- In the comments from yesterday, Jonathan Givony said something amazing: "Brandon Roy = Manu Ginobili" Wow. Now: Zach, LaMarcus, whoever Portland's going to pick next year... who wants to be Tim Duncan?
- I'm still on some list, and the NBA very kindly still sends me 30 media guides every year. I don't use them anymore--everything I want out of there is online--so once again I stuck them on ebay and I intend to donate all the money towards aid for needy students (I was one once) attending my alma mater, NYU.
- Need4Sheed: we love you dearly. But you are only enabling Rasheed's destructive behavior. Are the ejections out of hand? No. Not yet. Limiting the complaints is a noble goal--it does detract from the game. And, ham-handed as it may be, this is the only tool to do it. Let's give it half a season for everyone to adjust, then see if the league is better or worse for it.
- Obviously, whatever deal Spalding and the NBA have requires the NBA to weave the new ball into the program on NBA.com pretty heavily. So there it is, it's maligned self, starring in a big NBA Cares ad and in the copy promoting the highlights of the first week. Just feels funny to be presenting that, right now, as a prime feature of the NBA. The NBA has a lot to be proud of--but that ball is one of the most contentious topics around.
- Can we just reflect for a second? The Lakers played back-to-back without Kobe Bryant, against the Suns and the Warriors, and won both while looking pretty good? If it's possible to send a message with two regular season games, the Lakers have sent a message. (One of the recipients of that message? Kobe Bryant.)
- Another gem from the NBA's little pamphlet on the Collective Bargaining Agreement: players who test positive for marijuana enter the "Marijuana Program." The second time you get fined, and have to re-enter the "Marijuana Program." The third time, you get suspended for five games, and, you guessed it, go back into the "Marijuana Program." The fact that players have indeed been suspended five games for marijuana makes me think that whatever happens in the "Marijuana Program" might make a good sitcom.
- Mike James feeling the Halloween vibe.
- Mark Cuban used to have insanity tinged with sincerity. Now he has sincerity tinged with insanity, and it's way creepier. Ian Thomsen reports: "'I told [David Stern] that I was thankful to the commissioner and my fellow owners to help me to see the error of my ways, and to give me the opportunity to fit in and learn and absorb what they're doing,' said Cuban, speaking to reporters while dripping sweat as he worked out on a stair climber in the Mavericks' weight room. 'I apologized to my fellow NBA owners for not having seen the light. Now I have.''' This is headed somewhere ugly.
- Chinese big man Yi Jianlian (Golden State of Mind wants a shout out every time his name comes up, so, here you go) reportedly has permission to enter the 2007 NBA draft. Greg Oden, Joakim Noah, Tiago Splitter, Josh McRoberts, Al Horford, a million others. That draft is going to be goooo-ood.
- The NBDL Draft was last night. When, like Eddie Robinson, you are drafted 16th in the NBDL draft in 2006 than you were drafted in the NBA draft in 2003, you have not managed your career well.
- The Nuggets had the ball in crunch time, down one, in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Andre Miller drove and had his shot swatted away by a helping Shaun Livingston. Denver inbounded again, to Earl Boykins, who used a high screen to make space for a pull-up jumper. Elton Brand extended a long arm and got a finger on that shot, and it was game over. Two blocks to end the game. That's rare crunch time D.
- Dallas has made a big upgrade at the "white benchwarmer" position, per Mavs Moneyball: "Austin Croshere... is a huge improvement over Van Horn in every aspect, and if he plays like he did tonight the rest of the year we'll look at him as the acquisition of the offseason."
- So crazy I don't even know what to say. It involves the Mavericks, I think, and wigs. This is just as crazy, but involves wall-to-wall panda fur and snorting rhino dust or something.
- Wages of Wins looks at the numbers and decides that Maurice Taylor is the kind of player who can most help his team by not playing.
- Mark Cuban ditches his conversation with LeBron James to get some NHL player's autograph.
- All those exciting rookies entering the league? They're taking spots from veterans. Been happening for years, although you'd hardly read about it in your local paper, and I'm pretty sure they don't get going away parties with cupcakes and punch. Ira Winderman has a list of NBA veterans who are looking for work: "Veterans who remain unsigned (not counting those who have moved on to Europe): Shandon Anderson, Stacey Augmon, Devin Brown, Rick Brunson, Anthony Carter, Calbert Cheaney, Doug Christie, Antonio Davis, Howard Eisley, Darvin Ham, Zendon Hamilton, Penny Hardaway, Jim Jackson, Luke Jackson, Ervin Johnson, Toni Kukoc, Voshon Lenard, Walter McCarty, Lamond Murray, Milt Palacio, Chris Taft, Nick Van Exel, Keith Van Horn, Von Wafer, Matt Walsh, Alvin Williams, Qyntel Woods."
- Ron Artest brings the crazy to SportsBloggersLive. One piece of news: he says Troy Hudson, Stephen Jackson, and Elton Brand are among the best rappers in the NBA. I wanted them to ask him about hotboxing with ESPN reporters, but somehow that question didn't make it. Jamie Mottram did ask him Marcel's question about which four people from history he'd like to have over for dinner, and Ron said Mike Tyson #1, Muhammad Ali #2 (totally can see where this night is headed--don't put out the good china) and followed up with Celine Dion and, in a fit of brown-nosing, added Jamie Mottram. As far as I know Mottram does not box. Maybe he sings. Artest implied that Francisco Garcia can sing like Celine Dion.
- Brian Robinson explains Save Our Sonics and Storm's complicated relationship with the Sonics right now.
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