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