Ridiculous Upside: FanPosts

Steven Hill

2008-11-04T23:45:12Z

Steven Hill, the man who I thought was destined for D-League greatness, was signed by the OKC Thunder. Good for him, bad for the D-League.

Some NBA Teams Know What They're Doing

2008-10-26T23:44:53Z

Just announced by the San Antonio Spurs that they will keep TWO D-League guys they had in camp. Desmon Farmer and Anthony Tolliver both made it. Good. Hopefully they read this blog. Unfortunately they waived rookie Malik Hairston in the process, but he'll be a D-League guy that we can cheer for next year to make the NBA.

Oddity

2008-09-25T04:31:40Z

I am a fan of the Angels, Ducks, and Broncos. The wierd thing about each team is that their logo changed and they won a championship that season. I was wondering if any team has done that in basketball. By the way I chose each team in 1997 before the start of each season. I am not a banwagoner I am just looking for a team to watch and cheer for. Those 3 teams just happend to win championships.

NBA to Europe Is this the Birth of a New Movement?

2008-08-01T14:56:24Z

With the dollar in decline and the euro on the way up, NBA players are now considering leaving the NBA for Europe. 7 players have made the transition this offseason alone and several others are considering this decision.

The latest to make the jump is former Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Childress who received a three year contract worth $20 million to play for the Olympiakos of Greece. Surprisingly Childress passed up a 5 year, $34 million deal to stay in Atlanta. Josh's decision to pass on the deal makes a statement on how European franchises are in a much better place than some NBA organizations such as the Hawks. Childress was no star in the NBA however he will feel the pressure from day one as he will viewed as a step above because of his play in the world's best basketball league. The main difference between the two leagues is that European franchises are much steadier than NBA franchises and the turn on for players is that their team can be competitive every year as oppose to going through a rebuilding stage.

Speaking of NBA franchises trying to rebuild, the New Jersey Nets have made many offseason moves including trading former star Richard Jefferson for Yi and Bobby Simmons. Two players also leaving the team are foward Bostjan Nachbar and center Nenad Krstic. The two head back to Europe where they got their original start. In my opinion I don’t understand why a guy like Krstic, a potential top NBA center would want to go back to Europe when the game is much more appreciated and competitive in the States. Nachbar I can understand because he was just an average player but in Europe he is a top flight player. Krstic's thinking could be go to Europe improve then come back however no matter what European league you play in the NBA will always have the advantage.

Other players making the jump are former Raptors Jorge Garbajosa, Carlos Delfino, and Primoz Brezec all of who were average NBA players. The only benefit I see here is for average NBA players to make the jump to Europe and hone their skills then attempt to come back and try the NBA again. But I feel as though those years lost are too valuable to give up because the nature of the NBA is different than Europe. It will be interesting to see if this jump from the NBA to Europe becomes a new fad or if it was just another surprise in the sports world of 2008

Poll

Do you think players are making the right decision by leaving the NBA and going to Europe?

Yes

14 votes

NO

6 votes

20 votes | Poll has closed

No Cinderella In Boston

2008-06-26T14:52:18Z

Everyone thinks the Boston Celtics had a miracle turnaround, but the only thing miraculous about their championship was trading a bunch of eighth graders for All-Stars.

From www.splicetoday.com

I make a solemn plea to sports analysts everywhere: Please stop referring to the 2007-08 Boston Celtics as the greatest turnaround in NBA history.

Or can we at least put an asterisk next to such a comment?

For those sports fans who were not aware (and I’m looking at you, people living in the Biodome), the Celtics won the 2008 NBA Championship, and in the process they won an impressive 66 games. During the 2006-07 season, however, the Celtics managed only 24 wins—but that’s pretty impressive considering the team consisted of Paul Pierce, some eighth graders and a couple of those old guys whom you see playing at the rec center with Horace Grant-style glasses and braces on both knees. I mean, sure, we all remember the huge splash they made in the free agent market when they signed Kevin Pittsnogle on July 26, but amazingly they turned right around and got rid of him on October 20.

The increase of 42 wins shattered the previous record of 32 games, set by the 1997-98 San Antonio Spurs. Some attribute that amazing feat by the Spurs to the addition of guard Reggie Geary, but I’ve stubbornly held that it had more to do with the drafting of this guy named Tim Duncan (coupled with a healthier David Robinson).

Well, what happened in Boston? Did Brian Scalabrine pull Larry Bird out of his ass? Not that I’m aware of. Did Doc Rivers learn how to coach? Definitely not. The Celtics were poised to get the number one pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and make Greg Oden the “Shaq” to Paul Pierce’s “Kobe.” But at the end of the Draft Lottery, Boston was shocked to find itself with the fifth pick, which was definitely the opposite of “wicked awesome.” With Pierce growing more and more frustrated with the overall shittiness of the franchise, General Manager Danny Ainge decided it was time to resort to Plan B, entitled: “We Got the Fifth Pick? Holy Shit! What the Fuck Are We Going To Do Now?’

And so the Celtics executed a number of personnel moves (the most underrated of which was the signing of James Posey). Of course, the primary moves were a trade to acquire Ray Allen from the Seattle Supersonics and a trade to acquire Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves. In fact, out of 15 players on the Celtics 2007-08 roster, only six were on the team during the 2006-07 season. Boston went from a starting lineup of (then-rookie) Rajon Rondo, Wally Szczerbiak, Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins to a lineup of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins (not to mention a slew of better bench players). So, really the analysts are right: the Celtics experienced an incredible single season turnaround. Unfortunately, it was a turnaround of their roster.

Does this devalue the Celtics championship? Of course not. My frustration is merely with those people who tend to give credit where credit is not due. To most people, a “dramatic turnaround” is keeping relatively the same roster, drafting one (albeit incredible) player and winning 32 more games—it’s not adding two future Hall-of-Famers, completely changing your bench players and winning 42 more games.

