NBA: Blazers Waive Adam Morrison

The Portland Trail Blazers have trimmed their roster to 15 players, the maximum amount of players an NBA team can have for the regular season, by waiving Adam Morrison along with four other players (Dallas Lauderdale, Demonte Harper, Coby Karl and Justin Holiday).

Morrison, 28, played for the Brooklyn Nets and then the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2012 NBA Summer League before accepting a training camp invitation from the Blazers. According to an interview with Dime Magazine, he also got training camp invitations from the Miami Heat and the Clippers, but chose Portland because it was closer to home and he thought it was a better situation.

On October 10th, his preseason debut with the Blazers, Morrison had a stellar performance in a win against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. In less than 12 minutes of play, he scored 9 points off of 4-of-6 shooting from the field. He also grabbed one rebound and was 1-of-2 from three-point range.



However, he struggled in his next games with the team. Morrison went scoreless in the next 2 games he played in and never quite found his shot again. He finished the preseason with underwhelming averages of 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 11.4 minutes over 5 games. He also shot 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond-the-arc. However, he made all two of his free-throw attempts and finished with a perfect free-throw percentage.

Morrison released a statement to CSNNW.com:

"I want to thank the Blazers' organization for giving me a chance. I'm sorry things didn't work out, but I wish them nothing but success. Right now, I'm just going to talk to my agent and see where to go from here."

After originally saying that he might retire, finish school, and start coaching, he might not be ready to quit yet.

By waiving Morrison, the Blazers are placing his contract on waivers, which means that he can be claimed by another NBA team. Recently, when the Spurs waived Eddy Curry, the Mavericks claimed him off waivers. Last season, in 2011, the Knicks claimed Jeremy Lin after he was waived by the Rockets. Morrison still has a chance to catch on with a team for the 2012-13 NBA season.

The Heat and the Clippers, who both reportedly invited Morrison to training camp, are unlikely to claim him because they don't currently have any roster spots open and are in the process of trimming their rosters down to 15 each.

A wild card team that could end up claiming Morrison would be the Los Angeles Lakers. Their current roster stands at 15 players, but only 13 of those players are on guaranteed contracts. Rookies Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom, both 2012 second-round draft picks, are on playing on unguaranteed contracts. One or both of them could be waived in order to sign or claim Morrison. Considering how well he has played against the Lakers in the summer league and preseason this year, they might take a chance on him and give him a shot.

Hopefully, the Lakers, or another team, claims Morrison off waivers or signs him to a contract.

Have any thoughts on the Blazers waiving Adam Morrison? Do you think he will catch on with another NBA team? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA: Teammates Reunited This Season (2012-13)

The NBA is back for another season. The preseason is wrapping up and the regular season starts on October 30th. Through trades and free agent signings, a number of former teammates are being reunited with each other this season:

Marcus Camby & Carmelo Anthony
Denver Nuggets (2003-2008, 5 seasons) New York Knicks (2012-present)

Chris Kaman & Elton Brand
Los Angeles Clippers (2003-2008, 5 seasons), Dallas Mavericks (2012-present)

Ray Allen & Rashard Lewis
Seattle SuperSonics (2003-2007, 4.5 seasons), Miami Heat (2012-present)

Marcus Camby & Kurt Thomas
New York Knicks (1998-2002, 4 seasons), Portland Trail Blazers (2011-2012, 0.5 seasons), New York Knicks (2012-present)

 

Aaron Brooks & Chuck Hayes
Houston Rockets (2007-2011, 3.5 seasons), Sacramento Kings (2012-present)

Ben Gordon & Tyrus Thomas
Chicago Bulls (2006-2009, 3 seasons), Charlotte Bobcats (2012-present)

Kwame Brown & Andrew Bynum
Los Angeles Lakers (2005-2008, 2.5 seasons), Philadelphia 76ers (2012-present)

Andre Iguodala & Andre Miller
Philadelphia 76ers (2006-2009, 2.5 seasons), Denver Nuggets (2012-present)

