Yardbarker: Smush Parker

The 2008 Playoffs: Where the Revival of the NBA's Two Flagship Franchises Happened

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:50:10 -0500

One year ago, the NBA's two flagship franchises appeared to be in total disarray. The Boston Celtics had just completed a demoralizing 24-58 season and their "reward" for posting the worst record in the Eastern Conference was the fifth pick in what was considered to be a two player draft. The L.A. Lakers earned the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a 42-40 record and got destroyed 4-1 by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. Kobe Bryant had just won his second straight scoring title with a 31.6 ppg average and he poured in a playoff career-high 32.8 ppg versus the Suns but he did not look forward to wasting the prime years of his career going into battle with Kwame Brown and Smush Parker starting at the two most important positions, center and point guard. Bryant had always wanted to be a Laker for life but he also wanted to win championships, so he publicly blasted the team's management and demanded that they work as hard to put together a championship team as he worked at being the best player in the league. What a difference a year makes! The Celtics packaged the fifth overall pick with other considerations and acquired All-Star guard Ray Allen from a rebuilding Seattle team. Now that the Celtics had two All-Stars on the roster, Kevin Garnett agreed to be traded from Minnesota to Boston and the remade Celtics were suddenly a bona fide threat to win the East and contend for a championship. Meanwhile, young Andrew Bynum emerged as a legit double double threat and the Lakers raced to a 26-11 start. Bynum went down with what turned out to be a season ending knee injury but Bryant held the team together until the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis in exchange for Brown and other considerations. The Lakers now had a legit second option, which meant that overmatched second option Lamar Odom could now become a solid third option. The Celtics finished with the best record in the NBA (66-16), while the Lakers had the best record in perhaps the most competitive Western Conference race ever (57-25). The top two seeds have generally not both made it to the Finals in recent seasons but the Celtics and Lakers each vanquished tough foes to advance to the championship round, where Boston earned the right to hoist a 17th championship banner, denying Phil Jackson his 10th coaching title and Bryant his fourth ring as a player and in the process completing the one blank space on the Hall of Fame resumes of Garnett, Allen and 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce. I correctly predicted the outcome of 12 of the 15 playoff series this year and I correctly predicted that the Celtics and Lakers would meet in the Finals; my three incorrect predictions were that the Lakers would beat the Celtics, the Suns would beat the Spurs and the Mavericks would beat the Hornets. Last year, I also went 12-3, including picking the correct Finals matchup and the eventual winner. In 2006, I went 10-5 but did not correctly pick either Finalist, while in 2005 I went 9-6, correctly picking both Finalists but picking the wrong champion. So, in four years of posting playoff predictions online I have a 43-17 record (.716) and I have correctly picked six out of eight Finalists, though I have only been right about one out of four champions. Here are some final thoughts and observations about each of the 16 playoff teams: 1) My default position about players and teams is skepticism and there were plenty of good reasons to be skeptical about the Celtics prior to the start of the season. None of their "Big Three" had been able to lead their teams to the playoffs in 2007, the Boston bench was of questionable quality (Danny Ainge shrewdly strengthened it later in the season) and neither Pierce nor Allen had previously been known as great defensive players. However, once I saw the Celtics play during the regular season I began to modify my opinion of their team because they played so hard and so well defensively night after night. After their 5-0 start, I was already convinced that they could win more than 60 games, a significant departure from my preseason expectations. A couple days later, I saw them in person for the first time, observed that Pierce was playing at an elite level offensively and concluded, "I am impressed by how hard they played throughout the game, particularly on defense...Call it tenacity, heart or will to win, the great teams have it and that is how they win even when they are not at their best. The Celtics provided a glimpse of this against Indiana and it will be interesting to see if they can replicate such efforts at playoff time against the very best teams." The Celtics proved to be the best team in the NBA from start to finish, answering all questions about chemistry, defense and depth. The only question now is whether or not they can duplicate this high level of play next season. It is unlikely that they will win 66 regular season games, because that requires not only skill and tenacity but also good health, something that is hard to maintain two years in a row; the real issue is what level will the Celtics be playing at by the time next year's playoffs roll around. Are the "Big Three" satisfied with winning one title or will they pursue a repeat title with the same hunger that fueled their chase for the 2008 championship? My initial thought is, as usual, that I am skeptical; it is difficult to repeat, though the teams that have done so in the past 15 years were tough minded squads led by multiple All-Stars, a description that certainly fits the Celtics. 