http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4616 Recent articles about Mike Miller en-us Obviously, the Magic have some serious star power in Shaq, Dwight Howard and Mike Miller. However, it's tough to not like the lineup of Michael Redd, Dirk Nowitzki and Andrew Bogut that the Bucks sport. Look for one of the more competitive games in the Keep Your Picks playoff here, where either team could end up going far. Expert Picks: Pickard: Milwaukee Bucks Estimated Game Time: Monday July 21 (6 PM EST) Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:34:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293309 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293309 Word on the street is that Iggy is asking for a 5 year, 65 mil deal... Is he serious? After shooting less than 25% in the playoffs? Ok... you have improved each year... you did average 20 ppg, 5 rpg, and 5 apg... and you are only 24 and can jump out of the gym... but com' on... So what you're tellin' me is that you're as good as Baron Davis??? Please... just sign the contract... or try and solicit for the Grizzlies to sign you... cause they are the only ones that have that type of money... and if you dont sign... then just sign the tender so that you can be a unrestricted free agent next year... and we will see how many offers you get with everybody going after Lebron and D-wade... Here are some other players that arent making 13 mil, that are better than you or at least just as good... Gerald Wallace (8.2), Josh Howard (10), Tayshaun Prince (9.5), Richard Hamilton (10.5), Corey Maggette (10), Rudy Gay (2.5), Mike Miller (9), David West (9.8), L. Barbosa (6.1), Kevin Martin (9.2), Ron Artest (8.4), Tony Parker (11.5), Manu Ginobli (10), Carlos Boozer (11.5), Caron Butler (9)... and I could continue but what is the point... Sign the contract... the offer is probably exactly what youre worth and maybe a little more!!! Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:16:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292462 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292462 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). Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:19:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287882 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287882 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 While watching Robin Lopez on draft night with his hat perched precariously on top of his voluminous hair, I started thinking about the other players who have wild hair. Here are the names, but you can go to the original article to see the photos of the NBA All Hair Team! First Team Joakim Noah Anderson Varejao Robin Lopez Josh Childress Ben Wallace Second Team Mike Miller Mikki Moore Robert Swift Chris Andersen Walter Hermann Honorable Mention Ron Artest Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur Dirk Nowitski Scot Pollard (one picture wasn't enough for this guy) Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:53:28 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285718 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285718 The flurry of activity on NBA Draft Day has me a little wobbly. Starting with the Jermaine O'Neal trade, and ending this morning with the O.J. Mayo-Kevin Love swap, the fantasy implications from June 26, 2008 will be far-reaching. Let's break down the trades and make some mental notes for next season. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:24:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282940 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282940 In case you haven't heard this blockbuster trade of epic proportions: Kevin Love + Mike Miller + Brian Cardinal + Jason Collins for OJ Mayo + Marko Jaric + Antoine Walker + Greg Buckner. WOW! My initial reaction is that Minnesota made a sweet deal and Memphis got fleeced once again. Kevin McHale gets the power forward that he coveted to team up with Al Jefferson (Love studied tapes of McHale growing up, so there's a nice connection there). The T-Wolves also get rid of Marko Jaric's contract (3 years, $21.3 million remaining) and get to replace him with Mike Miller. I'm shocked that Miller is being mentioned as a mere afterthought in this deal. The last time I checked, he was one of the top shooters in the league and an extremely versatile offensive weapon. I'm still not sold on Randy Foye, but a starting five of Foye, Miller, Corey Brewer, Love, and Big Al is pretty solid. Telfair, Snyder, and Gomes are all restricted free agents, but if retained, could form with McCants to give Minnesota a decent bench. Collins' contract expires in 1 year and Cardinal's ($13.05 million left) expires in 2. Is this really the best Memphis could get in return for Love & Miller? I realize that they need a player with star power to sell some tickets, but I'm not convinced that OJ Mayo is going to be a guaranteed superstar like some people think. Remember, Mayo had (arguably) more talent around him at USC, but Beasley's Kansas St. squad beat them soundly in Round 1 of the tournament. Memphis really needed a talented big man, but