Marquis Daniels & Mike Dunleavy
Indiana Pacers (2007-2009, 2.5 seasons), Milwaukee Bucks (2012-present)

Kyle Korver & Louis Williams
Philadelphia 76ers (2005-2007, 2.5 seasons), Atlanta Hawks (2012-present)

Michael Beasley & Jermaine O'Neal
Miami Heat (2009-2010, 1.5 seasons), Phoenix Suns (2012-present)

Matt Barnes & Lamar Odom
Los Angeles Lakers (2010-2011, 1 season), Los Angeles Clippers (2012-present)

Antawn Jamison & Steve Nash
Dallas Mavericks (2003-2004, 1 season), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-present)

Jarrett Jack & Brandon Rush
Indiana Pacers (2008-2009, 1 season), Golden State Warriors (2012-present)

Raymond Felton & Tyson Chandler
Charlotte Bobcats (2009-2010, 1 season), New York Knicks (2012-present)

Al Harrington & Quentin Richardson
New York Knicks (2008-2009, 0.5 seasons), Orlando Magic (2012-present)

Anthony Tolliver & Anthony Morrow
Golden State Warriors (2010, 0.5 seasons), New Jersey Nets (2012-present)

(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images, Google Images, etc.)

Have any thoughts any reunited teammates this season? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Baller Bio: Kenny Satterfield

Kenny Satterfield is 31 years old. He only played a few seasons in the NBA, but he's been able to make a career out of professional basketball.

Satterfield was born on April 10, 1981 in New York City. He played at Rice High School in the Big Apple. He was named a 1999 McDonald's All-American in his senior year. In that same year, he was also named to the Parade All-American Third Team and USA TODAY's All-USA Third Team. He was also named the 1999 New York City Player of the Year.

He committed to Cincinnati and joined the Bearcats as a freshman in 1999 and put up averages of 9.2 points and 5.4 assists in 33 games. That season, he helped them reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was an early entry in the 2000 NBA Draft, but withdrew before the deadline. In his sophomore season, Satterfield received more minutes and saw most of his averages and percentages go up. He played 35 games and averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. Satterfield shined in his second season with the Bearcats and helped lead Cincinnati to the Sweet 16 of the 2001 NCAA Tournament before losing to Stanford.

Satterfield's draft stock was as high as ever and he decided to apply for the 2001 NBA Draft. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 53rd pick of the draft in the second round. After being drafted, he played in the Rocky Mountain Summer League with the Mavs. Later, on September 25, 2001, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets for a future second round draft pick before the season started.

As a rookie with the pre-Melo Nuggets, Satterfield mostly played a back-up role, but saw his minutes steadily increase over the course of the season. He was hit with a few injuries, left knee patella tendinitis and a sprained left thumb, and missed more games than he would have liked to.

In his first career start (on March 30th, 2002), he took advantage of the opportunity and finished with 12 points and 11 assists, the first and only double-double of his NBA career, in a win vs. the Bulls in Chicago. He made a statement and proved that he could be trusted with a starting role. He started the next game and scored 17 points and dished out 7 assists in a loss in Detroit. He wouldn't start again until the second-to-last game of the season in which he scored only 6 points on 3-of-11 shooting, but finished with a career-high 12 assists. In the last game of the season, he scored a career-high 21 points and dished out 6 assists as the Nuggets lost to the playoff-bound Timberwolves on the road.

After gaining momentum at the end of his rookie campaign, Satterfield re-signed with Denver and received solid minutes at the beginning of his second season as a Nugget. However, as the season went on, his minutes and stats went up and down until he was waived by the team on December 18, 2002.

His NBA career was in jeopardy, but he bounced back and was picked up by the Iverson-led Philadelphia 76ers less than a week later on December 23rd. Satterfield played 19 minutes off-the-bench in his first game as a Sixer, a blowout loss to the Jazz, but that ended up being the last game that he would ever play more than 10 minutes. Coach Larry Brown gave Satterfield only limited minutes and not enough time to prove that he could help the team. In his last NBA game, Satterfield went scoreless and finished with 2 assists in a bittersweet win against his former team, the Nuggets. It marked nine wins in a row for the 76ers, but Satterfield played in less than 10 minutes or didn't play at all in each game during the winning streak.

