NBA: Magic trade for Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, & Gilbert Arenas

The Orlando Magic made 2 key trades today that will hopefully help them get closer to winning an NBA title, which would be the first their franchise has ever won.

They traded Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a first round draft pick, and $3 million to the Phoenix Suns for Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, and Earl Clark. They also traded Rashard Lewis to the Washington Wizards for Gilbert Arenas.

Let me just start off by saying that, in my opinion, the Magic won both these trades.

Magic-Wizards Trade: Gilbert Arenas is statistically better than Rashard Lewis, who is not playing very well this season. Arenas isn't playing as well as he has in the past, but still has the edge overall over Lewis. Plus, I think this trade helps the Wizards too because they had John Wall, Gilbert Arenas, and Kirk Hinrich. They had too many guards, and now that they have Rashard Lewis, a forward, their roster is more balanced.

Magic-Suns Trade: Head-to-head, Jason Richardson is better than Vince Carter statistically, plus, VC is aging, while J-Rich is in the prime of his career. The other part of the trade, Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat for Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark was fairly even.

Magic Overall: Position-wise, they lost Rashard Lewis and gained Hedo Turkohlu at the forward position. Statistically, they look pretty even, with an slight edge to Lewis, but Lewis has been fairly disappointing to the Magic and is not really playing as good as he should considering the amount of money he's getting paid, while Turkoglu played an important and key role in the Magic's 2009 Finals run.

At the guard position, Jason Richardson has an obvious edge over Vince Carter. You could make an argument that VC has more experience, but statistically, physically, and historically, J-Rich is better than VC.

Plus they get Gilbert Arenas, a multiple-time all-star, for a bunch of role-playing bench players, a first round draft pick, and a crap-load of cash. And when your a championship-contending team, first round draft picks and cash don't really mean that much and you can afford to lose a few bench players. The picks and the money mean more to franchises that aren't likely to win championships.

I personally think that this trade will be the key factor in the Magic winning the 2011 NBA Championship.

Disagree with that last statement I made or have any thoughts on the trades the Magic have made? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA: Top 5 Most Lopsided Trades since 2000

We've all seen trades occur that make us say, "What are they thinking?" or "Why did they do that?" Here are the top 10, in my opinion, most lopsided trades in NBA history, since 2000. 2006: Timberwolves get Randy Foye, Blazers get Brandon Roy Winner: Blazers Loser: T'Wolves Brandon Roy won the Rookie of the Year that season and later became an All-Star. Randy Foye didn't do any of those things. Enough said. 2000: Magic receive Grant Hill, Pistons get Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins Winner: Pistons Loser: Magic I can understand why the Magic made this trade, but it obviously didn't help the Magic and really helped the Pistons. During Grant Hill's tenure with the Magic he was constantly injured, he only played 4 games in his first season with the team, and didn't really ever play at the All-Star level that the Magic expected him to. Meanwhile, on the other side of the trade, Chucky Atkins developed into a solid point guard and Ben Wallace blossomed into an All-Star, winning 4 Defensive Player of the Year Awards and helping the Pistons win the 2004 NBA Championship. 2005: Lakers receive Kwame Brown and Laron Profit, Wizards get Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins Winner: Wizards Loser: Lakers I honestly don't know what the Lakers were thinking when they made this trade. They traded away their solid starting point guard from the year before, Chucky Atkins, and an up-and-coming star, Caron Butler, for a draft-bust center, Kwame Brown, and a no-name bench player, Laron Profit. The following season, Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins combined for 25 points per game, 5 assists per game, and 2.2 steals per game, while Kwame and Laron combined for 11.6 points per game, 1.6 assists per game, and 0.8 steals per game. 2005: Hornets recieve Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis, Warriors recieve Baron Davis Winner: Warriors Loser: Hornets The Hornets must have really wanted to get rid of Baron Davis because they didn't get much in exchange for him. Now, the Hornets waived Dale Davis right after the trade was completed, so this trade was basically Davis for Claxton. Claxton had been averaging 13.1 points and 6.2 assists a game for the Warriors and Davis had been averaging 18.9 points and 7.2 assists per game for the Hornets. Davis' stats were obviously better than Claxton's, but not by too much. After the trade, however, Baron Davis really proved that the Hornets made a bad decision by trading him. For the Warriors that season, Davis improved in almost every stat category (points, blocks, steals, assists, rebounds, free-throw percentage, field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage). Claxton, on the other hand, did worse in every stat category with the Hornets that season (13.1 points to 6.8 points, 1.9 steals to 1.4 steals, 6.2 assists to 5.5 assists, 3.3 to 1.9 rebounds, you get the picture.) This trade didn't work out for the Hornets at all. 2001: Rockets get Eddie Griffin, Nets receive Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong Winner: Nets Loser: Rockets The Houston Rockets really got the bad end of this trade. I think we can see what they were trying to accomplish with making this trade, but the Nets knew better. This trade ended up helping the Nets reach the NBA Finals 2 seasons in a row, in 2002 and 2003, while the Rockets didn't even make the playoffs those 2 seasons. Let's look at the stats and see how lopsided this trade ended up being. During the 01-02 season, Jefferson, Collins, and Armstrong (who all were on the team the Nets reached the Finals twice) combined for 15.7 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game. Griffin, on the other hand, averaged 8.8 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 0.7 assists per game. If this trade had been Jefferson for Griffin, it would have been bad enough, considering that Jefferson blossomed into a borderline all-star, while Griffin never really lived up to his expectations and eventually crashed his car into a train and died. Congrats to the Nets and Rest in Peace Eddie Griffin. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2.We've all seen trades occur that make us say, "What are they thinking?" or "Why did they do that?" Here are the top 5, in my opinion, most lopsided trades in NBA history, since 2000.