2) The blowout loss in game six of the Finals was without question a bitter pill for the Lakers to swallow but it should not lead to rash judgments or actions. The Lakers still have the same strengths that enabled them to not only post the best record in the West but also defeat three 50-plus win teams in the playoffs: they have a Hall of Fame coach, the best all-around player in the NBA and a high powered offense. The Finals highlighted the weaknesses that they overcame to have such a great season: a lack of toughness that manifests itself defensively and on the boards and the lack of a legit, top flight small forward who can make a significant offensive contribution and/or lock down the opposing team's high scoring small forward. If Andrew Bynum returns to health and is productive then he can start at center and Pau Gasol can shift to power forward. In that scenario, the ideal move for the Lakers would be to trade Lamar Odom for a quality small forward. Odom is not an ideal small forward, so a frontline of Bynum-Gasol-Odom is not feasible, despite what some people may try to convince you; the only way that those three players can effectively coexist is if one of them comes off of the bench. Gasol is the second best player on the team, so he is not going to be a reserve. Bynum is the best postup player, so it does not make sense to sit him either. 3) As long as the San Antonio Spurs have Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich they are going to be a formidable team. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are perfect complements to Duncan and the Spurs do an excellent job of finding veteran players who fit in perfectly to their system. Barring injuries or a marked decline by Duncan, the Spurs should be right back in the mix as a contender. 4) Joe Dumars finally figured out that Flip Saunders was never going to lead the Pistons back to the Finals, let alone win a championship. The question now is whether the team's championship-contending window is still open with the current nucleus of players or if Dumars is going to overhaul the roster. Until I see what happens on that front it is impossible to predict how good the Pistons will be in 2009. 5) The Utah Jazz have a dynamic young duo in Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, plus a talented supporting cast that includes two former All-Stars, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko. They certainly have to be considered a Western Conference contender. If not for Kobe Bryant's heroics against them in the Western Conference semifinals (33.2 ppg, 7.2 apg, 7.0 rpg, .491 field goal shooting) they could very well have made it to the Finals for the first time since the Stockton-Malone era. 6) The Cleveland Cavaliers remain one of the most misunderstood and underrated teams in the league. All season long I heard "experts" talking about how the Cavs would not even make the playoffs, a ludicrous idea that I consistently rejected. The Cavaliers' formula for success is the brilliance of LeBron James, defense and rebounding. Everyone except Skip Bayless realizes that LeBron James is a great player but few people appreciate or respect the way that Coach Mike Brown has turned the Cavs into San Antonio East in terms of defense and rebounding. What happened to the Cavs in the playoffs is that they ran into a Boston team that matched their commitment defensively and on the glass and had three All-Stars to match James' offensive production. The Cavs need one more player who can create his own shot and/or create shots for other players but even if they don't add that player they still will be a serious Eastern Conference contender next year. Injuries or personnel moves around the league could change this but right now they are the biggest threat to knock off the Celtics in the East. 7) Chris Paul emerged as the best point guard in the NBA, David West is probably still underrated even though he made the All-Star team and New Orleans looks like a legit Western Conference contender. The playoff experience that the Hornets gained this year should serve them well in the future. The Hornets' defense is underrated and that defense--combined with the brilliance of the Paul-West duo--could very well carry them to the Western Conference Finals in 2009. 8) Dwight Howard is already the dominant low post force in the NBA and the scary thing is that he is still improving. I question whether Jameer Nelson is a championship level point guard and I think that the Magic need to still improve their overall talent base but Orlando is a team on the rise. 9) I've been saying for a couple years that the Raptors are the Phoenix Suns East: that means that they can win a lot of regular season games and be a tough playoff matchup but unless they become more stout defensively and on the glass they will not beat Boston, Cleveland, Detroit or Orlando in a seven game series. 