He was placed on waivers by the the Sixers before the regular season ended as they signed free agent Tyrone Hill. He probably hoped to be claimed, but wasn't and officially became a free agent on March 5, 2003.  In his 17-game stint with Philly, he had produced only 9 points and 15 assists. As the playoffs eventually started and ended (with the Spurs winning the title), Satterfield was hoping to get another chance to play in the NBA.

He got that chance later that year and signed a contract with the Washington Wizards in September. He was named to their training camp roster and hoped to become a member of their team for the upcoming season. This post-Jordan Wizards squad included a newly-signed Gilbert Arenas, a struggling, young Kwame Brown, Jerry Stackhouse in the prime of his career, and others. However, the Wizards didn't see Satterfield in their future and waived him in October of 2003 before the season started.

Satterfield decided to go overseas and sign with a team in France (Limoges) in November. He was waived in January of 2004.

He later brought his talents back to the U.S. and signed with the now-defunct Fayetteville Patriots of the D-League on February 18th. He emerged as their starting point guard and averaged 18.6 points, 6.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 18 games with the team. Satterfield hoped to be called up by an NBA team, but he wasn't and the Patriots lost in the semifinals of the playoffs to the Asheville Attitude, despite a great game from Satterfield in which he scored 33 points, dished out 6 assists, grabbed 6 rebounds, had 6 steals, blocked 5 shots, shot perfect from the free-throw line, and made six 3-pointers in 44 minutes. A bright spot was that he led his team in points per game and finished second in the D-League in assists per game behind Omar Cook.

For the next years, after his stint in the NBA's official minor league, Satterfield played professionally all over the world in foreign countries like Greece, Venezuela, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Argentina. He even played for the Brooklyn Comets of the ABA from 2006-2007. During the summers he would come back to the states and play in NYC, his old stomping grounds. He played in the Rucker Park Summer League, the Hoops in the Sun Summer League, and the Dyckman League. He became known on the streetball circuit as "Serious Satellite."

He received an opportunity for an NBA comeback and played in the Reebok Las Vegas Summer League with the Chicago Bulls in 2005. He played okay and averaged 5 points, 3.2 assists, and 2 rebounds in 19.6 minutes over the course of 5 games, but didn't play well enough to separate himself from the rest of the players on the team and score an invitation to training camp. He was not signed by the Bulls.

In 2010, he returned to New York again, but traveled upstate to the capital region to join the Albany Legends of the IBL for their inaugural season. He quickly emerged as a team leader and had some great games: 13 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Tacoma Tide on April 30th and 31 points and 18 assists in a win against the Holland Blast on May 22nd.

He helped lead the Legends to the 2010 IBL Championship and led them to victory over the Bellingham Slam. He led the team in points, assists, and free throws made that game (30 points, 7 assists, 8-17 field goals, 12-for-12 free throws, 2-for-2 three-pointers), but was snubbed as big-man Deandre Thomas, who finished with 21 points, 10-of-14 field goals, and 19 rebounds, was named the Championship MVP instead of Satterfield. I was on the court at the Washington Avenue Armory during the celebration and remember seeing Satterfield after Thomas was named the MVP. From what I could tell, there wasn't a look of disappointment on his face. He just casually walked off the court, probably thinking about what his next basketball-playing gig would be.

