- Many Portland fans were not happy with me for pointing out that last week's 22-point effort was hardly Greg Oden's "arrival." The Blazers were not good with Greg Oden on the floor in that game, despite his thunderous dunks. I'm not worried about it. He's brand new to this -- fresh off a major injury, and new to the NBA. He's on a path to really dominate. But even as he does breathtaking things, the arrival is yet to come. At the moment it's still more about working out the kinks than producing. Once again last night, Oden was the worst player on the floor, in terms of plus/minus, while his replacement, Joel Przybilla, was the best. An interesting point is that with tiny sample sizes (Oden has only played 176 minutes), Oden has a fantastic PER -- way better than Przybilla -- yet the Blazers are better in general when he's on the bench. That probably means nothing over such a small amount of time, but I would be compelled to examine Oden's defense -- which PER really does not assess -- for an explanation.
- Larry Hughes hits a game-winner for Chicago, against Utah. Blog-a-Bull: "Finally, all of those forced up leaning 22 foot jump-shots paid off. He's practiced that in any situation, with any group of teammates, and against any opponent. So he knew how to get it done as the clock (which he couldn't even see as the Jazz arena was a joke tonight) expired. May this get you traded after all, good work!"
- Check out the amazing photo at the bottom of this blog post. Wait, is that ... A.C. Green ... anointing Shaquille O'Neal with an abstinence bear?
- The Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman: "How volatile is the Rockets' roster? At one point in the first quarter, Ron Artest was trying to talk sense into Rafer Alston."
- Another kind of analysis, same story: The Cavaliers are good.
- Cuttino Mobley's physical holds up the Zach Randolph trade. Of course, the Knicks can accept Mobley anyway, but if he's not healthy, that gives Donnie Walsh yet another piece that's hard to move.
- Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune: "Great quote from Mehmet Okur, who was asked if he celebrates Thanksgiving at the pregame shootaround. 'No we don't. I like turkey, though,' he said, before adding. 'Country first, then bird.'"
- Worrying about Mike Dunleavy's knee. His timetable for return has gotten awfully vague.
- On Tyson Chandler's site, there is video of Tyson talking about how great it would be if Barack Obama keeps a joking promise to sign a 10-day contract with the Hornets. Chandler points out that opponents would have to deal with Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler, Barack Obama, and the secret service.
- Can somebody please tell me in 500 words or less what the story is with the people in the woods with the dungeons and dragons costumes on Channing Frye's blog? I need more context.
- Mike Conley thinks he is better than you at guitar hero.
- Do you follow the team, or the player? A lot of international fans, especially, are loyal just to a player from their country, which can make for a weird fan dynamic.
- Whispers of financial trouble at some Russian teams, including some teams that recently recruited away NBA players. And CSKA's women's team bows out of Euroleague competition. That's the organization that very recently seemed to have limitless cash.
- In a fluke of timing, Ettore Messina, who coaches the CSKA men's team, has a new blog post on Sports.ru about being friends with co-workers on a basketball team. "I think players should have their privacy, their chemistry, their way of joking and making fun of myself and other coaches. They need to have enough privacy to express their feelings, especially when they are unhappy about my decisions. I don't believe in being friends with somebody who could decide your playing time or your future in the team. This 'friendship' will work when everything goes fine, but once I sit you on the bench, you are not my friend any longer. So I don't want to provoke this kind of situations. I became friends with many players I coached. To name a few: Sasha Danilovic, Zoran Savic, Roberto Brunamonti, Antoine Rigaudeau. I consider them my true friends that I can give a call or ask for a support at any moment. But we became friends only after I finished being their coach. Our coaching staff is a team where I can do things that players do among themselves -- like joking, having a pizza after the game, sometimes arguing and blowing off the steam. I've been lucky to have great people around me."
- People in England are playing basketball, apparently, which is new. It's the fourth most played sport among young people. And Tony Blair plays too. Who knew?
- Mark Woods in Britain's Guardian: "... don't weep for PJ or Eddie. Don't fear for their future or lose sleep, worrying that they might not recover. They won't rest idle long. The next pay cheque will arrive, sooner rather than later. Because, inevitably, the NBA famiglia takes care of its own. In this club, once you're in, and have acquired some semblance of lustre, there'll be a welcome, some place. The basketball bench business is a nepotistic world where informal dynasties are spawned, mentors look out for their pupils, debts are accumulated and favours called in. Of the 28 (non-interim) head coaching incumbents, only 10 are enjoying their first crack at the top job. The same number are having their second shot at the gig and Larry Brown, somewhat greedily, is on his ninth. Plenty of discarded chiefs are awaiting the carousel's next spin. So Jordan could be reunited with former cohort Byron Scott in New Orleans once the terms of his separation are finalised. And even if Popovich cannot create a vacancy to bring Carlesimo back, Mike Brown -- another Pop disciple -- may find some room. If not in Cleveland, the door will open. It always does."
- Cleveland-based Waiting for Next Year on the return of Antonio McDyess to Detroit: "To be clear, nobody broke any rules here. Every team acted precisely in a manner that is well within their rights under the current CBA. The Nuggets had every right to buy out McDyess' contract. Why would the Nuggets, a team already slashing payroll to get under the luxury tax level, want to keep paying a high salary to a player who has no intention of showing up and playing there? So the Nuggets did what was best for them, and worked out a buyout for McDyess. If McDyess wants to wait 30 days to play and if he wants to give up even more money beyond what he left behind in his buyout with Denver, it's his right to do so and to sign with the Pistons. But maybe, just maybe, the NBA needs to clean up this rule. It makes it entirely too easy for teams to get around certain rules that are in place for a reason. The rule requiring the salaries in a deal to matchup is in place as a form of safeguarding against uneven trades. A trade of Billups and McDyess for Iverson sounds somewhat fair, but a trade of Billups for Iverson straight up is in no way a fair or even trade. Yeah, the Nuggets got what they wanted in the form of a salary dump, but this affects other teams. The Cavaliers, Celtics, and Bobcats were all teams expected to have a shot at McDyess ... if he wasn't already determined to go back to Detroit, of course." I know lots of people are just dying for more rules to stop someone like McDyess from being traded to another city, then bought out and returning home. But the libertarian in me can barely stomach trades, let alone whatever the fix would be. McDyess has a house and a life in Detroit, and an employer there who'd like to pay him to do what he's best at. What's more, he has total freedom to be lured elsewhere. But keeping him from the job in the city he wants -- that's not making the world a better place.
- BlazersEdge is doing a great thing here -- getting readers to buy 50 tickets to send kids in need to a game.
- UPDATE: David Falk says whatever is wrong with the Wizards starts in the owners' office.
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