they must have figured that Love was expendable when they traded for Darrell Arthur. Jaric is a decent player, but I certainly wouldn't want to owe him $21 million over 3 years. Walker's contract expires after this season (he might get bought out), but according to Hoopshype, Buckner has 3 years and $12.06 million remaining if he exercises a player option. The Grizzlies have a lot of talent in their backcourt now (Mayo, Conley, Lowry, Crittenton), but none of those guys are proven (in the NBA at least). Rudy Gay is a stud, but he really needed some help up front. I don't like this trade for Memphis, but there are rumors that Mayo could be traded once again. We shall see… Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:32:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282889 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282889 According to ESPN and several league sources, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies have agreed on a trade that will send the rights to OJ Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner to the Grizzlies for the draft rights to Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins. BJ Pickard Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:46:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282883 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282883 I don't know how I feel about the trade. The Wolves do bring in Kevin Love who will play great with Al Jefferson and Mike Miller who is just a sharpshooter if there ever was one. And an added bonus you've got to love white people playing basketball. Bless their hearts for trying. But, I was really liking OJ Mayo. I hope this doesn't come back to haunt the Wolves, I really do. In addition, Memphis has Mike Conley to go along with Mayo at guard, a little scary. In addition to bringing in Miller and Love, the Wolves bring in Jason Collins. A center! Thank God, they finally addressed that. It's not like Collins is going to be an all-star any time, but he is someone you can put at the 5 and not feel like you're wasting your best player there. (See All Jefferson's 2007 season.) We can just write-off Brian Cardinal as an insignificant part of the deal, sorry Brian. On top of that, the Wolves dump the enormous contracts of the oft disappointing Marko Jaric and Antoine Walker. (Note, that Jaric was the only disappointment. Walker did all he could for the team in his limited time here and I respect him for that. Jaric was just a drain on the team's pocket book.) Sadly, the write-off on this side of the deal is veteran Greg Buckner. I like the guy, he's good people. I wish him the best. All in all, a solid deal for both sides. I will reiterate that I just hope the trading of Mayo doesn't come back to haunt Minnesota. But, the future looks a little brighter for both teams and the Wolves have filled needs. As far as the rest of the draft is concerned, Nikola Pekovic was a great pick. As an analyst said during the draft, like Derrick Rose was a lock at 1, Pekovic was a lock at 31. Since he had issues with a contract he has with a Greek team for the next 3 years, teams shied away from him in the first round. But once the second round came around, the Wolves pounced on the 7 foot center from Serbia. This is a great pick for down the road. It also give Collins a few years to prove his worth to the team. Now that draft has come and gone I am feeling very confident in the future of this Wolves squad. All they need to do now is solidify their bench and they could potentially be contenders in a year or two. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:12:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282852 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282852 The Grizzlies are working to acquire the No. 2 overall pick Thursday in the NBA draft, but they aren't willing to sacrifice point guard Mike Conley. The inclination to keep Conley, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 draft, was characterized Tuesday by those familiar with the discussions as an organizational decision -- meaning ownership, management and the coaching staff are opposed to a deal that would send Conley as part of a package to the Miami Heat in exchange for the presumed right to draft forward Michael Beasley of Kansas State at No. 2. Griz general manager Chris Wallace couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday but has said the franchise is exploring all options as it prepares to make the fifth pick. The first pick is expected to be University of Memphis guard Derrick Rose by Chicago. The Griz and Heat have talked for weeks about possibly swapping first-round picks. Reportedly, Miami originally sought a deal that would give them Mike Miller, Kyle Lowry and the Grizzlies' No. 5 pick. The Griz countered with a variation of that trade, only they prefer to substitute the No. 5 selection with their No. 28 pick. Both proposed trades included other players from both teams to make the deals work under the league's salary cap. Miami has expressed interest in moving Mark Blount and Marcus Banks. Memphis' longstanding preference has been to