10) The Philadelphia 76ers were one of the real surprise teams of the season--as opposed to a team like the Cavs that only surprised people who were foolish enough to not understand how good they are. No one expected the 76ers to be a playoff team. Whenever a young team comes out of the woodwork like that there is always a question of whether they were one year wonders or if this was the first step toward bigger and better things. I think that the Sixers took the first step toward bigger and better things but they won't be a serious contender unless they upgrade their roster a little bit and become a better half court team. 11) The Phoenix Suns were never going to win a championship with their previous nucleus, so I still think that trading for Shaquille O'Neal was a worthwhile risk to take, even though they still failed to beat the Spurs. New Coach Terry Porter will surely try to instill more of a defensive mindset in this team but if the Suns' championship window has not close the opening is very, very small: young teams have emerged in L.A., New Orleans and Utah and the Suns have yet to prove that they can beat their old nemesis San Antonio, let alone deal with the new kids on the block. 12) Point blank, it seems like the Mavericks have never recovered from blowing a 2 3/4 games to 0 lead over the Miami Heat in the 2006 Finals; one more good quarter and they might have swept Diesel and Flash but it's been all downhill for the Mavs since Gary Payton hit one of his few playoff field goals in 2006. The Mavs still have a very good team but it just seems like the rest of the top West teams are better than they are now. 13) Houston put together an amazing winning streak but everyone understood that the Rockets could not go far in the West playoffs without Yao Ming. If Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming can both stay healthy for a full season, this would be a very formidable team. Rick Adelman has proven that he can take teams deep into the playoffs, though he has yet to win a title. 14) The Atlanta Hawks almost rewrote the entire script of the 2008 playoffs, pushing the Celtics to seven games in the first round. The future looks bright but keep in mind that Golden State knocked off the defending conference champion one year and did not even make the playoffs (albeit in a very tough conference) the next season. As with the Sixers, there is the question of whether the Hawks are a team on the rise or a one year wonder. 15) The Denver Nuggets are the NBA's mystery team: they have a former MVP who is still playing at a high level (Allen Iverson), one of the premier scorers in the league (Carmelo Anthony), a former Defensive Player of the Year (Marcus Camby), a top sixth man (J.R. Smith)--and yet they simply cannot get out of the first round of the playoffs. Despite all of the talent on their roster, they have problems at both ends of the court: their defense is terrible and their offensive execution is wildly inconsistent, with Iverson and Anthony taking turns running the show while the other players pick up the table scraps that are left over. It is either entertaining or sickening to realize that ESPN pays "expert" Stephen A. Smith a lot of money for "insights" such as saying prior to the 2008 season that the Cavs won't make the playoffs and the Nuggets would win the West. Hey, I don't get everything right but I don't miss the mark that wildly either. 16) The Washington Wizards will never make it further than the second round of the playoffs as long as Gilbert Arenas is their primary offensive option. Period. I don't care how certain people crunch various numbers to "prove" his value and I don't care that the Wizards were once in first place in the East for a minute and a half almost two years ago when Arenas had some high scoring games. Arenas is a player who is primarily focused on scoring points and on settling old scores (being a second round pick, being left off of Team USA, etc.). It seems highly unlikely that he will ever change his mindset and that makes him ill equipped to lead a legit contender. OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Portable, Battery-Driven CT Scanner for Bats to Be Unveiled - The Biz of Baseball MLB Launches "Welcome Back Veterans" Initiative - The Biz of Baseball Sunday MLB on TBS: Comments from Red Sox/Cards Game - The Biz of Baseball Matt Sosnick Talks Being a Player Agent - The Biz of Baseball New Bidders in the Mix for Cubs. One Would Offer Shares - The Biz of Baseball Anheuser-Busch to Sponsor New Meadowlands Stadium - The Biz of Football Big Ten Network Nearing First Major Cable Deal with Comcast - The Biz of Football Cowboys Stadium Site Allows Fans to View Their Seat Before They Buy Tickets - The Biz of Football Former NFL Steroids Dealer Found Shot to Death - The Biz of Football Cowboys, Bank of America Extend Sponsorship Deal - The Biz of Football NHL 2K9, First Officially Licensed Game by NHL and NHLPA for Wii, Coming this Fall - The Biz of Hockey Dion Phaneuf Selected for Cover of EA Sports "NHL 09" - The Biz of Hockey NBC Reports 6.8 Million Viewers for Game 6. Up 111% from 2006 - The Biz of HockeyNASCAR on TNT Live: Comments and Interviews from the Toyota/Save Mart 350 from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma - Maury Brown's Biz of SportsDavid Friedman is a weekly contributor to the Business of Sports Network. To read more of his basketball articles, just take a 20 Second Timeout. His general sports commentary can be found at Best Ever Sports Talk, where "Tiger's High Stakes Gamble Pays Off—For Now," "Tiger Woods Marches—and Limps—Toward Golf Immortality," "Sports are Part of What Makes Us Uniquely Human" and "'The Kid' is 'The Man': Griffey Blasts His 600th Home Run—Naturally" are among the subjects that have been recently discussed.

