Chris Paul has had an excellent postseason, but it's odd that the Yard is showering him with accolades while completely trashing Bruce Bowen, yet he has had his share of Bruce Bowen moments. In this link, you will see him punching out Julius Hodge on N.C. State's senior night in 2005.

(Note: the embedded video is different from the linked video.)

Hat tip to Connor Nolte, freshman guard for Furman University, for finding this clip.

The FIBA Central Board, the executive and administrative arm of the international basketball governing body, has implemented significant rules changes that bring international competitions more in line with the NBA. The major changes will go into effect after the 2010 world championships, but there are other changes coming in for 2008 after the Olympics.

Among these changes is a mandate that players can't wear tee shirts under their jersey, which puts it in contrast with the NCAA; a declaration that it is goaltending/basket interference if a player touches the ball while reaching through the basket; excessive elbow-swinging now results in a technical foul; and inhibiting a fast break from behind is now a flagrant/unsportsmanlike foul. Also, if a player slips and loses control of the ball, it is not traveling.

However, the biggest rule changes, the ones for 2010, have the potential to revolutionise the international game, including:

-The introduction of the rectangular lane.

-The introduction of the block/charge arc under the basket, where any foul called in that area is automatically a blocking foul.

-The move of the three-point line from 6.25 m (roughly 20 feet, six inches) to 6.75 m (roughly 22 feet, two inches)

-If a call results in a reset of the shot clock, they will only reset it to 14 seconds if it is under 14 seconds.

These changes reflect the growing influence of the NBA in the international basketball landscape. They also can explain why the NCAA men's basketball rules committee adopted 20 feet, 9 inches as the new three-point line for next year as opposed to the international line. Perhaps the NCAA new something about what FIBA was going to do.

Basketball officials say that the rule changes represent a convergence of all actors of the global game. Specifically, Val Ackerman, the president of USA Basketball, told USA TODAY that it symbolises the concept of "one world, one game." She did not elaborate as to who controlled the direction of the change, but the word around the blogosphere is that David Stern has been in the ears of Patrick Baumann, the FIBA general secretary, and others on the Central Board. Of course, it is only word around the blogosphere.

Those who are directly involved with the US national team believe that these changes will benefit them. Jim Boeheim, an assistant to Coach K, says that the narrower lane near the basket will allow the US team to take advantage of more post play.

So what do you guys think? Convergence is good, but should it be towards the NBA rules? Is this really a plot by the NBA to gain further influence outside North America? Will the style of play in Europe and elsewhere disappear?

The link is the press release from FIBA outlining the changes. The comments attached to it are interesting. Also, there are a number of other sites to visit, including the USA TODAY article with the quotes. This article also has a helpful comparison:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/2008-04-22-hoops-changes_N.htm

Here is a report on the changes as they were enacted (unfortunately, I can't find anything aside from Chinese state news):

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/26/content_8057157.htm

And here is the blogosphere:

http://www.ballineurope.com/basketball-business/good-bye-fiba-hello-nba/

http://www.ballineurope.com/basketball-business/the-rules-are-changing/

Also, take a look at the photo of the new international court.

The chief international scout for the Portland Trail Blazers, Jason Filippi, says that 2007 first-round pick Rodolfo "Rudy" Fernández could easily be a starter for the Blazers next year. Filippi believes that Rudy could have the same impact on the league as Manu Ginóbili. He also thinks that he would not have any problems playing with Brandon Roy, who is without question their best player, "but sometimes he acts as a point guard, and that would create more minutes for Rudy and more options for us."

Filippi also states that the Blazers want him to be their third-best player. "He's someone that could score more than ten points a game and this would make him a very important player. Our plan is to fight for a championship within three years and we are counting on him to bring success."

This guy is the real deal. Rudy Fernandez is averaging 21.4 points, three rebounds, and four assists per game for DKV Joventut of Badalona (a suburb of Barcelona) in the ACB (Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto, the Spanish basketball top flight); he has been the league's player of the week four times, using the objective player valuation formula common in Europe, which essentially adds all the good statistical categories and subtracts the bad ones (I'll post it in the comments if you would like). He was the MVP of the midseason Copa del Rey (King's Cup); he scored 32 points in the championship game. He also led Joventut to the ULEB Cup, the second-highest pan-European competition (behind the Euroleague) from the Union of European Basketball Leagues. In the final of the ULEB Cup, he had 13 points and seven boards while fighting a nagging shoulder injury. These successes add to the international triumphs he earned as a member of Spain's 2006 World Championship team. Joventut has been collecting trophies due to the tandem of him and 17-year-old wunderkind point guard Ricard "Ricky" Rubio.

This video should demonstrate his talent. It chronicles his most recent player-of-the-week exploits. There are many more like it; just search for his name on this Web site (http://acbtv.acb.com/).

Observers of European sport know that teams in all sports participate in a variety of competitions. In addition to the domestic league, there is a cup competition (or two) as well as a competition between teams from different countries within the same geographic area. Recently, the top-flight Spanish basketball league (Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto, or ACB) paused its season to contest the Copa del Rey, or King's Cup, which the Joventut club of Badalona (a suburb of Barcelona) won, due to stellar performances from Trail Blazers first-rounder Rudy Fernández and 17-year-old wunderkind point guard Ricky Rubio. The tournament brought out the players' passion and desire for the game; after the horn sounded, the Joventut players participated in the traditional championship ritual in which professionals rarely engage: cutting down the nets. It was not the league championship, but it was clearly a monumental occasion for them, so NBA officials are considering bringing that format to the league as a way to break the monotony of the NBA season and bring back the players' love of the game.

Wally Szczerbiak's father, Walter Szczerbiak, was a star player for Real Madrid's basketball team in the mid-to-late 1970s; he led Madrid to the Spanish cup title in 1977. In fact, Wally was born in Madrid that same year. The elder Szczerbiak told the Spanish sporting daily Marca that NBA officials have mentioned to him that they are considering introducing a cup competition between NBA teams that would take the place of All-Star Weekend. This potential event would be a much better showcase of basketball than the All-Star Game, considering that most of the guys who go to the All-Star Game do not really take it seriously, and the associated gimmicks, such as the dunk contest and the three-point shooting contest, have lost their luster.

The Spanish cup enters the top eight teams (out of 18) in the league at the halfway point of the season; they are seeded and play each other (1 v 8, 2 v 7, etc.) in a single-elimination bracket in one single location. If they were to follow this format for a potential NBA cup, it would bring the March Madness model into the NBA, give top teams a chance to play for something other than the O'Brien Trophy, and would be a welcome break from the grind that is the NBA season.

Any thoughts? I have linked to a video of Walter Szczerbiak making this statement, which is very informative, if you can understand a Long Islander speaking Spanish using an Italian accent.