He went off to Japan to play more pro ball later that year and is still on the grind today. He's 31 years old and another shot at the NBA is too unlikely to consider, but Satterfield will be remembered as a local legend in New York. In my opinion, he had the talent to be productive in the league, but got a bit unlucky, lost in the shuffle, and the NBA just didn't work out for him. Here's a short promo video of him for Team NIKE back in 2011:



While Sattterfield's stint in the NBA wasn't as long as he would have wanted it to be, his legacy could live through his daughter, Kaelynn. Earlier this year, she won top honors among 9 and 10 year old girls at the NBA/WNBA FIT Dribble, Dish & Swish competition in Orlando, Florida during the 2012 All-Star weekend. Kaelynn said she hopes to play in the WNBA with the New York Liberty or become a doctor.

As the years go by, Kenny Satterfield will continue to age and eventually retire, maybe even trying a run at coaching, but his daughter may just be beginning a career in basketball.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Satterfield
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kenny_satterfield/printable_player_files.html
http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/player/cincinnati/kenny-satterfield/game_stats
http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Kenny_Satterfield/Summary/675
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/satteke01.html
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/transactions/league/2003
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Washington_Wizards/30/Rosters/Training_Camp/2004
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/players/s/satteke01d.html
http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/transactions_03-04.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/years/2004.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/teams/FAY/2004.html
http://www.streetbasketballassociation.net/management/proplayer/index.html?player_id=15
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-03-01/news/31112047_1_girls-basketball-dish-swish-basketball-court
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Chicago_Bulls/4/Rosters/Summer_League/2005

Have any thoughts on Kenny Satterfield or any suggestions for who I should do a Baller Bio on next? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Who Wore It Before Them #3: Memphis Grizzlies

Welcome to the third edition of "Who Wore It Before Them" in which I show what players wore jersey numbers on teams before the current players of those teams. This entry will feature the Memphis Grizzlies. Enjoy! (Click on the pictures to make them bigger.)

Darrell Arthur - #00 (2008-present)

Benoit Benjamin (1995)

Josh Selby - #2 (2011-present)



Acie Law (2010), Trey Gilder (2009), Juan Carlos Navarro (2007-2008), Jason Williams (2001-2005), Doug West (1999-2001), Greg Anthony (1995-1997)

Wayne Ellington - #3 (2012-present)

Brian Skinner (2011), Jason Williams (2011), Allen Iverson (2009), Darius Miles (2008-2009), Javaris Crittenton (2008), Jeremy Richardson (2007-2008), Chucky Atkins (2006-2007), Anthony Roberson (2005-2006), Troy Bell (2003-2004), Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996-2001)

Marreese Speights - #5 (2012-present)

Ishmael Smith (2011), Marcus Williams (2009-2010), Will Conroy (2007), Elliot Perry (not pictured, 2002), Milt Palacio (1999-2000), Chris Robinson (1996-1998), Darrick Martin (1995-1996)

Jerryd Bayless - #7 (2012-present)

Leon Powe (2011), Greg Buckner (2008-2009), Tarence Kinsey (2006-2007), Eddie Gill (not pictured, 2002), Sam Mack (1998-1999), Anthony Peeler (1996-1998), Lawrence Moten (1995-1996)

Tony Wroten - #8 (2012-present)

Michael Dickerson (1999-2003)

Tony Allen - #9 (2010-present)

Ronnie Brewer (2010), Isaac Austin (2000-2002), Dennis Scott (1999-2000), George Lynch (1997-1998)

Mike Conley - #11 (2007-present)

Damon Jones (not pictured, 2000-2001), Lee Mayberry (1996-1999)

Hamed Haddadi - #15 (2008-present)

Cezary Trybanski (2002-2003), Aaron Williams (not pictured, 1997), Rich Manning (not pictured, 1995, 1996-1997)

Quincy Pondexter - #20 (2011-present)

Damon Stoudamire (2005-2008), Chris Owens (2002-2003), Brent Price (1999-2001)

Rudy Gay - #22 (2006-present)

Brevin Knight (2001-2003)

Marc Gasol - #33 (2008-present)

Mike Miller (2003-2008), Antonio Daniels (1997-1998), Pete Chilcutt (1996-1997)

Zach Randolph - #50 (2009-present)

Bryant Reeves (1995-2001)

Click to see the "Who Wore It Before Them" entries for the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat.

