Nuggets Shed Some Weight

Via the Denver Post, six Denver Nuggets - Kenyon Martin, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Anthony Carter, Nene and Chris Andersen - lost a combined 76 pounds during the summer.

The hope by George Karl and the coaching staff is that they will be a faster and quicker basketball team this upcoming season.

It has to be encouraging that almost everyone on the team is on-board with the new 'sleeker' basketball scheme.

For a team that finished the 2007-2008 season second in scoring averaging over 110 pts. per contest, this 'new look' will only help to ensure that they at least maintain their status as one of the highest scoring teams in the league.

K-Mart, Melo, Iverson, Smith...Kleiza....all these guys can put the ball in the bucket.

And with the Phoenix Suns, who have long been known for being the most uptempo team in the league, now moving towards a more traditional NBA style having acquired Shaquille O'Neal from Miami before last year's trade deadline and having an aging All-Star PG in Steve Nash, the Nuggets look poised to take the place of the Phoenix Suns alongside the Golden State Warriors as the NBA's most fun and gun teams.

For a team that was also second in the most points given up per game (106.95) last season, there is something to be said about doing what you can to maintain a level of high scoring.

Having Nene back in the lineup should also help decrease the scoring of the opposition this year as well.

It should be an interesting mix. One that if executed properly could make the Nuggets one of the NBA's more fascinating teams to watch this season.

We shall see.

I Might be Moving to Portland

It's official.

I just watched highlights of what is surely to be the most exciting and most intriguing team in the NBA this season in the Portland Trailblazers.

No it wasn't because of Greg Oden (who looked ok by the way) although his debut helped build up the hype.

It was everybody else in addition to Oden.

LaMarcus Aldridge is looking like a potential Hall of Fame player forward.

Rudy Fernandez is sharp and NBA ready. He will have a huge impact for the Blazers this season.

All of their youngsters are crisp and you can immediately see on display the high Basketball IQ's that every player on their roster has.

I know it was supposed to be just a pre-season game against the Sacramento Kings but you couldn't tell by the attendance. Over 19,000 fans turned out to see an exhibition game in Portland.

Sacramento was playing some good ball too.

It was a competitive game all the way into the second half when the Blazers began to dominate.

I got to tell you...the thought of being able to watch one of the best young teams in the NBA over the next 5-7 years has me entertaining the thought of moving to Portland.

Seriously.

I'd be willing to bet the city of Chicago saw a population increase thanks to Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

I wonder if there are any good IT jobs in Oregon.

Livingston Joins the Heat

After days of speculation that Shaun Livingston was on the verge of making an NBA comeback, the Miami Heat made it official by signing the PG to a two-year contract.

For those of you that remember him, not too long ago Livingston was poised to become one of the best young point guards in the NBA before suffering one of the most horrific in-game knee injuries the NBA has ever seen.



You can actually see the bone sticking out from his knee in this picture....

Wow.

That's very manly.

It would take a lot of guts and heart for any professional athlete to comeback from an injury that devastating. A lot of people thought (and probably still do) that it would be career-ending for the youngster.

Well he now at least gets an opportunity to show the world that he can bounce back from this and still play, which might allow him to resume a career in the league on some level, although I do not anticipate it being on quite the level it COULD have been had this injury not happened.

I mean how much better would Chris Webber, Grant Hill, and Antonio McDyess have been if not for serious injuries?

Livingston obviously has the desire to get back like these guys did. I mean rehab ain't fun.

He also has a lot of physical advantages working for him. He just turned 23 years old so his youth is a bonus.

He's tall.

At 6'7" his height has always been a big advantage to him as a point guard.

Prior to the injury, he had some quickness, but I would expect that to be a bit diminished and he will have to depend even more on his height and size on the defensive end of the ball.

At best I can see him as a 3rd string option for the Heat who are desperate for players at that position.

But with Miami already having Marcus Banks, Chris Quinn, and Mario Chalmers in the rotation, another move is likely in the works for the Heat as they are almost at the luxury-tax threshold for this season and are vowing not to exceed that.

Even if he doesn't make the final roster I commend the guy for attempting to make it back to the game.

Good luck this season Shaun.