Which brings me to Danny Ainge. We’re quick to forget that he was on the hot seat before this season. I’ll admit, Ainge deserves credit simply for pulling off these trades, but it’s time for everyone else to admit that he fell ass-backwards into this scenario: he is not some sort of GM genius. First of all, he was extremely lucky that there were two teams out there that were in full rebuilding mode and were very eager to unload their respective superstars. People are acting like somehow this was Ainge’s plan all along: stockpile young players and eventually trade them for superstars. In what way is that a reliable strategy? In actuality, Ainge was planning on drafting Greg Oden or Kevin Durant and hoping that either one would form a nice core with Pierce and Al Jefferson. When they wound up with the fifth pick in the Draft, Ainge was forced to say “fuck it” and trade the team away or risk being fired halfway through the season.

This probably makes me seem bitter about the Celtics’ success; however, although I wouldn’t say that I was rooting for them in the Finals, I definitely was not upset about them winning. There are three reasons for this mindset: 1) My hatred of Kobe, Phil Jackson and the Lakers reigns supreme; 2) The result of the Finals made my team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, look pretty damn good considering we almost defeated Boston with nothing more than Lebron James and some cardboard cut-outs of basketball players; and 3) I’m kind of excited (make that downright giddy) about the prospect of the Celtics following the exact same path of the Miami Heat. Much like the Heat, the Celtics mortgaged their future to win a championship right now. There’s nothing wrong with that, but Boston fans need to be prepared for the repercussions. By my math, Ray Allen will be 98 at the start of next season, and he showed significant signs of slowing down throughout the playoffs. Additionally, Kevin Garnett proved to the world that he is content with taking 18-foot jumpers every time down the floor and that he really doesn’t feel compelled to take over a game on most nights, even though he is talented enough to do so.

I congratulate the Boston Celtics on their NBA Championship, but can we please stop talking about this like it’s a rag-tag, Walt Disney, underdog sports tale, reminiscent of Tiny Giants?

It's My Mock and I'll Take Joe Alexander Wherever I Want To

2008-06-26T14:07:30Z

Well, if Matt has gotta get his mock all up in my face, I might as well retaliate. Tonight is going to be more fun than a night in Indy with Tinz and S-Jax. I, for one, expect a MASSIVE amount of wheelin' and dealin' tonight... which means no trades will happen and everyone will pick the player Chad Ford projects for them. But, I still have a voice in this matter (read: opinion), so here goes my mock draft. I truly hope that a mock as sedate as this does not happen, but my mind is spinning too quickly to even possibly decipher the mayhem that might ensue.So, tonight on our liveblog, just keep in mind that I will be repeating this prayer over and over and over again: "Dear God, if you love me and hear these words, please unleash chaos on Madison Square Garden tonight, Thursday June 26, 2008 around 7:30 EST. K THANX BAI."

Mock It Out:

Chicago: Derrick Rose (duh)

Miami: O.J. Mayo (Riley will do is just to stick it in everyone's face)

Minny: Mike Beasley (even McHale can't screw this one up)

Seattle: Jerryd Bayless (though I expect the Sonics to trade out of this spot, either way)

Memphis: Brook Lopez (everyone else says Kevin Love, I say "I'm thinking like Chris Wallace")

New York: Danilo Galinari (cause Coach D just can't help himself)

Clippers: Jerryd Bayless (thanks for falling in our lap)

Milwaukee: Joe Alexander (this is wherever I want to)

Charlotte: Kevin Love (MJ loves him and they can get Courtney Lee or CDR with the #20)

New Jersey: Eric Gordon (in my opinion, best player on board right now)

Indiana: Kosta Koufos (no need for a guard, big need for inside scoring)

Sacramento: Russell Westbrook (see Clippers explanation)

Portland: D.J. Augustin (look, you didn't have to make a trade and you still got the player you want, plus 3 more pick in the next 25. Kevin Pritchar is a god).

Golden State: Darrell Arthur (because I said so)

Preditions for the Eastern and Western Conference Finals

2008-05-23T03:28:30Z

Predicting a winner for the Eastern Conference Finals this early in the series could prove to be difficult, but I'm gonna go ahead and pick Detroit. This is simply because Detroit has proven they can go into the Celtics building and win as evident by their 103-97 victory in Game Two in Boston. I love the success that Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen have had so far, and believe me, I look forward to watching Boston make some more playoff runs. I think that Boston will go to the finals possibly next year or the year after that, and maybe even bring home another championship banner to add to the plethora that hang from the TD Banknorth Garden ceiling. Honestly however, if Boston can't win on the road this year, (which they have not done up to this point), than it's Detroit for sure. I'll say that Detroit wins in six and advances.

The Western Conference Finals is an entirely different story in itself. The Lakers and Spurs have had some straight up legendary games between them, so picking a winner isn't easy. The Spurs have experience on their side, and experience is always nice to have on your side. With that experience however, its very apparent that the Spurs have aged. I think that in past years, the Spurs would have taken care of the Hornets in five games at most, and having that series stretch to seven games was not only tiring for the Spurs, it exposed their aging lineup. The Lakers are playing some sound basketball and the fact that they came back from being down 20 points in Game One tells me that I think they'd be able to pull it off. I think the Lakers will stretch the series to seven games and the Spurs will just run out of gas. I give all the credit in the world to the Spurs, they are going to be remembered as one of the great dynasties. I think if you can get some young guys on that team that can be effective immediately that its a very real possibility that the Spurs could fight their way back to the finals. With this team however, it's very clear that they're giving all that they've got, and its exhausting them as a team. Lakers in seven to advance.