Have any thoughts on the Memphis Grizzlies? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA: Clippers Should Sign Adam Morrison

(Photo Courtesy: thefrontofficenews.com)

After last playing with the Washington Wizards in the 2010 preseason, Adam Morrison returned to the NBA competition a month ago in July by signing with the Brooklyn Nets summer league team. He played five games with them and averaged 5.2 points in 19.2 minutes a game. Besides scoring 6 straight points in a game against the Magic and recording a double-double in another game, his stint with the team was forgettable. Overall, Morrison's play in Orlando was inconsistent. He showed flashes of supreme offensive prowess, but also mediocre defense and questionable effort.

As the 2012 NBA Summer League moved on to Las Vegas, Morrison was named to the Los Angeles Clippers summer league squad. The next five games that he played with his new team proved to be much more productive and memorable. His first game wasn't great. He scored 11 points off of 5-13 field goals and grabbed 5 rebounds in a loss to the T'Wolves. He then scored over 20 points and shot above 50% from the field and from 3-point range in each of his next 2 games against the Spurs and the Lakers. In his second-to-last summer league game, he scored 18 points and had 5 rebounds.

His final game with the Clippers was by far his best game of the entire summer league. He led the Clips to a double-digit victory over the Celtics. He scored 26 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists. He also shot 9-for-15 from the field and shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. The fans in Las Vegas chanting "MVP" for him at the end of the game was a great way to cap off the summer league.



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The Los Angeles Clippers made it to the Western Conference Semi-Finals last season before being swept the Spurs. As a franchise that has been known for losing in the past, they have improved their roster significantly in recent years. In 2009, they drafted Blake Griffin who ended up being named the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 2011 after missing the entire 2009-10 season due to a knee injury. The Clippers also traded for All-Star point guard Chris Paul before the 2011-12 season.

During the current offseason, the Clips have made a flurry of moves in an attempt to build a roster that could win the 2013 title. They signed former All-Star Grant Hill and former Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford and traded for 2-time NBA champion Lamar Odom and underrated shooting guard Willie Green. They also signed journeyman center Ronny Turiaf who won a championship with the Heat earlier this year.

The Clippers are looking like contenders for the upcoming 2012-13 season and are hoping to win it all for the first time in franchise history next June.

As a team, they have one roster spot left to fill. They have 14 players on contract that includes 3 point guards, 3 shooting guards, 3 centers, and 5 forwards. Of the forwards that they have, Caron Butler and Grant Hill are small forwards, Blake Griffin and Trey Thompkins are power forwards, and Lamar Odom is a combo forward. If they want to fill every position equally, then they should probably sign another forward to fill up their roster completely.

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Adam Morrison is a small forward. He is, in my opinion, perfect to be the final add-on to the Clippers' roster for the upcoming season. He would likely accept the veteran's minimum and give Los Angeles the first shot to sign him out of loyalty. Morrison would be a great scoring kick off the bench and would probably be rejuvenated on the defensive end if he was given a role on a contending NBA team. The general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers needs to make this happen and sign Adam Morrison! Or at least invite him to training camp....

If not, there are other teams that could use Morrison's services. But I think he would be a great fit for the Clippers and I hope that he ends up on their squad for the regular season.

According to multiple online sources, Greg Anthony may have said on NBATV that Morrison had already signed a contract with the Clippers. However, no reliable sources have confirmed this and nothing is official to my knowledge.

Should the Clippers sign Adam Morrison? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA: Breaking Down the Dwight Howard Trade

(Photo Courtesy: chicagotribune.com)

After many months of speculation, deliberation, and analyzing, the Orlando Magic have finally traded Dwight Howard in a blockbuster, 4-team, 12-player trade......to the Los Angeles Lakers. I shall break down the trade for each team involved:

Lakers Lose: Andrew Bynum, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga
Lakers Receive: Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark

The Lakers are the obvious winners of this trade. They swapped their all-star center Andrew Bynum for the best center in the league, Dwight Howard. This trade makes them serious contenders.

