Yardbarker: Stephen Jackson

Mississippi Bullet re-ups with Warriors

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:17:28 -0500

Golden State Warriors PG Monta Ellis signed a six-year, $67M contract with the Dubs. After the Warriors let Baron walk, there was little doubt that Monta would remain in the Bay; however, with a franchise that has such a storied history of ineptitude, you never know. A few days ago Monta's friend told me that both sides were close, with the Warriors offering $65M and Monta wanting $70M, and that a deal would happen soon. Looks like they split it down the middle, and now the Warriors have the new face of the franchise moving forward. If Monta had walked, and it was rumored that the Grizzlies wanted him, it would have been very tough to man-up and cheer for Golden State next year. Stack Jack will line up at the #2 slot, and of course he'll continue to let 'em fly from deep with that ice-cold lazy-man shooting style. Corey Maggette will be the team's small forward. The four and five spots are TBD. Al Harrington, Kelenna Azubuike and Biedrins are all in the mix. The team just matched the offer sheet offered by the Clippers to Azubuike, and although it's rumored Biedrins might bounce to Europe, and join Josh Childress and Brandon Jennings, my guess is that he'll remain in the Bay. If he leaves, it's not the end of the world. He's good but not great, and the team needs more muscle anyway. Golden State is not going to find its true power guy in the form of Biedrins. The team probably won't make the playoffs next year, but don't expect too much of a drop. They probably will finish top 10 in the West, and chances are they'll be good enough to have made the playoffs in the East.

Golden State Warriors: Azubuike kept away from Clippers

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:17:55 -0500

The Warriors have been known for having tweener forwards/guards for a very long time. It's always been the big guys that they seemed to be short on. With the recent draft and the players that they've retained, it was beginning to look like they would be taller this season and be short on those guys that can play the two or the three. Maybe that's why they decided to match the Clippers' offer sheet for Kelenna Azubuike.

Malice in the Palace (Original Version) starring Ron Artest

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:52:44 -0500

In the wake of the WNBA version of Malice in the Palace, here's revisiting the original :

A Look Back At The "Big O"

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:53:04 -0500

While the Warriors spend a good part of the offseason without a point guard - it makes me wonder if maybe they're not going to get a true point guard at all. Maybe they are going to stick with the core of what they have and head more toward a point forward system. It makes more sense to me to have Jackson run the point then Monta. It seems like with his experience he is much more ready for that responsibility. Monta could continue to thrive where he does best - at the 2. I started doing a little research on this system & it led me to read about Oscar Robertson - one of the greatest "all around" players of all time. He averaged a triple double his entire second season in the NBA, He was NBA Rookie of the Year in 1960-61, played in 12 straight NBA All-Star Games, was selected to the All-NBA First Team nine consecutive seasons, won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 1963-64, and helped the Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA Championship in 1971. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979 and named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996-97. He was also a driving force in the anti-trust suit against the NBA and ABA merger. If that weren't enough - after his retirement he began working to improve living conditions in his hometown of Indianapolis by working for affordable housing and against policies adverse to minorities in his community. Some might say he revolutionized the way the game of basketball was played. Before him there were no "big guards". One obvious comes to mind after - Magic. But no one has yet to match what the Big O was able to do on the floor. If you would like to read more on Oscar Robertson he has a book titled - "The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game".