5. 2000: Magic receive Grant Hill, Pistons get Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins
Winner: Pistons
Loser: Magic

I can understand why the Magic made this trade, but it obviously didn't help the Magic and really helped the Pistons. During Grant Hill's tenure with the Magic he was constantly injured, he only played 4 games in his first season with the team, and didn't really ever play at the All-Star level that the Magic expected him to. Meanwhile, on the other side of the trade, Chucky Atkins developed into a solid point guard and Ben Wallace blossomed into an All-Star, winning 4 Defensive Player of the Year Awards and helping the Pistons win the 2004 NBA Championship.

4. 2001: Rockets get Eddie Griffin, Nets receive Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong
Winner: Nets
Loser: Rockets

The Houston Rockets really got the bad end of this trade. I think we can see what they were trying to accomplish with making this trade, but the Nets knew better.

This trade ended up helping the Nets reach the NBA Finals 2 seasons in a row, in 2002 and 2003, while the Rockets didn't even make the playoffs those 2 seasons.

Let's look at the stats and see how lopsided this trade ended up being. During the 01-02 season, Jefferson, Collins, and Armstrong (who all were on the team the Nets reached the Finals twice) combined for 15.7 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game. Griffin, on the other hand, averaged 8.8 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 0.7 assists per game. If this trade had been Jefferson for Griffin, it would have been bad enough, considering that Jefferson blossomed into a borderline all-star, while Griffin never really lived up to his expectations and eventually crashed his car into a train and died.

Congrats to the Nets and Rest in Peace, Eddie Griffin.

3. 2006: Timberwolves receive Randy Foye, Blazers get Brandon Roy
Winner: Blazers
Loser: T'Wolves

Brandon Roy won the Rookie of the Year that season, later became an All-Star, and helped lead his team to the playoffs multiple times. Randy Foye hasn't done any of those things. Enough said.

2. 2005: Hornets receive Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis, Warriors get Baron Davis

We've all seen trades occur that make us say, "What are they thinking?" or "Why did they do that?" Here are the top 10, in my opinion, most lopsided trades in NBA history, since 2000. 2006: Timberwolves get Randy Foye, Blazers get Brandon Roy Winner: Blazers Loser: T'Wolves Brandon Roy won the Rookie of the Year that season and later became an All-Star. Randy Foye didn't do any of those things. Enough said. 2000: Magic receive Grant Hill, Pistons get Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins Winner: Pistons Loser: Magic I can understand why the Magic made this trade, but it obviously didn't help the Magic and really helped the Pistons. During Grant Hill's tenure with the Magic he was constantly injured, he only played 4 games in his first season with the team, and didn't really ever play at the All-Star level that the Magic expected him to. Meanwhile, on the other side of the trade, Chucky Atkins developed into a solid point guard and Ben Wallace blossomed into an All-Star, winning 4 Defensive Player of the Year Awards and helping the Pistons win the 2004 NBA Championship. 2005: Lakers receive Kwame Brown and Laron Profit, Wizards get Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins Winner: Wizards Loser: Lakers I honestly don't know what the Lakers were thinking when they made this trade. They traded away their solid starting point guard from the year before, Chucky Atkins, and an up-and-coming star, Caron Butler, for a draft-bust center, Kwame Brown, and a no-name bench player, Laron Profit. The following season, Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins combined for 25 points per game, 5 assists per game, and 2.2 steals per game, while Kwame and Laron combined for 11.6 points per game, 1.6 assists per game, and 0.8 steals per game. 2005: Hornets recieve Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis, Warriors recieve Baron Davis Winner: Warriors Loser: Hornets The Hornets must have really wanted to get rid of Baron Davis because they didn't get much in exchange for him. Now, the Hornets waived Dale Davis right after the trade was completed, so this trade was basically Davis for Claxton. Claxton had been averaging 13.1 points and 6.2 assists a game for the Warriors and Davis had been averaging 18.9 points and 7.2 assists per game for the Hornets. Davis' stats were obviously better than Claxton's, but not by too much. After the trade, however, Baron Davis really proved that the Hornets made a bad decision by trading him. For the Warriors that season, Davis improved in almost every stat category (points, blocks, steals, assists, rebounds, free-throw percentage, field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage). Claxton, on the other hand, did worse in every stat category with the Hornets that season (13.1 points to 6.8 points, 1.9 steals to 1.4 steals, 6.2 assists to 5.5 assists, 3.3 to 1.9 rebounds, you get the picture.) This trade didn't work out for the Hornets at all. 2001: Rockets get Eddie Griffin, Nets receive Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong Winner: Nets Loser: Rockets The Houston Rockets really got the bad end of this trade. I think we can see what they were trying to accomplish with making this trade, but the Nets knew better. This trade ended up helping the Nets reach the NBA Finals 2 seasons in a row, in 2002 and 2003, while the Rockets didn't even make the playoffs those 2 seasons. Let's look at the stats and see how lopsided this trade ended up being. During the 01-02 season, Jefferson, Collins, and Armstrong (who all were on the team the Nets reached the Finals twice) combined for 15.7 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game. Griffin, on the other hand, averaged 8.8 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 0.7 assists per game. If this trade had been Jefferson for Griffin, it would have been bad enough, considering that Jefferson blossomed into a borderline all-star, while Griffin never really lived up to his expectations and eventually crashed his car into a train and died. Congrats to the Nets and Rest in Peace Eddie Griffin. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