Pickup of the Night: March 23

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:37:38 -0500

It's Week 22 and you know what that means, let the Yahoo H2H playoffs begin! To get you started during this tough stretch, consider some of these lesser known fantasy players that--for the most part--should be available in your league. These guys certainly aren't the best of the best, but they've been on hot streaks lately.

Day 144 of 170: Mike Miller Uses the Power of the Headband for Good

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:00:06 -0500

Line of the Night: Mike Miller (9.4) had a spectacular game, scoring 34 points while shooting 12-16 from the floor and hitting 7 threes. He also had 7 boards, 4 assists, and a steal and block apiece. But don't get too excited Mike Miller owners, the game came against – surprise, surprise - the New York Knicks, who allowed Memphis to score 120 points.

The 411 on Fantasy Basketball This Week

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:54:41 -0500

It still looks like a very good possibility in both the Eastern and Western Conferences for some down to the wire action. With Houston putting the rest of the league on notice that hard nosed play can propel you to the top, it's also setting an example for the bubble teams like New Jersey who snuck into the #8 spot in the East this week. This kind of action can be very good for Fantasy Basketball, as there will be more players available for a competitive Fantasy Finals that many leagues are fast approaching. On the player movement front, it remains a bit stagnant, but here's the latest from this week.

Smush Parker likes STD's

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:19:19 -0500

What are the benefits of being cut by multiple NBA Teams? Other than the massive buyout money…plastic boobs also come along with the territory. OH! And by the way Smush…forgot to tell you…herpes called…he said WHATZ UP BOI

Smush Parker smushes breasts

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:38:06 -0500

Smush Parker has his hands full during this video shoot, which featured a handful of scantily clad models who may or may not mind being groped by the 5-points-per-game "star."

Trade Talks Revving Up, T-Mac up for Grabs?