The Other Clipper Becomes the Other Warrior

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:27:19 -0500

I'm a little shocked at the desperation this move reeks of; I don't know of anyone (outside the Warriors and Mrs. Maggette) who values Maggette at $10 million per. But not only am I disappointed in the Warriors for signing Maggette, but I'm a little bugged by our buddy Corey's decision to opt for the biggest deal. Although, as Matt Watson at Fanhouse reminds us, playing time could also have been a deciding factor, and the Warriors had more of it to offer than any other team bidding for his services. Still, I would've enjoyed Maggette's shot at subordination and in turn, (hopefully) sustained success. I think he would've fit in nicely with the Spurs, or the Celtics, or a few other teams, and I think he's a good enough player to warrant that kind of hope. He's been labeled as selfish and a shoot-first player, and to some extent those things are true (the latter moreso than the former). I don't think he should've stayed with the Clippers, for the record, but those other teams provided him the opportunity to get the kind of respect that's undeniable (if you catch my drift), a chance to prove that he's not just in this business for the money and the PPG, and a chance to be part of a team with a shot. Yeah, I guess the 2006 Clippers had a shot, but even in the short time when he wasn't injured I wouldn't say Maggette was a part of that team. He looked extraneous and independent on a team that had made it without him...[more]

12 Non-Rookies to Watch in Summer League (Western Conference edition)

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:19:00 -0500

Rookies tend to get most of the hoopla during Summer League action, but the reality is that very few of them will make an immediate fantasy impact. So here are a few non-rookies to look out for. Not all of them are worth drafting, but all have the potential to put up nice numbers if they continue to improve and the opportunity presents itself. Some non-rookies who looked great in Summer League 2007 and carried that momentum into the regular season include: Louis Williams, Francisco Garcia, Kelenna Azubuike, and Jason Maxiell (all had solid fantasy value at some point last season).

It's Brand or bust for less-interesting Warriors

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:58:28 -0500

The Warriors absolutely need to land Elton Brand if they want to stay competitive. But even if they land him, the old, exciting, run-and-gun Warriors are dead.

5 Reasons why Baron & Brand will be Clippers

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:57:32 -0500

I don't have any inside info, but I can feel it: Baron & Brand are going to be teaming up for the L.A. Clippers next season. In a surprise move, both Baron Davis and Elton Brand opted out of their contracts on Monday, making both superstars unrestricted free agents. I was shocked when I first heard the news, but now it's all starting to make sense. Move over Kobe: the Clippers have a new dynamic duo. Why do I think so? Let me count the ways...

Interview with Baron Davis, Part I: RSOA.

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:55:43 -0500

Before filming Contract Karma, we had a chance to sit down with Baron Davis for an interview. This installment? His upcoming Oakland-based youth basketball camp, Rising Stars of America, his personal history and ambitions with regard to organized ball, as well as a couple of questions about the 70s sitcom "The White Shadow." Jump!

NBA Draft: Best Late Picks In The Past 20 Years!

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:16:45 -0500

The 2008 NBA draft should see a host of freshman get chosen in the first round, so who will it be, Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley as the first pick? But most importantly who will be that late first or second round pick that proves to be the gem of the draft? Over the years there have been many great late picks taken that had NBA executives shaking their heads. www.rawsportsblog.com

Dunks + 3's + Steals + Blocks - Fouls = ???

Sat, 24 May 2008 05:22:57 -0500

(Here is my follow-up article to the '07-08 Slam Dunk stats). Which players throw down lots of dunks, but still have solid 3-point range? Which players rack up steals and blocks, but don't commit a ton of fouls? The ones with the most Divergent Skills of course! The "Divergent Skills Gauge" was created by USA Today several years ago. The leaders are some of the most athletic & versatile stars in the NBA. Click below to see who made the cut. *As an added bonus, you get to see why the Warriors are the most versatile team in the league (w/ a Mac Mall song to back it up) and why the Knicks suck so bad!

Ranking the Top 30 Shooting Guards by Total Value

Mon, 19 May 2008 13:23:05 -0500

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.)

Paul Pierce and the "B" heard 'round the world.

Mon, 12 May 2008 17:56:14 -0500

Paul Pierce was fined $25,000 for the gesture that you can see him make to Al Horford at the 30-second mark of the video above. It occurred during game three of their first-round series with Atlanta. Kurt Streeter of the LA Times threw down his take yesterday. After speaking with him, he has agreed to monitor our comments over at FTB and contribute to whatever dialogue we can muster up. So c'mon and jump!