We've all seen trades occur that make us say, "What are they thinking?" or "Why did they do that?" Here are the top 10, in my opinion, most lopsided trades in NBA history, since 2000. 2006: Timberwolves get Randy Foye, Blazers get Brandon Roy Winner: Blazers Loser: T'Wolves Brandon Roy won the Rookie of the Year that season and later became an All-Star. Randy Foye didn't do any of those things. Enough said. 2000: Magic receive Grant Hill, Pistons get Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins Winner: Pistons Loser: Magic I can understand why the Magic made this trade, but it obviously didn't help the Magic and really helped the Pistons. During Grant Hill's tenure with the Magic he was constantly injured, he only played 4 games in his first season with the team, and didn't really ever play at the All-Star level that the Magic expected him to. Meanwhile, on the other side of the trade, Chucky Atkins developed into a solid point guard and Ben Wallace blossomed into an All-Star, winning 4 Defensive Player of the Year Awards and helping the Pistons win the 2004 NBA Championship. 2005: Lakers receive Kwame Brown and Laron Profit, Wizards get Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins Winner: Wizards Loser: Lakers I honestly don't know what the Lakers were thinking when they made this trade. They traded away their solid starting point guard from the year before, Chucky Atkins, and an up-and-coming star, Caron Butler, for a draft-bust center, Kwame Brown, and a no-name bench player, Laron Profit. The following season, Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins combined for 25 points per game, 5 assists per game, and 2.2 steals per game, while Kwame and Laron combined for 11.6 points per game, 1.6 assists per game, and 0.8 steals per game. 2005: Hornets recieve Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis, Warriors recieve Baron Davis Winner: Warriors Loser: Hornets The Hornets must have really wanted to get rid of Baron Davis because they didn't get much in exchange for him. Now, the Hornets waived Dale Davis right after the trade was completed, so this trade was basically Davis for Claxton. Claxton had been averaging 13.1 points and 6.2 assists a game for the Warriors and Davis had been averaging 18.9 points and 7.2 assists per game for the Hornets. Davis' stats were obviously better than Claxton's, but not by too much. After the trade, however, Baron Davis really proved that the Hornets made a bad decision by trading him. For the Warriors that season, Davis improved in almost every stat category (points, blocks, steals, assists, rebounds, free-throw percentage, field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage). Claxton, on the other hand, did worse in every stat category with the Hornets that season (13.1 points to 6.8 points, 1.9 steals to 1.4 steals, 6.2 assists to 5.5 assists, 3.3 to 1.9 rebounds, you get the picture.) This trade didn't work out for the Hornets at all. 2001: Rockets get Eddie Griffin, Nets receive Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong Winner: Nets Loser: Rockets The Houston Rockets really got the bad end of this trade. I think we can see what they were trying to accomplish with making this trade, but the Nets knew better. This trade ended up helping the Nets reach the NBA Finals 2 seasons in a row, in 2002 and 2003, while the Rockets didn't even make the playoffs those 2 seasons. Let's look at the stats and see how lopsided this trade ended up being. During the 01-02 season, Jefferson, Collins, and Armstrong (who all were on the team the Nets reached the Finals twice) combined for 15.7 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game. Griffin, on the other hand, averaged 8.8 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 0.7 assists per game. If this trade had been Jefferson for Griffin, it would have been bad enough, considering that Jefferson blossomed into a borderline all-star, while Griffin never really lived up to his expectations and eventually crashed his car into a train and died. Congrats to the Nets and Rest in Peace Eddie Griffin. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Winner: Warriors
Loser: Hornets

The Hornets must have really wanted to get rid of Baron Davis because they didn't get much in exchange for him. Now, the Hornets waived Dale Davis right after this trade was completed, so this trade was basically Davis for Claxton.

Claxton had been averaging 13.1 points and 6.2 assists a game for the Warriors and Davis had been averaging 18.9 points and 7.2 assists per game for the Hornets. Davis' stats were obviously better than Claxton's, but not by too much.