Tinsley to Denver? Not Yet

In another example of just how much the New York Post, and in particular Peter Vescey, has reached the ultimate level of suck-dom when it comes to reporting FACTUAL information, their earlier report of a Pacers/Nuggets deal sending Jamaal Tinsley to the Nuggets for Chucky Atkins and Steven Hunter has been refuted by Mike Wells of the Indy Star.

According to the New York Post, the Denver Nuggets - who themselves just traded their relatively low paid all-star defensive center Marcus Camby to the Clippers in a salary dump - were going to exchange the expiring contract of Chucky Atkins and a relatively small one in Steven Hunter that expires next summer, for Jamaal Tinsley who (while a decent talent when on the court) has all but been dismissed by the Pacer's organization amid buyout talks over the summer, would require Denver to take on an additional $11 million in long-term salary, has a contract that the Nuggets would be on the hook for through the 2010-2011 season, does nothing to help them get below the luxury tax penalty, and has played in less than 70% of his games throughout his NBA career earning him the label of injury prone?

I do not see the Nuggets doing that deal as rumored.

Not saying they would never acquire Jamaal Tinsley. It just does not seem likely that they wouldn't require some other benefit from the deal in addition to Tinsley himself.

They'd be better off letting Atkins expire.

And being that the Pacers are rebuilding and themselves are at the luxury tax threshold, it's not like Indiana would be willing to part with future picks or can provide them any additional financial relief.

Right now if I had to speculate I would say that this deal will stay a rumor for the mean time as each team is limited in their ability to provide the other what they would be looking for in a deal.

Beware the Beast that Slumbers

It's been a pretty quiet second half to the offseason for the Orlando Magic.

That's because GM Otis Smith pretty much accomplished everything he wanted to do early on.

They got the player they wanted in the draft in Courtney Lee.

Smith wasted no time in acquiring Mickael Pietrus, their #1 free agent target this offseason, signing him to the full MLE. Pietrus will serve as the versatile player the Magic have needed on the wing that can do a bit of everything. Most importantly DEFEND.

They have Tony Battie back from injury.

Have solidified their bench with veterans, bringing in Anthony Johnson and re-signing Adonal Foyle.

None of their players have disparaged the National Anthem.

J.J. Redick is still unhappy and wants to be traded.

Yep. It's been a great offseason for Orlando.

They have accomplished so much in such a short time that the significance of some of these moves gets overlooked.

Turkoglu is playing for a new contract, Shard will be trying to show that he deserved the one he got last year, Howard and Nelson are a year older and more experienced, and Stan Van Gundy is the MAN.

They will be a force in the East this year in my opinion.

Beware the Beast that Slumbers.....

And I ain't talkin' about little cute 'Stuff the Mascot'.

Kevin O'Connor Has a Job to Do

Not nearly as hyped, but possibly just as likely, as Lebron's impending breakaway from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010, is Carlos Boozer's departure from the Utah Jazz a season before.

The Desert News is reporting that Carlos Boozer won't talk contract extension with Kevin O'Connor and Utah until after the 2008-2009 season is complete.

There have been rumors and hints up to this point that Boozer would opt out of his current contract with Utah. A contract that would pay him $12.6 million in it's final year.

With teams like Memphis, Miami, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, and Minnesota primed to have the cap room to offer a hefty contract to Boozer next season, he and his agent seemingly feel it would be in Carlos's best interest to see what the market has to offer after this season.

There have been reports in the past of him bolting Utah. Most of those reports have Miami as his destination.

Minnesota already has their PF of the future in Al Jefferson so while they may have the money to offer, it's not likely that they would spend it on Carlos Boozer.

Atlanta I suppose could sign Boozer and move J Smoove to SF on a permanent basis, becoming something like the Utah Jazz of the East with Smoove playing the role of Andrei Kirilenko in Atlanta. But as with anything involving the Hawks the past few years, what they are likely to do is unpredictable.

Memphis though has the most immediate need for a player like Boozer. With Hakim Warrick as their starting PF they could use a more traditional frontcourt player in the starting role. Not a tweener (although Warrick is a very good player) that has a hard time holding his position on the block.