The role players that they lost shouldn't end up being a huge factor. McRoberts struggled last season, his first and only for the Lakers, and though Eyenga is only 23 years old and has some potential, he wasn't a great fit with Los Angeles. He only played in one game with the team and served as a benchwarmer.

Clark and Duhon are both servicable. Clark is young, 24 years old, and hasn't gotten a lot of playing time in his career yet. The former McDonald's All-American could end up finding some good minutes with the Lakers, but could just as easily end up riding the bench all season. Duhon has had some flashes of greatness in his career, but has also had long spells of mediocrity. Though he averaged 10 points and 7 assists as a starter for the Knicks in the 08-09 season, he's spent the last two seasons with the Magic not playing as well with inconsistent minutes.

I think Clark and Duhon are both wild cards. Clark could end being a Cinderella starter and Duhon could be a great back-up point guard to Steve Nash, but they could very well end up sitting on the end of the bench next to each other the whole season.


Nuggets Lose: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington
Nuggets Receive: Andre Iguodala

I'm not sure how I feel about swap of players that the Nuggets made. Afflalo averaged 15 points a game last season as a starter for the Nugs last season and is in the prime of his career right now. Harrington is past his prime, but averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds off the bench for Denver last season.

Iguodala is a great player, don't get me wrong, and all of the NBA analysts I've seen on TV seem to think he'll fit in well in coach George Karl's system, but I don't know if he'll make up for the losses of Afflalo and Harrington. The Nuggets had a good team last season and I don't think that shaking up the roster like this will help the team win more games.


76ers Lose: Andre Iguodala, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic
76ers Receive: Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson

There is some risk for Philadelphia making this trade. Bynum is a 2-time NBA champion, was an All-Star starter last season with the Lakers, and should be an All-Star for years to come, but he has had problems with injuries in his career so far and his contract ends at the end of the season. Jason Richardson was a borderline All-Star back in the day, but is getting older every day while he'll keep getting paid more and more every year until 2015, assuming he picks up his player option. However, he could end up being rejuvenated as a starter or 6th man.

The 76ers gave up some valuable assets in this trade. Iguodala had played his entire career in Philly since being their first-round pick in 2004. He was an All-Star last season and is competing in the Olympics with the men's basketball team currently. Iggy was the face of their franchise after Allen Iverson left. He was a veteran leader and glue guy who was an important piece to the 76ers.

Harkless is an unproven rookie, but is only 19 years old and has some crazy potential. He averaged 15.5 points and 8.6 rebounds as a freshman at St. Johns last season. Vucevic is also young with a lot of potential. The 21-year old from Switzerland averaged about 5 points and 5 rebounds as a rookie for the Sixers last season in only 16 minutes a game.

This trade could pay off for Philadelphia in a big way, but on the other hand, it could end up disastrous for them. I personally liked the 76ers team that they had before with Lou Williams and Elton Brand.


Magic Lose: Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark
Magic Receive: Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga

Dwight Howard leaving the Magic was inevitable and so the Magic were planning on trading him so they could get another star player in return to cut their losses. A flurry of swaps were talked about that involved the Magic getting Andrew Bynum, Amar'e Stoudemire, Brook Lopez, Monta Ellis, and Pau Gasol, but management in Orlando knew that they wouldn't get a player as good as Howard in return. So considering that the Magic weren't contenders even with D12, it was pretty much certain that they would be worse and even more mediocre than before with whatever star/franchise player(s) they got in return.

So they decided to go another route and used a different trading strategy that most people don't seem to understand, but I do. They traded almost entirely for the future. First off, they made sure they received a boatload of draft picks (first and second round), which they did.

They received 6 players and not all of them will be great for them, but I'm sure the Magic knew what they were doing when they traded for the players they did.