After the trade, however, Baron Davis really proved that the Hornets made a bad decision by trading him. For the Warriors that season, Davis improved in almost every stat category (points, blocks, steals, assists, rebounds, free-throw percentage, field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage). Claxton, on the other hand, did worse in every stat category with the Hornets that season (13.1 points to 6.8 points, 1.9 steals to 1.4 steals, 6.2 assists to 5.5 assists, 3.3 to 1.9 rebounds, you get the picture.) This trade didn't work out for the Hornets at all.

1. 2005: Lakers receive Kwame Brown and Laron Profit, Wizards get Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins
Winner: Wizards
Loser: Lakers

I honestly don't know what the Lakers were thinking when they made this trade. They traded away their solid starting point guard from the year before, Chucky Atkins, and an up-and-coming star, Caron Butler, for a draft-bust center, Kwame Brown, and a no-name bench player, Laron Profit.

The following season, Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins combined for 25 points per game, 5 assists per game, and 2.2 steals per game, while Kwame and Laron combined for 11.6 points per game, 1.6 assists per game, and 0.8 steals per game.

Disagree? Leave me a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA: Season Preview (about 10 Games into the Season)

Here is my preview for the NBA season. It's a little late, but whatever. Here it is.
(Updated November 16, 2010)

Eastern Conference Playoffs 1st Round:

1 Orlando Magic defeat 8 Indiana Pacers 4-1

2 Boston Celtics defeat 7 Charlotte Bobcats 4-2

6 Milwaukee Bucks defeat 3 Miami Heat 4-3

4 Atlanta Hawks defeat 5 Chicago Bulls 4-3

9 New Jersey Nets

10 New York Knicks

11 Detriot Pistons

12 Philadelphia 76ers

13 Cleveland Cavaliers

14 Washington Wizards

15 Toronto Raptors

Western Conference Playoffs 1st Round:

1 Los Angeles Lakers defeat 8 Portland Trail Blazers 4-3

2 Utah Jazz defeat 7 Dallas Mavericks 4-1

6 Golden State Warriors defeat 3 New Orleans Hornets 4-3

4 Oklahoma City Thunder defeat 4 San Antonio Spurs 4-2

9 Phoenix Suns

10 Minnesota Timberwolves

11 Memphis Grizzlies

12 Denver Nuggets

13 Houston Rockets

14 Sacramento Kings

15 Los Angeles Clippers

EC Semifinals:

1 Orlando Magic defeat 4 Atlanta Hawks 4-2

2 Boston Celtics defeat 6 Milwaukee Bucks 4-2

WC Semifinals:

1 Los Angeles Lakers defeat Oklahoma City Thunder 4-3

2 Utah Jazz defeat Golden State Warriors 4-2

EC Finals:

1 Orlando Magic defeat 2 Boston Celtics 4-3

WC Finals:

2 Utah Jazz defeat 1 Los Angeles Lakers 4-3

NBA Finals:

1 Orlando Magic defeat Utah Jazz 4-3

Finals MVP: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

Player Awards:

Rookie of the Year: John Wall, Washington Wizards

Most Improved Player: Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers

6th Man Award: Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers

MVP: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Agree or disagree with anything? Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

NBA: Top 10 Talented Players Who Have Never Been All-Stars

We all know who the best players in the league are. (Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Chris Paul, etc.) But there are many players in the NBA right now who are almost as good as these guys and have never been on an NBA All-Star team. Here are the top 10 players in the NBA right now who have never been All-Stars.

10. Al Harrington

Harrington, who is now entering his 13th NBA season, has never been selected to an All-Star team despite putting up some solid stats during the course of his career. He averaged 20.1 points per game during the 2008-2009 season with the Warriors and the Knicks and averaged 7 rebounds per game during the 2004-2005 season with the Hawks. Maybe he'll finally be put on an All-Star team this season if he plays well this season with the Nuggets. You never know.

9. Corey Maggette

Maggette, who is entering his 12th NBA season, has also never been on an All-Star team even though he has put up some All-Star caliber numbers during his career. During the 2004-2005 season, he put up career highs in points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, and steals per game. Maggette averaged 22.2 ppg, 6 rpg, 3.4 apg, and 1.1 spg that season and yet he did not get the chance to suit up for the NBA All-Star game that season, or any other season in his career. Maggette's chances of making the Eastern Conference All-Star team this season are slim because he is in the decline of his career, but maybe the Bucks will make a championship run this season and that will more than make up for it.

8. Andre Miller

Miller, who is now entering his 12th NBA season, has never been a member of an All-Star team despite putting up some spectacular stats during the course of his decorated NBA career that included tenures with the Cavs, Clippers, Nuggets, 76ers, and Blazers. He averaged 17 points per game during the 2007-2008 season with the Sixers and averaged 10.9 assists per game during the 2001-2002 season with the Cavaliers. Plus, he scored 52 points in a game with the Trail Blazers earlier this year. If all that isn't good enough to make an All-Star team then I don't know what is.