Top 30 NBA Small Forwards

Mon, 05 May 2008 12:23:52 -0500

When it comes to small forwards, LeBron James is king, with Carmelo Anthony right behind him. He confirmed that he's 6'9 and 260 pounds, yet he's fast and athletic. He had an MVP caliber regular season with 30 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.2 APG 1.8 SPG and 1.1 BPG. Unguardable 1-on-1, LeBron is only 23 years old, and is a force to be reckoned with in the NBA. Player (Current Team/Former Team) PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, BPG * = Best in Category (R) = Rookie Steals 1+ Shown Blocks and Steals Shown if both are 1+ 1. LeBron James (CLE) 30*, 7.9*, 7.2*, 1.8, 1.1 2. Carmelo Anthony (DEN) 25.7, 7.4, 3.4, 1.3 SPG 3. Caron Butler (WAS) 20.3, 6.7, 4.9, 2.2 SPG 4. Shawn Marion (MIA/PHX) 15.4, 10.2, 2.2, 2, 1.5 BPG* 5. Andre Iguodala (PHI) 19.9, 4.8, 5, 2.2 SPG 6. Ron Artest (SAC) 20.5, 5.8, 3.5, 2.3 SPG* 7. Paul Pierce (BOS) 19.6, 5.1, 4.5, 1.3 SPG 8. Gerald Wallace (CHA) 19.4, 6, 3.5, 2.1 SPG 9. Corey Maggette (LAC) 22.1, 5.6, 2.7, 1 SPG 10. Rudy Gay (MEM) 20.1, 6.2, 2, 1.4, 1 11. Richard Jefferson (NJN) 22.6, 4.2, 3.1 12. Hedo Turkoglu (ORL) 19.5, 5.7, 5 13. Stephen Jackson (GSW) 20.1, 4.4, 4.3, 1.3 SPG 14. Josh Howard (DAL) 19.9, 7, 2.2 15. Mike Dunleavy (IND) 19.1, 5.2, 3.5, 1 SPG 16. Luol Deng (CHI) 17, 6.3, 2.5 17. Andrei Kirilenko (UTA) 11, 4.7, 4, 1.2, 1.5 18. Peja Stojakovic (NOH) 16.4, 4.3, 1.2 19. Ricky Davis 14, 4.3, 3.4, 1.1 20. Tayshaun Prince (DET) 13.2, 4.9, 3.3 21. Marvin Williams (ATL) 14.8, 5.7, 1.7, 1 SPG 22. John Salmons (SAC) 12.5, 4.3, 2.6, 1.1 SPG 23. Shane Battier (HOU) 9.3, 5.1, 1.9, 1, 1.1 24. Grant Hill (PHX) 13.1, 5.3, 2.9 25. Francisco Garcia (SAC) 12.3, 3.3, 1.6, 1.2 SPG 26. Travis Outlaw (POR) 13.3, 4.6, 1.3 27. Andres Nocioni (CHI) 13.2, 4.2, 1.2 28. (R) Al Thornton (LAC) 12.7, 4.5, 1.2 29. (R) Jamario Moon (TOR) 8.5, 6.2, 1.2, 1, 1.4 30. Boris Diaw (PHX) 8.8, 4.6, 3.9 31. Linas Kleiza (DEN) 11.1, 4.2, 1.2 Just Missed Out (R) Jeff Green (SEA) 10.5, 4.7, 1.5 Desmond Mason (MIL) 9.7, 4.3, 2.1 Martell Webster (POR) 10.7, 3.9, 1.2

Meet your 2008-2009 Warriors…for now

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:58:05 -0500

No, Adonal Foyle will not be playing center for the Warriors next year, so you can breathe your sigh of relief right now. Unfortunately, and for some inexplicable reason, his original contract figure with the W's will still count next year. Lucky for Chris Mullin and the organization, the team holds an option for the 2009-2010 season. Hopefully, they'll cut him then, but you never can tell with the Warriors.