unload Brian Cardinal and the remainder of his contract. According to ESPN.com, the Heat's latest proposal wanted the Griz to send Miller, Conley and the No. 5 pick for the No. 2 pick and Daequan Cook. It's a high price tag, according to sources who acknowledge the team's willingness to part with Miller and Lowry. Another report has the Grizzlies sending Conley, Miller and the No. 5 pick to Miami for Udonis Haslim, Cook and the No. 2 selection. Miller, a veteran whom the Griz may have to consider negotiating a contract extension, can be used as an asset to help the team advance its youth movement. Lowry is considered expendable given the Grizzlies' depth at point guard. Conley is a player the franchise is counting on to develop alongside Rudy Gay on a team starved for talent. He has to develop a consistent outside shot, but the assertiveness he displayed toward the end of his rookie season provided reason for optimism. Conley began to improve his effectiveness in pick-and-roll situations and finish stronger at the rim. His quickness and athleticism are considered obvious tools for helping the Griz improve on defense. It's possible the Grizzlies will explore several different avenues if there is a roadblock with Miami. One report has the Grizzlies sending the No. 5 pick and Brian Cardinal to the New York Knicks for David Lee and other considerations. Another is the Griz sending the 28th pick along with Lowry to Denver in exchange for the No. 20 pick and possibly forward Linas Kleiza. The deal would give the Griz an earlier shot at drafting Western Kentucky guard Courtney Lee, who was impressive in his Memphis workout. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:57:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282545 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282545 Chris Broussard of ESPN the Magazine is reporting that the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets have talked about a trade that would involve Carmelo Anthony heading north for Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince. The deal was apparently offered by the Pistons, but shot down by Denver. The Boston Globe's Marc J. Spears asserts that the Miami Heat could be shopping Dwayne Wade the Bulls' way. According to Spears, rumor has it that the Heat would consider trading Wade, a Chicago native, to the Bulls for the #1 pick in the draft, Tyrus Thomas and Larry Hughes. The Heat would then have the top two picks, and could land both Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley. If that were to happen, Spears says that the Timberwolves would select UCLA forward Kevin Love at pick three. ESPN reports that the Suns will be busy on draft day. Rumors include Boris Diaw to the Raptors for T.J. Ford and the 17th pick, and Leandro Barbosa to the Blazers for Martell Webster and the 13th pick. The New York Daily News believes this isn't entirely out of the question, reporting that Portland is shopping that 13th pick. Suitors include the Suns, and the Memphis Grizzlies. A rumored trade includes the pick, Jarrett Jack and Travis Outlaw being dealt for Mike Miller. The Bergen Record thinks Danilo Gallinari is the Nets' man. BJ Pickard Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:18:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280839 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280839 Olympic team coach Mike Krzyzewski said that the 12-man roster for this summer's Beijing Games will be released Monday. The deadline to submit the roster is July 1st. The Dallas Morning News has reported that Jason Kidd has already been asked to particapate in the games. In July, the team will head to Vegas to start their training. Also, the USA Men's Basketball Team will play an exhibition game vs. Canada before the Beijing Games on Aug. 10. I'll keep you guys in touch when the roster is annouced. Sorry about the Articel, it somehow got posted twice!!! Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:18:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279609 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279609 Olympic team coach Mike Krzyzewski said that the 12-man roster for this summer's Beijing Games will be released Monday. The deadline to submit the roster is July 1st. The Dallas Morning News has reported that Jason Kidd has already been asked to particapate in the games. In July, the team will head to Vegas to start their training. Also, the USA Men's Basketball Team will play an exhibition game vs. Canada before the Beijing Games on Aug. 10. I'll keep you guys in touch when the roster is annouced. Sorry about the Articel, it somehow got posted twice!!! Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:18:17 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279608 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279608 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 Seriously. Has a team ever wanted to make the playoffs LESS than the Nuggets? Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:07:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/231041 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/231041