7. Andrew BogutBogut averaged a double-double the last 2 seasons and currently averages a double-double this season. Plus, the former number 1 draft pick helped lead the Bucks to the playoffs and ranked 2nd in the league in blocks per game last season. Bogut's an All-Star in my mind. Fear the Deer!!!

6. Rudy Gay

This Grizzlies small forward, who has scored more than 5,000 points in less than 5 seasons, has never been on an All-Star team. But this season that will likely change. Gay is in the prime of his career and currently averages 25.6 points per game this season (4th in the league) and currently leads the league in points and field goals made. Will he be a member of the 2011 NBA Western Conference All-Star Team? I think so, and I'll be upset if he isn't.

5. Stephen Jackson

Stephen Jackson of the Charlotte Bobcats has had an very eventful NBA career that has included winning a championship with the Spurs in 2003, going into the stands and fighting Detroit fans along with Ron Artest during the infamous "Malice at the Palace," and helping lead the Bobcats to the playoffs last season. One thing that is not on his resume is being on an NBA All-Star team. I personally think he was snubbed out of it last season (He averaged 20.6 points per game and 5 rebounds per game.) Hopefully, he can finally be put on an All-Star team (where he belongs!) this season and help lead the Bobcats to a 2nd straight playoff run.

4. Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom has been hustlin' in the league since 1999, when he was drafted by the Clippers. Since then, he has scored more than 11,000 points. He also averaged a double-double in 2 seasons (04-05 and 07-08) and is averaging one right now (15.8 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game in 8 games). Not only that, but he has also won 2 NBA championships with the Lakers. Am I the only one who is flabbergasted that this guy has never been selected to an All-Star team?

3. Al Jefferson

Al Jefferson averaged a double-double 3 seasons in a row. Enough said. Maybe this season with the Jazz, he'll get the All-Star recognition he deserves.

2. Josh Smith

Josh Smith has been rockin' the NBA since he was drafted by the Hawks in 2004 out of high school. Ever since winning the Dunk Contest in 2005, he has played like an All-Star. He has played more than 450 games and has career averages of 13.7 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, 1.2 steals per game, and 2.4 blocks per game. This season so far, in 9 games, Smith is averaging career highs in blocks per game, assists per game, rebounds per game, and 3-point percentage. I think he deserves to be an All-Star.

1. Monta Ellis

This 25 year-old guard for the Warriors should have been an All-Star last year, and if he isn't selected to the 2011 Western Conference All-Star Team this season, I don't know what I'm gonna do. He played a mediocre rookie season after being selected by the Warriors in the 2nd round of the 2005 NBA Draft. The next season, he came out strong and improved in nearly every stat category and was the well-deserved winner of the Most Improved Player Award.

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2005-2006 Season-----------2006-2007 Season:
6.8 points per game-------------16.5 points per game

2.1 rebounds per game----------3.2 rebounds per game

1.6 assists per game-------------4.1 assists per game

0.6 steals per game--------------1.7 steals per game

0.2 blocks per game-------------0.3 blocks per game

41.5 % field goals----------------47.5 % field goals

71.2 % free throws---------------76.3 % free throws

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And he hasn't stopped improving. Last season, he averaged career highs in points per game (25.5), assists per game (5.3), steals per game (2.2), and blocks per game (0.4 blocks per game).

Ellis ranked 6th in the league in points per game and 2nd in the league in steals per game last season. So far this season, in 8 games, he ranks 2nd in the league in points per game (27.1) and 4th in the league in steals per game (2.9). Can you believe this guy has never been on an NBA All-Star team? I think we can all expect to see Monta Ellis playing in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game this season.

Honorable Mention: Rodney Stuckey, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marcus Camby, Andre Iguodala, Raymond Felton, Quentin Richardson, Ben Gordon, John Salmons, Jamal Crawford, Jason Williams, Kevin Martin, Troy Murphy, Jason Terry, Nate Robinson, Joe Smith

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Disagree? Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

NBA: Kwame Brown to Sign with the Charlotte Bobcats

9-year NBA veteran Kwame Brown agreed to sign a 1-year contract with the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday (August 23, 2010). He will make 1.3 million dollars next season (the veteran minimum). Lets's take a look at his career so far and try to figure out what his role will be with the Bobcats next season:

Brown was drafted with the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards and was the first ever number 1 pick to be drafted straight out of high school.

His rookie season with the Wizards was dissapointing, but he improved over the next few seasons with the Wizards. Brown averaged 10.9 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game during the 2003-2004 season.

Next season, he was held back by injuries and did not perform as well as he had the season before. Late in the season, his popularity among Wizards fans decreased. He feuded with teammate Gilbert Arenas and coach Eddie Jordan. During the playoffs he missed multiple practices and was suspended for the rest of the playoffs.

On August 2, 2005, Brown was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers along with Laron Profit in exchange for Caron Butler and Chuck Atkins. During his time with the Lakers, he established himself as a solid role player in the league, not a star.

After 2 and a half seasons with the Lakers, he was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade that brought Pau Gasol to the Lakers. Brown played 15 games with the Grizzlies and after the 2007-2008 season, they decided not to sign him.