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:14:56 -0500

Trade talks are starting to heat up with the Feb. 21 deadline coming up, especially with all the players that are trying to be moved. The biggest name being Tracy McGrady. The Detroit News caught interest with an nameless Pistons player joking about McGrady reportedly wanting out of Houston and comparing him to his cousin Vince Carter. The Piston joked about giving T-Mac the nickname "half-man, half a season." No one's made a move yet to get him. The Detroit News also had another article about the Cavs making one more run for Kings point guard Mike Bibby. Bibby for Larry Hughes talk might be firing up again, and since the preseason when Bibby injured himself getting sidelined for what should be 12 weeks, Hughes hasn't exactly made a name for himself to the Kings when playing against them. He missed the first game at Sacramento and only scored 4 points at home against them. Hughes has averaged 10.82 ppg. in December, mainly because he dropped 36 points and 22 points the first 2 games of the month. Bibby is marked to make his season debut at Toronto on Jan. 16, possibly with Kevin Martin. I think that he might sneak into the Mavs game Jan. 14, 2 days before going on the road. I'll be able to preview the Kings up close at the open practice they're holding on Jan. 13 and see how Bibby's doing and might be able to go to the game. One thing's for sure, he's only got 17 games to showcase himself to other teams before being traded. If Hughes won't go to the Kings other players like Drew Gooden and young upcoming talent like Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown are said to interest the Kings. It's no secret Smush Parker's being shopped. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Miami Heat contacted the Seattle Sonics about trading the point guard who hasn't played since Nov. 24, but the Sonics were not interested. Also the Seattle Times says the Sonics has 2 point guards that teams are interested in getting. That would be Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson. The Sonics could get a good player with the $3.5 million left from the Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis trades, 2 first round picks and 4 second round picks. that they have. They used $8 million to get Kurt Thomas and 2 first round picks from the Phoenix Suns. Point guards look like they're all the rage right now. Damon Stoudemire has been deactivated and also requested either a trade or buyout, so he'll be on another team soon but not the Cavs. As for Andre Miller, the Sixers say that he's not being shopped anymore, but you never know. Right now, there are a lot of stars that might want to leave teams. Players who were unable to get extensions, older players who were unable to win a championship but were considered contenders, good players whose teams they stayed on went bad, or players on a talented team with bad chemistry. Nothing is for certain except that a trade is coming soon. Sources http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080107/SPORTS0102/801070314/1127/ http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080107/OPINION03/801070313/1127/ http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/346310_srevu07.html http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2004111025_soniglance07.html

Heat Still Interested in Artest, Pietrus

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:29:06 -0500

According to the Sacramento Bee, the Miami Heat are still interested in Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest and Golden State Warriors forward Mickael Pietrus. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel also reports that the Heat are still interested in Pietrus. How would a Kings-Heat-Warriors trade work out? The Miami Heat would get Mike Bibby (instead of Artest) and Pietrus, the Warriors would get Smush Parker and the Kings would get Jason Williams and Ricky Davis. Kings's get rid of Bibby's $13 million contract and get Ricky Davis too, Williams gets out of Miami, Golden State gets a back-up point guard to replace Troy Hudson and Pietrus gets out of Golden State to a team he's expressed interest in. Sounds like a win-win-win. Pietrus is trade eligible as of today and has averaged 6 ppg. and 2.8 rpg. in 17.3 mpg. compared to the 11.1 ppg. and 4.5. rpg. in 26.9 mpg. he averaged last year. He expressed his unhappiness during the summer and he might welcome a trade now. Why do the Heat want Artest? Despite past off-court problems has averaged career highs of 19.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 4.3 apg, 2.2 spg. and 1 bpg. but is currently injured with bone chips in his right elbow and may be out a few weeks. He sat out at the last minute before the Kings played the Sixers and missed the Suns game to fly to New York in plans to re-evaluate his elbow there and meet the team who plays the Knicks on Jan. 2. Artest said he would like to retire a Kings but has also said welcome a trade to New York. He's been on the trading block since the beginning of the year and Miami has wanted him before. If Artest went back east the Heat would be a dominant force. Bibby is said to have impressed the staff and is planning to play his first game Jan. 16 at Toronto, which means he has less than a month to impress teams interested in him. Bibby averaged 17.1 ppg. and 4.5 apg. last year but averaged a career high 21.1 ppg. and 5.4 apg. the year before. Rumors were swirling around him being traded to to Cleavland for Larry Hughges, but speculation died off. A Bibby-Williams trade would be more likely than for Pietrus, which is weird because Williams was traded to the Vancouver Grizzilies for Bibby. Since Bibby's contract is $13.5 and 1 more year on his contract and Williams' contract is $8 million, the Heat would have to send a another player to the Kings like Ricky Davis with an expiring contract. The Kings would be crazy to give up both Artest and Bibby unless they had better players than them come in. Dorrel Wright has started at forward 18 times this season but they need a producer, and Artest and Pietrus could bring that to the Heat. Golden State seems like the more likely canidate for the Heat right now because with back-up point guard Troy Hudson likely out for the season, and maybe career, a Pietrus-Jason Williams trade seems to work out for both teams. Williams, has had problems with the team this year and has a contract that expires this year, so he'll be a free agent in the off-season. WIlliams' contract means that more than Pietrus has to come out from Golden State though and the Warriors might not be willing to give up more, so they might have to pursue a Pietrus-Smush Parker trade. After the $12 parking ticket fiasco, Parker has rejoined the team but he may still be shopped around if they want to improve their team. South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that other teams might be interested in Miami. The Memphis Grizzilies might want to unload Damon Stouamire when Mike Conley comes back. The Sixers are shopping Andre Miller and a Miller-Williams trade would be a good trade to get both players out of teams they don't like. Although a blockbuster trade doesn't look like it's happening anytime soon, a trade might happen. http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/sports/kings/archives/009792.html http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_basketball_heat/2007/12/ripped-from-the.html