Al Harrington is 32 years old and past his prime, but is still serviceable right now and is coming off a good season. He will also serve as a veteran leader and should look to guide the Magic's 2012 first round draft pick, power forward Andrew Nicholson, and Kyle O'Quinn, the team's other rookie power forward, along with young big men Gustavo Ayon, Glen Davis, Nikola Vucevic, and Josh McRoberts.

Arron Afflalo is in his prime and is coming off the best season of his career so far. He averaged 15.2 points a game as a starter for the Nuggets and helped lead them to the playoffs where they forced a Game 7 against the Lakers. He should be a starter for the Magic this season and a team leader.

The only way that Affalo won't be a starter is if Moe Harkless has a stellar rookie season. There is a good chance that they will be starting together at shooting guard and small forward, especially since Jason Richardson is now gone and overpaid Hedo Turkoglu is a year older. Harkless is 19 years old and has a lot of potential. He could end up being an All-Star and has a bright future in the NBA. Since the Magic are probably gonna be a playoff team this season, Harkless should be given good minutes and develop nicely.

Nikola Vucevic is coming off a decent rookie season in Philly and should be helpful. He is young and could develop into a great player. Josh McRoberts is coming off a rough season with the Lakers, but played well the year before with the Pacers. Maybe he'll find a good niche with the Magic. Christian Eyenga is young and has played fairly well in his career so far. While he probably won't develop into a star, he could develop into a solid NBA contributor.


To sum it up, the Lakers made a great trade and will be one of the top teams in the NBA this season. I don't think this trade was a good move for the Nuggets, but I could be wrong. I think that this trade is risky for the 76ers. I think that the Magic did as well as they could have trading Dwight Howard.

Have any thoughts on the D12 trade? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

2012 NBA Summer League: Day 2 Recap

For the second day in a row, eight NBA summer league teams battled in Orlando. A few players had great games, while some struggled mightily. Let's recap each game:

Game 1: Utah Jazz 84 (1-1), Philadelphia 76ers 80 (0-2)

Second-year player Alec Burks led the Jazz to victory in this one with a game-high 31 points. Jacob Pullen of the 76ers had 23 points and 4 assists in the losing effort. He was 8-14 from the field, was 4-7 from three-point range, and was 3-3 from the free throw line. Pullen is playing well in the summer league so far and I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up playing back-up point guard to Jrue Holiday in Philadelphia this upcoming season.

Player of the Game: Alec Burks (31 points, 3 rebounds, 10-14 field goals, 1-2 three-pointers, 10-11 free throws - in only 29 minutes of play!)

Game 2: Indiana Pacers 78 (2-0), Oklahoma City Thunder 74 (0-2)

Lance Stephenson had a fantastic game and led the Pacers over the Thunder. Orlando Johnson went 0-10 from the field, like MarShon Brooks had done the day before. In 8 minutes of play, Jeff Pendergraph had 6 points and 7 rebounds.

I was originally upset that Reggie Hamilton of the Pacers didn't see a minute of playing time and sat on the bench the whole game, but after reading the box score, I found out that he didn't play because of a sprained left ankle. I'm not sure when that happened, but that's a tough break for the undrafted rookie who led the NCAA in points per game last season. Hopefully his injury will heal sooner rather than later and he can get a chance to showcase his talent.

Player of the Game: Lance Stephenson (28 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 10-14 field goals, 2-4 three-pointers)

Game 3: Detroit Pistons 79 (2-0), Orlando Magic 74 (1-1)

Austin Daye had a great game and led the Pistons over the Magic. Kyle Singler chipped in with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Brandon Knight also helped out with 11 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals.

For the Magic, Andrew Nicholson had 13 points and 6 rebounds and Kyle O'Quinn had 11 points and 6 rebounds in the losing effort. In only 10 minutes of play, Kevin Anderson scored 11 points.

Player of the Game: Austin Daye (24 points, 6 rebounds, 8-10 field goals, 3-3 three-pointers, 5-5 free throws)

Game 4: Boston Celtics 82 (2-0), Brooklyn Nets 73 (0-2)

The Nets still haven't won yet in the summer league, while the Celtics remain undefeated. For the Celtics, Jonathon Gibson scored a game-high 17 points off the bench in only 14 minutes of play. He shot 5-7 from the field and was 3-5 from three-point range. Jared Sullinger had 8 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in the win.