In July of 2008, Brown signed a 2-year deal with the Detroit Pistons. He played 106 games with the Pistons during the course of 2 seasons.

Now Kwame Brown is signing with the Charlotte Bobcats after speculation that he might sign with the Boston Celtics. He will likely play as a role player like did with the Pistons the last 2 seasons, but you never know. Kwame may battle hard in training camp and earn the starting center position. I wish him the best for next season.

NBA: Talented Players That Are Still Free Agents

The NBA Free Agency of 2010 will be remembered for a long time by basketball fans. Lots of exciting things happened: Rasheed Wallace retired, LeBron James signed with the Heat,......it's been interesting......and it's not over yet. Here are some talented NBA players who still haven't signed yet.

Allen Iverson: This guy is an 11-time all-star and was the NBA MVP of the 2000-2001 season.....and he's still jobless. He's 35 years old, which is pretty old in NBA years, but if Shaq (who is 38 years old) can get signed, I think A.I. should get signed too. I hope this future hall-of-famer lands a spot on an NBA roster for the 2010-2011 season.

Rafer Alston: Skip 2 My Lou is my favorite basketball/streetball player and has not yet been signed by an NBA team for the upcoming season. Sure, he's not as quick as he used to be and last season ended for him in a bad way, but he can still play. I'll lose a little respect for the NBA if he isn't on an NBA team next season.

Kwame Brown: I know what your thinking. "Kwame Brown? Are you serious?" Yes, I am serious. I know he doesn't play like a number 1 overall pick should play, but he is talented enough to be in the NBA.

Jamaal Tinsley: Tinsley is a talented player who would make a good back-up point guard. He's a NBA veteran who has played for the Indiana Pacers and the Memphis Grizzlies. I hope he gets signed by an NBA team for next season.

Here are a few other free agents that I would like to see in an NBA uniform next season:

Ricky Davis, Smush Parker, Rashad Mccants, DerMarr Johnson, Darius Miles, Steve Francis, Olumide Oyedeji, Qyntel Woods, Gerald Green. Junior Harrington, Ruben Patterson, Lee Nailon

NBA: Rasheed Wallace to Retire

15-season NBA veteran & 4-time all-star Rasheed Wallace is planning on retiring before the start of next season. Though he had 2 years left on his contract with the Boston Celtics, the team didn't seem to really want or need him. They signed big men Jermaine O'Neal & Shaq and Kendrick Perkins will come back after his injury heals. Let's take a look at his possible hall-of-fame-worthy career:

He played 1,088 games in 15 seasons with the Washington Bullets, Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and the Boston Celtics. (Though he only played one game with the Hawks, I still had to count it.)

He had 15,860 career points (14.6 career points per game) and 7,321 rebounds (6.7 career rebounds per game).

Well Rasheed, the NBA will miss you...............well, maybe not the referees.

NBA: Darius Miles looking to make comeback

Darius Miles, the 6-9, 28 year old forward, is looking to get back into the NBA. But before we get into that, let's look back at his career and see what went wrong.

Miles was picked 3rd overall by the Los Angeles Clippers out of high school in the 2000 NBA Draft. He averaged 9 points and 6 rebounds in his first two seasons with the Clips.

In 2002, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Andre Miller. He played 104 games with the Cavs in two seasons averaging about 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.

Midway through the 2003-2004 season, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He played 2 and a half seasons with the Blazers and had his ups and downs in Portland.
Ups: In April of 2005, he scored a career-high 47 points in a game against the Denver Nuggets. He averaged a career-best 14 points per game with the Blazers during the 2005-2006 season. Downs: In January of 2005, he verbally insulted Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks with racial slurs and was suspended. In 2006, he injured his knee and missed the next 2 seasons due to surgery.

In 2008, he almost made the Boston Celtics team, but was waived before the regular season started.

He played 34 games with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2008-2009 season averaging 3 points and 2 rebounds per game.

After his time with the Grizzlies ended, he hasn't been in the NBA since.......but Miles could be back. He recently scored 26 points in a charity basketball game and said, "This is the best I've felt in five years." He was also a member of the Charlotte Bobcats 2010 Summer League team, but didn't play in any of their games.

Hopefully he can land a spot on an NBA roster for the 2010-2011 season. I wish him well.

Links:
Darius Miles Career Stats Page http://www.nba.com/playerfile/darius_miles/career_stats.html
Darius Miles (Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_Miles

Lance Stephenson: Rockin' the 2010 NBA Summer League

When I heard that Lance Stephenson had applied for the 2010 NBA Draft, I thought that he was making a mistake. I thought he should do another year at Cincinnati before going to the NBA. I had a feeling that he might go undrafted, get drafted really late, or play poorly in his rookie season. Overall, I thought that he had a chance of turning out like Omar Cook.

When the Indiana Pacers drafted him in the 2nd round (40th overall), I was annoyed that he wasn't drafted by the Knicks with the 38th or 39th pick, but I was happy for him. I had unsure predictions on his future with the Pacers and the NBA, but he had passed the first NBA test: getting drafted.

