couple of years, we're going to be there. We're going to be one of the top teams in the West, too. We coming â€" most definitely." - Al Jefferson Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:06:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236426 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236426 Desperate to move on from the 2007-08 season as soon as possible, Jeff Andriesse and Greg Fox summoned all of their friends for a marathon 2008-09 NBA Mock Draft. What becomes apparent is they have pulled off the earliest mock draft in internet history. Also they have no friends. Jeff took the odd numbers, Greg the evens, and they went toe to toe for 10 rounds. Here are Rounds 6-10. Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:03:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/214784 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/214784 Just because a team has no hope at post-season, that does not mean that they are not worth watching, especially for fantasy players. You can often find a diamond in the rough, as some players finally get an opportunity to see some court time with teams looking toward the future. Not only can these previously ignored players pay dividends for the last month of the season, but it could preview a possible break-out next season. Let us go around the league and find some of those players that are getting their chance to shine. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:46:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/209336 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/209336 The East Region is the most competitive one in my NBA State Tournament, so I saved the best for last. Skip to My Lou, Ben Gordon, Artest, Odom, and Camby represent for the New York/ Connecticut squad, but can they get past the likes of Butler, Deng, Bynum, Brad Miller, and Harrington? Get your votes in ASAP. The 1st round is almost complete! Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:22:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/193245 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/193245 A huge collection of NBA player g/f's, wives, and "other"...lol Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:42:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/191561 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/191561