There were talks of them trying to acquire Zach Randolph in the summer, however they were only willing to deal for Randolph if they were permitted to unload some dead weight of their own in the form of Marko Jaric and Darko Milicic. And according to different reports, they wanted the Knicks to both pay some of Randolph's deferred money on his contract AND they also wanted a first round pick as compensation.

So it would seem that unless the Grizzlies are getting absolute maximum value in any deal they do these days, they may balk at signing him outright. Especially if it takes a max type deal to get him to commit.

Oklahoma City would like to move away from Chris Wilcox but I'm not sure if they would be in the market for a Carlos Boozer. Their team defense is already lacking. He doesn't do much to help that. Kevin Durant, while a very good offensive player, is not a good defender. Boozer isn't regarded as a good defender either. The Thunder still have no center to play next to Boozer. The key players on the team are young, they are in rebuild mode, and have just relocated to a new market. It's very unlikely that they would sign a significant free agent so soon given their circumstances.

These are things a free agent would consider in making a decision to sign with a team.

If you are the Thunder and the objective is to improve the overall level of talent on the team then Carlos Boozer would do that.

Clay Bennett is not shy with his spending. We know this much.

However, if you consider everything else I'm not sure if OKC or Boozer would think the other a good move going forward.

In the end, it will come down to the same thing that gets most free agents to sign with any team and what got Boozer to Utah in the first place. Money.

Whatever team extends the best offer to Boozer will most likely get his services for the next 4-6 years.

The Jazz do have the edge in that regard as they can offer him an extra year more than any other team on a new contract. But given their current cap situation and also facing a similar situtation with center Mehmet Okur (although on a lesser level) the Jazz almost certainly would need to move some contracts in order to be able to retain the two, with Boozer being the priority.

Andrei Kirilenko is the name bandied about most in potential trade scenarios to allow the Jazz to get the job done.

Kirilenko's contract limits the Jazz at this point as he is widely viewed as overpaid for what he brings to the team.

This will be a very restless time period for Utah GM Kevin O'Connor as how he handles these upcoming decisions will be crucial for a Utah Jazz organization that has elevated fan expectations after returning to eliteness rather quickly post the departure of their long-time Hall of Famers Karl Malone and John Stockton.

Are the Hornets Title Contenders?

This morning on my drive into work.....(ok I was actually still laying in the bed..but saying driving into work makes me sounds soooo much more productive!) I was listening to local sports radio and one of the guests on the show listed his NBA title contenders for the 2008-2009 season.

They were as follows (in no particular order):

1) Boston Celtics
2) Los Angeles Lakers
3) San Antonio Spurs
4) New Orleans Hornets

Now the Celtics we can understand. They are the current champions and handled the Lakers with ease this past year in the NBA Finals. Despite them being a year older and not doing much with their roster in the offseason, I suppose it's fair to lump them in as a threat to repeat. However I also think it would be an injustice to overlook their loss of James Posey to free agency. This will be huge for them as Posey was a key player during their title run this past season.

The Spurs are the chic pick because of Tim Duncan. But they too are old and didn't do much to bolster their roster unless we expect Roger Mason, George Hill and Salim Stoudamire to have championship caliber impacts for San Antonio.

The Lakers have been thinking NBA title ever since acquiring Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies. With Andrew Bynum returning from injury I don't see why they would not be the favorites in my opinion. I surely hope not because I absolutely HATE the Lakers. So screw them.

This is about the Hornets.

Can New Orleans win the title this year? Do they have all the necessary pieces?

CP3, David West and Tyson Chandler are their big 3.

Those three have the right mix of talent and veteran playoff experience to get the job done. But as with any championship NBA team you also need the intangibles to go with them.

Coach? Byron Scott. That's a check. Scott could get the job done. He's taken a team (the New Jersey Nets) to the NBA Finals twice early in his career and is widely heralded as one of the finer coaches in the NBA.

Enough defense? Check. Chandler is one of the best frontcourt defending NBA bigs. In the offseason they acquired James Posey, formerly of the 2007-2008 Champion Boston Celtics, for perimeter defense and veteran leadership. David West is no slouch at the PF spot and Peja can hold his own at the 3, despite not being a superb defender. Stojakovic's question marks surroud his health and mental toughness.

Bench?...Ur uh. Here is where we might still have a problem.