For Brooklyn, 2-time NBA Champion Adam Morrison had a double-double in the loss. Al Thornton scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.

Player of the Game: Adam Morrison (10 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 4-4 free throws)


Have any thoughts on anything that's going on in the summer league so far? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

2012 NBA Summer League: Day 1 Recap

The 2012 NBA Summer League in Orlando officially began yesterday. In this article, I will share my thoughts, opinions, and observations on aspects of each game.

Game 1: Orlando Magic 92, Brooklyn Nets 88

I watched most of this game. By the time I got up and finished breakfast and turned on NBATV, the game had already started. I was hyped up because Adam Morrison is one of my favorite players. At first, I just watched Adam Morrison. He seemed sluggish and his teammates weren't passing to him. But then at the end of the third quarter, he went into beast mode and scored 6 straight points in a span of about 55 seconds.



The Nets came back from a double-digit lead and tied the game late in the fourth after a 3 by Tyshawn Taylor, but the Magic pulled it out.

For the Magic, Andrew Nicholson led the game with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Kyle O'Quinn, who played with the 15th-seeded Norfolk State team earlier this year, went 8-10 from the field and finished with 16 points.

For the Nets, Morrison finished with 10 points off of 4-7 shooting from the field, had 3 rebounds, and went 2-2 from the free throw line. He utilized himself well. Al Thornton was active and finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds. MarShon Brooks had an awful shooting day and finished the game 0-10 from the field. He also had 4 turnovers, but had 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and shot 3-3 from the free throw line.

Game 2: Boston Celtics 73, Oklahoma City Thunder 65

I only watched some of this game. For the Celtics, Jared Sullinger had a great game off the bench and finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds. He shot 6-12 from the field and went 7-7 from the free throw line. Sean Williams, who I like because I think he's a great energy player, had 6 points and 4 rebounds. Craig Brackins, who's played the first 2 seasons of his career with the 76ers, was given only 2 and a half minutes of playing time and didn't get a good chance to showcase his skills. Dionte Christmas was active and had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He also had a +/- rating of +15, the highest of anybody in the game.

For the Thunder, Reggie Jackson led the team in points and assists (19 points, 2 assists) and shot 7-15 from the field. He also had 3 rebounds, and shot 5-6 from the free throw line. No one else on the Thunder particularly impressed me.

Game 3: Detroit Pistons 76, Utah Jazz 73

I'll be honest. I didn't watch a second of this game. But looking at the stats, I was interested by the performance of Deron Washington, who I'd never heard of. In less than 9 minutes of play, he scored 13 points. He shot 4-5 from the field and was 3-3 from three-poimt range. He did have 5 fouls and 2 turnovers though.

Game 4: Indiana Pacers 69, Philadelphia 76ers 63

I was disapointed by this game because of how Reggie Hamilton never got a chance to show his talent. Out of everyone on the Pacers who saw playing time, Hamilton got the least amount of minutes. In less than 5 minutes of play, he was set up to fail. Though he brought the ball up most of the time, once he passed it in an effort to spread the ball around, he never got it back. His teammates never passed it to him. Orlando Johnson, who had a seemingly good statistical performance with 19 points and 9 rebounds, hogged the ball while Hamilton was on the floor. Hamilton finished with 1 rebound and was 0-1 from the field (he missed a floater), but he had the highest +/- ratio in the game. The Pacers were +9 when Hamilton was on the floor.

For the 76ers, Jacob Pullen led the team with 15 points off the bench in the losing effort. He also had 2 assists and 3 rebounds. I like Pullen's game and was disapointed when he went undrafted in last year's draft.

Have any thoughts on day 1 of the 2012 NBA Summer League? Disapointed that I didn't show Lance Stephenson any love? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.