Report: Smush Parker Done With Heat

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:15:38 -0500

Chalk this one up to a bad decision, almost a panic decision on the part of Pat Riley. Not sure what he saw in Smush when he signed him earlier this season but it appears Smush has wore out his welcome and played his last game as a Heatian. The Heat are currently looking for trade options for Smush. From The Sporting News… Because Parker was acquired by Miami in the offseason, he will not be trade eligible until Saturday. Parker has not had contact with the team since he had a run-in with a parking attendant Nov. 27. Officially, he has been listed as inactive due to conditioning concerns. Read More...

Smush Parker -$12 parking fee worth your job?

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:50:10 -0500

Looks like Smush didn't like the fact he had to fork over $12 "Police said Parker, denied his keys until the debt was settled, knocked over a podium out of frustration. When Parker returned with the money, McKenzie told him he would have to pay for damaging the podium, the police report said. Parker, 24, then grabbed McKenzie's arm in an attempt to retrieve the keys, according to police. Guralnick said McKenzie wanted to press charges at the scene but was told she would have to wait 7 to 10 days for a copy of the police report." Not a good situation for Smush, he's been suspended by the Heat while they investigate, $12 man pony up and pay.

Dwyane Wade to Antoine, Slim Up Fatty McGee

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:33:59 -0500

Heat players reported to a "Midnight Madness" practice called by Pat Riley on Tuesday night. All 20 players on the roster showed up meeting Pat Riley's conditioning requirements except for 3, one being Antoine Walker. Dwyane Wade spoke his mind about Toine failing to show up conditioned.

Who Will Save The Lakers?