That was a problem for them last year and it might still be for 2008-2009.

Signing Posey was a huge boost to their bench, however they also lost Bonzi Wells (whom Posey replaces) and Jannero Pargo got PAAAID on a one year deal worth around $4 million to go play overseas for Moscow Dynamo. There was no way a team in the NBA was going to pay him that amount over here so it was an easy decision for Pargo to leave.

That departure would leave Mike James as the number one backup off the bench behind Chris Paul at PG.

And we all know the black hole that is Mike James is not Championship Caliber. So they will still need help here by the time the playoffs roll around.

They still could use depth and more veteran experience off the bench in their frontcourt as well. Hilton Armstrong is a good player but I'm not sure he will help much in beating the Lakers or Spurs. I don't know how or why Sean Marks keeps getting NBA contracts and Melvin Ely sucks.

With small forward being their strongest position (Peja, Posey, Julian Wright and Rasual Butler all manning that spot) they have a piece or two that they could use in trade to address at least one of these areas. It will probably involve them taking on some more long-term salary as Butler has little value throughout the league. And I don't think they want to part with Wright unless it's a no-brainer deal.

Any move though will have to be via trade as I don't see any significant minimum salary guys out there that would help them at this stage in their chase for the title and they spent all of their MLE money bringing in James Posey.

So I suppose while they do LOOK to be Contenders for the most part, in my opinon they are still one or two small pieces away from being able to dethrone a healthy Spur or Laker team...and we haven't even mentioned what the Houston Rockets could do if Yao and McGrady are healthy (now that they have Ron Artest).

Either way New Orleans fans should be all smiles in October at the prospect of their very own team hoisting the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy in June.

The NBA Needs More Jerome Kersey's

NBA players of the current era don't respond well to constructive criticism and must be "babied".

More or less (at one point) those words summed up Jerome Kersey's thoughts on today's NBA athletes.

I'm not sure if Jerome still feels this way today but if you talk to many players from Kersey's era they would probably agree with him.

Talk to many fans, like myself, who watched players like Kersey ball back in the day, then go and watch an NBA game tomorrow (particularly one with Tim Duncan whining the entire game) and you might agree with him as well.

The NBA of today IS a bit different than it was when Jerome Kersey played.

Having watched the game for some time now, I would argue that there is more 'talent' in today's NBA than back then. However that talent is either under-developed or the players don't have the right mental composition to be able to build on that talent.

Jerome Kersey wasn't the most talented player to play in the NBA.

But that didn't stop him from becoming one of the most productive Forwards to ever play in the NBA.

Why?

Because he had HEART.

Maybe it was the Jordan effect.

Kersey was drafted in the same 1984 Draft that produced probably the greatest NBA competitor of all time in Michael Jordan. Not far behind in that draft (in the area of competitiveness) you also had guys like Charles Barkley and John Stockton.

While I know that the NBA was a different beast back then in terms of its competitive fire, in 1984 Michael Jordan introduced a new level of 'mean' to the NBA. And more importatnly, he had the unique talent to back it up.

People always credit MJ for changing the league. This is one way he did.

MJ being in this league made EVERYBODY step up their game and their level of competition.

For a while you couldn't make it in the NBA if you didn't have.......HEART.

Jerome Kersey had heart. That's what got him inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and that's what recently got him inducted into the Oregon Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2008.

And he's not even from Oregon.



Sure he will never make the Basketball Hall of Fame. That's reserved for the basketball elite. The players with the most talent that have the numbers as well as the wins to get into the Hall.

He didn't give you much on the perimeter in terms of scoring. He had zero 3pt. range. His game was more physical. He could handle the ball, rebound and play some defense. His game was a lot like mine. Maybe that's why I liked Kersey so much.

For his career, he finished with decent numbers averaging over 10 points a game to go along with 5.6 rebounds and almost 2 assists. There are players in the Basketball Hall of Fame with similar numbers. However he didn't win enough or made a significant enough impact on games to be Basketball Hall of Fame worthy.

But I will take a less talented player that gives you his all for his career over a slightly more talented player that needs to be 'babied'. It helped Jerome Kersey hang around for 11 years.

The NBA could use a few more Jerome Kersey's.