After that I waited until I could see him play in the summer league. He has played 3 games so far in Orlando for the Indiana Pacers Summer League Team, and he has exceeded expectations and played very well. Look at the stats:
July 5 vs. Orlando Magic----21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and made 8 of 10 field goals
July 6 vs. New Jersey Nets----15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and made 7 of 10 field goals
July 7 vs. Utah Jazz----19 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, and made 6 of 8 field goals
Overall (3 games)---18.3 points per game, 3 rebounds per game, 2 assists per game, 0.7 blocks per game, 0.3 steals per game, and has made 21 of 28 field goals (75% field goal percentage

It may not seem that spectacular until you compare him to Evan Turner (the 2nd overall pick in the draft) and Derrick Favors (the 3rd pick).
Evan Turner: 9.7 points per game 35% field goal percentage
Derrick Favors: 8 points per game 43% field goal percentage
Lance Stephenson: 18.3 points per game 75% field goal percentage

Stephenson is statisticly playing better than them. I had my doubts, along with a lot of other people, but he proved us wrong. I guess he really was "Born Ready."

Also, at this moment, Lance Stephenson is ranked number 1 on the NBA.com Rookie Ladder. Blake Griffin and John Wall better watch out.

Links:
NBA.com Rookie Ladder http://www.nba.com/rookieladder/
NBA.com Lance Stephenson Summer League Profile http://www.nba.com/summerleague2010/players/lance_stephenson/index.html

NBA Jerseys: 14 Great & 8 Not-So-Great

Here are my favorite and least favorite NBA basketball jeresys of the past and present:

Great:

14. Washington Wizards Current Alternate Gold Jersey


13. Miami Heat Current Alternate Red Jersey


12. Toronto Raptors 1996 Purple Away Jersey


11. Memphis Grizzlies Current White Home Jersey


10. Minnesota Timberwolves 2006 Black Jersey


9.. Detriot Pistons Current Alternate Red Jersey


8. Washington Bullets 1996 Jerseys (They never should have changed to the Wizards.)


7. Philadelphia 76ers 2006 Black Away Jersey


6. Cleveland Cavs 2002 Home Jersey


5. Orlando Magic 2002 Blue Away Jersey


4. Denver Nuggets 2002 Navy Away Jersey


3. Houston Rockets 2002 Navy Away Jersey


2. Milwaukee Bucks 1997 Green Alternate Jersey


1. Atlanta Hawks 2006 Yellow Alternate Jersey


Not-So-Great:

8. Oklahoma City Thunder Current Light Blue Away Jersey


7. San Antonio Spurs Current Black Away Jersey


6. Orlando Magic 2006 Blue Away Jersey


5. Charlotte Bobcats 2006 Jerseys


4. Memphis Grizzlies Current Light Blue Alternate Jersey


3. Golden State Warriors Current "San Francisco" Yellow Alternate Throwback Jersey


2. Houston Rockets Current Red & Yellow Alternate Jersey


1. Toronto Raptors Current White "Huskies" Alternate Throwback Jersey


Comment on if you agree or dissagre with my opinions on jerseys.

Albany Legends: Dominating the IBL

The Albany Legends are currently on a 5-game winning streak and have a total record of 8-1. They are swishin' and dishin' and their team chemistry is off the chain.

Their last 3-game series against the Holland Blast was anything but close. They won all 3 games scoring at least 140 points each game and beating them by at least 18 points each game.

-Their starting point guard, former NBA player Kenny Satterfield (the Allen Iverson of the IBL), currently leads the league in assists per game (9.4 apg).
-DeAndre Thomas, the Shaq of the IBL, is 11th in the league in rebounds per game (9.2 rpg).
-Damone Morris, the Dwayne Wade of IBL, averages 20.6 points per game and is ranked 21th in the league in ppg.
-The team has 8 players who average at least 10 points per game.
-Other strong contributors to the recent sucess of the Legends include Gordon Klaiber, Lloyd Clinton, Scott McRae, Rashaun Freeman, Chris Grant, and Lloyd Johnson.

I guess the Legends are doing just fine without Toby Smith.

NBA: Atlanta Hawks eliminated from playoffs

The Atlanta Hawks had a good season this year. They had 53 wins and 29 losses during the regular season and finished in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference. Jamal Crawford won the Sixth Man of the Year Award, Josh Smith was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Joe Johnson was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

They started the playoffs well, beating the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, even though it went to Game 7. In the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, the Orlando Magic dominated them. The Hawks didn't win a game that series and finished with a 2010 Playoff record of 4-7.

Though they did go out fighting. They may have lost Game 4 to the Magic 98-84. They finished the game with a rally. The score was 98-77, but then the Hawks went on a 7-0 run to end the game. It really didn't matter in the end, but it must have cheered up the fans in Atlanta a little bit.

Now the Magic will play the Celtics or the Cavs in the East and the Suns will play either the Lakers or the Jazz.

Do I Agree With the NBA Award Picks?