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:35:32 -0500

The blowback from the unofficial, yet obviously done, Kevin Garnett deal is going to reach all the way across the country to Los Angeles. The Lakers, the jilted lover in this situation, have yet to do anything to make Kobe Bryant happy. Remember all of Kobe's bluster and idiocy about wanting to be traded? Well, the Lakers promised they'd bring in players to make the team a real contender, even in the loaded Western Conference. In lieu of getting a big-name player the Lakers have gone the "good PR move" route and signed yet another Kobe. Actually, his name is Coby. Coby Karl, son of George, who is the coach of the Denver Nuggets. Coby is a cancer survivor who averaged 14-4-4 as a senior at Boise State last year. He'll be in camp when it opens in the fall and would be a great story should he make the team. At this point, it's a possibility. Kobe is an Isaiah Rider survivor who didn't go to college. So we're sure they'll have tons to talk about. But only if Coby is as much of a people person as Kobe. This is already getting confusing. So where does the KG deal leave the Lakers organization? For the players, it leaves them nowhere closer to being a realistic threat in the Western Conference than they were before. Kobe has still got to be unhappy, even if he doesn't want to be traded and the rest of the roster is probably wondering if they'll have to deal with a pissed-off superstar for an entire season. However, the person now facing the most pressure, and this is by a landslide, is GM Mitch Kupchak. We'd like to say that we've been trumpeting his incompetence in this space for a while, but the Lakers have not been enough of a player in the NBA for it to matter. They have been mired in mediocrity since Shaq left. They aren't bad, but they aren't any good either. That speaks louder than anything else about the Mitch Kupchak/Post-Shaq Era. The team went from being the NBA's glamour franchise to a footnote, a seven/eight seed in the playoffs. This is all entirely Kupchak's fault. He hasn't surrounded Kobe with very much talent other than Lamar Odom. Luke Walton was already there from the Shaq days. The rest of the team is full of projects (Andrew "F--king" Bynum), rejects (Kwame Brown), random Euros (Sasha Vujacic and Vladimir Radmanovic), and no-talent nobodies (Smush Parker). The situation is very similar to Kevin Garnett's in Minnesota, except infinitely more frustrating because the Lakers still managed to make the playoffs because of Kobe's superduperamazingness. Even LeBron James, the king of carrying crap teams, couldn't get this team to the NBA Finals. The KG deal means that Mitch Kupchak had better get a deal done with Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal or it'll be his job and he'll go down as essentially the only GM who couldn't build a winner in Los Angeles (no, the Clippers don't count). It doesn't matter what the Lakers give up for two reasons: first, it's not like anyone on the roster, except for Kobe, is all that great to begin with and second because this is one of those rare times where a desperation deal where a team give up a little too much is totally appropriate. The Lakers are stuck in neutral with the current roster, and only something major is going to get them out of it. So get it done Mitch, you owe it to Kobe, Coby, and most definitely the fans.

Smush Parker leaves for Miami, takes shot at Kobe

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 03:02:33 -0500

So what I've gathered from my readings of Kobe Bryant is that he doesn't like people. Ok, maybe that's a bit too harsh, but everybody says Kobe isn't a "people person" and that they don't get along with him. Maybe so, but in Smush Parker's case it doesn't matter because he sucked at basketball.

Confirmed: Smush Parker Signs with Heat

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 17:46:18 -0500

Internet rumors are a ton of fun especially when some guy claims to know a certain player. Juice coming out of Club Lakers has Smush Parker signing a 2 year 5 million dollar deal with the Miami Heat. Confirmed: The Heat signed Smush Parker to a 2 year contract. Updated link: http://www.sportech.info/2007/07/27/confirmed-smush-parker-signs-with-miami-heat/ Excuse me while I go vomit my lunch up.

NBA Free Agency Rumors

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 02:08:12 -0500

We figured it was time to get back to our roots here at R & R, so we're going to be doing weekly updates on all the major rumors circulating in the world of sports. We figured this was the perfect time to get back into rumor-mongering, since the NBA free agent period is here and the baseball trading deadline is just 20 days away. Today we'll give you all the latest NBA rumblings and will bring you the baseball stuff tomorrow. Darko done in Orlando? Everyone's favorite No. 2 pick, Darko Milicic, looks to be on his way out of Orlando. Rashard Lewis signed with the Magic today as part of a sign-and-trade with Seattle, which means Orlando would have to renounce Milicic's rights to fit a max contract for Lewis under the salary cap. Lewis will get six-years and $127.2 million. Orlando GM Otis Smith said regarding Milicic, "He's moved on and we've moved on too." This whole thing has been kind of strange, since the Magic really seemed like they believed in Darko's ability. He does have skills, but his seemingly utter lack of passion for the game and non-existent killer instinct will make finding another home - at the contract level he is seeking - nearly impossible. He seems like a decent kid but he switches between looking great and looking lost on the court so often that it's hard to see him rising to greatness. Someone will probably take a risk on him, because he is a decently athletic 7-footer, and those will always find a home. *UPDATE: ESPN's Chad Ford is reporting that Milicic has signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for significantly more than the mid-level exception.