Some of the awards for the 2009-2010 NBA season were given to the right people. Some of them weren't.

MVP (Actual Winner): LeBron James
MVP (My Pick): LeBron James. He's the best player in the NBA right now. Kobe has lost his throne. Just look at the numbers that LeBron is putting up and how good his team is doing. This pick wasn't hard to make.

Sixth Man of the Year (Actual Winner): Jamal Crawford
Sixth Man of the Year (My Pick): Jamal Crawford. It's as simple as this. He put up great numbers and helped his team while coming off the bench. Plus, Manu Ginobili and Jason Terry have already won the award in the past.

Rookie of the Year (Actual Winner): Tyreke Evans
Rookie of the Year (My Pick): Brandon Jennings. Tyreke may have put up better season averages than Jennings, but did Tyreke ever score 55 points in a game? I think not. Plus, Brandon Jennings helped his team make the playoffs and force the series to Game 7 against the Hawks. Tyreke put up good stats, but didn't seem to help his team much. The Kings didn't even come close to making the playoffs with 25 wins and 57 losses during the regular season.

Defensive Player of the Year (Actual Winner): Dwight Howard
Defensive Player of the Year (My Pick): Gerald Wallace. Wallace was right up there with Howard in rebounds per game and blocks per game. Wallace even beat Howard in steals per game. Plus, Howard won it last year and I'm not a huge fan of players winning the same award over and over again.

What do you think?

Baller Obituary: Eddie Griffin

Eddie Griffin was a baller. A 6'10" power forward who played well on the court, but had a lot of off-court troubles.

Basketball-wise he was good. After one year at Seton Hall earning the Big East Rookie of the Year award, he was drafted into the NBA by the Houston Rockets in 2001. He played 2 solid seasons for the Rockets averaging about 8 points per game.

Then his off-court troubles really started affecting him. Griffin missed the entire 2003-2004 season due to alcohol problems and was released by the Rockets after missing practices and airplane flights. He then signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves and put up 7.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game during the 2004-2005 season. During the next 2 seasons, the last 2 seasons of his NBA career, his stats got noticably worse. In 2006, he crashed his SUV while driving distracted. In 2007, the Timberwolves released him because of his off-court issues.

On August 17, 2007, Griffin crashed his car into a moving train. His body was badly burned and had to be identified with dental records. An autopsy showed that his body had 3 times the alcohol limit in Texas.

In Memory of Eddie Jamaal Griffin (May 30, 1982 - August 17, 2007). You'll always be remembered.

NBA: What's Next for Rafer Alston?

Rafer Alston has played a respectable 11-season NBA career. He's played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, and the Miami Heat. He played in the NBA Finals with the Magic in 2009. Is his NBA career done?

Let's recap the season: He started off the season with the Nets. He played 27 games with the Nets and averaged 9.7 points per game and 3.9 assists per game. He then signed with the Miami Heat halfway through the season. Alston played 25 games with the Heat and averaged 6.6 points per game and 2.9 assists per game. He then dissapeared from the team mysteriously and made little to no contact with the organization. In March, the Miami Heat suspended him for the rest of the season. He's produced no news since then except speculation that he might retire.

Since he's my favorite NBA player, I hope he comes back of course. I think he should sign with the New York Knicks. He's just as good as Chris Duhon, Eddie House, and Toney Douglas. Plus, NYC is where he was born and raised.

Or if no NBA team will take him, he should hook back up with And1 and get the mixtape tour back together. I'd see them play. I also would buy an And1 Mixtape Volume 11.

So Rafer, if your reading this, NBA or And1: choose one!

Washington Wizards: Potential?

I know what your thinking. "The Wizards suck! They had a 26-56 record last season." But I have a strong feeling that their record will improve next season for these reasons:

-Josh Howard suffered a season-ending injury 4 games after being traded from the Mavs, so they were without him. He'll be back next season and if they sign him, he would make a good starting small forward.

-The gun incident got Gilbert Arenas suspended for the rest of the season, so they were without him. Besides being on probation, he'll be available to play with the Wizards if they still want him. He'll be their starting shooting guard.

-If the Wizards can get lucky in the draft lottery and get the number 1 pick, they can get John Wall and he could be their starting point guard.

-Andray Blatche, Mike Miller, and Al Thornton did good last season and will presumably do good next season if they are still with the team.

-After the big trade they did that cleared up a good amount of cap space, they will have a good chance at signing a all-star free agent. Here are some possiblities: Lebron James, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Jermaine O'Neal, Ray Allen......

-Cedric Jackson: He improved throughout his rookie season. In 5 games with the Cleveland Cavs, he averaged 0.2 points per game. After that he averaged 2.3 points per game in 3 games with the San Antonio Spurs. Lastly, he averaged a season high 3.0 points per game with the Washington Wizards. Next season, he could be a 2nd string, 3rd string, or maybe even the starting point guard.

I think that with a little luck and some good decisions by the team's GM, they can be playoff and possibly championship contenders for the 2010-2011 season and seasons to come. Who's with me?