Bulls looking Bullish over Toronto posted by Richard Kagan

The Chicago Bulls went to 16-8 with a win over the Toronto Raptors tonight.  Carlos Boozer scored a season high 34 points as the Bulls won 110-93.  Every starter contributed With Luol Deng and Derrick Rose playing strong games.  Joakim Noah had another double-double. 

Kyle Korver scored in double figures once again.  Chicago has a solid starting five and 2 or 3 solid guys coming off the bench.  Boozer gives the Bulls a low post presence and an active rebounder and takes some pressure off Noah grabbing every loose ball.  This team has some flexibililty and versatility and will win some games.  It is starting to look like not if the Bulls will make the playoffs which was a question the past few years, but how high a seed they will receive.

This teams looks like the most complete team since the hey-dey years of Jordan and Pippen.   There are other great teams in the East, The Celtics, the Magic, and the Heat.  They are loaded with great players.  The Bulls are a tough team and will give any team a good showing.  Considering how bad the Bulls were after the zenith of Michael, that is saying something.  Derrick Rose is a budding superstar.  He is fearless, commands the ball, is dangerous with it, and can score.

Rose is very quick and has great court sense.  He creates off the dribble.  One of the best players at doing that since Michael or Scottie.  He is a driver, a slasher and can shoot from 18 feet out.  Heck, he can shoot from 22 feet out. 

This is Boozer's 7th or 8th game since returning to the lineup.  He is is game shape and now we are seeing how talented he is.  A great addition to the team.

NBA Playoffs Eastern conference posted by john howard

It's the All-Star break and time to asses where the season is at.  There are roughly 30 games left and the trading deadline is looming.  Here is a look at the playoffs if they were today.

1 Cleveland vs.  8 Chicago

2 Orlando vs   7 Miami

3 Atlanta vs 6 Charlotte

4 Boston vs 5 Toronto

Chicago looks like they have regressed overall from last year. But lately, they have started getting into the groove. Derrick Rose is unreal and they might win a game but they won't beat Cleveland.

Miami has one of the top 3 players in the game in Dwayne Wade.  This team could look different by playoff time. No matter how the team looks, it would take an incredible performance for even Wade to beat out Orlando.

Charlotte is a great story of over achieving.  They might be able to push Atlanta to a game 6, but that would be the best they could do.

The quietest success has been Toronto.  They are the 5th seed and no one is talking about them.  They have a shot to beat the Celtics if Boston is plagued with injuries.  But this has been a good year so far for the Raptors.

Boston has fallen from favorite to the 4th seed.  They still have the experience and firepower to go all the way. But, to do that everyone is going to have to get healthy and be at peak level which hasn't happened this year. Time is running out on the Celtics.

3 Atlanta has the best team in years.  They could be the underdog favorite after the first round.  A matchup with Orlando in round 2 is going to be fun.  Should they get past the Magic, they will be convinced they can beat anybody. 

Grizzlies 115, Raptors 107 posted by Brad Hurt

This just in : Zach Randolph is a beast.  Everyone who has said he would be a cancer and wouldn't play hard and is the same thug he was in Portland isn't looking very smart right now.  Randolph can single-handedly dominate the post for the Grizzlies this season.  He proved as much last night against the Toronto Raptors as the Grizz earned their first win of the season 115-107 on Friday.  Randolph led the Grizzlies with 30 points and seven rebounds.

Chris Bosh led all scorers with 37 points.  Sure, that is a high number, but the Grizzlies forced him to try to beat them single-handedly, focusing their defense on Hedo Turkoglu, who burned them in the past as a member of the Sacramento Kings.  Turkoglu managed only 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

The Grizzlies showed some of their youth with an inability to close the Raptors out when they built a double-digit lead in the first half, and lost the third quarter scoring battle as usual, but they outscored the visitors 39-28 in the fourth quarter to snuff out any hope of a comeback.

Along with Randolph, the Grizzlies got double figures from the other four starters, as well as 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench from rookie Demarre Carroll, who looks like he could be a stud.  Who needs DeJuan Blair when you can get a guy who will sacrifice his body for a loose ball, snatch rebounds out of nowhere and knock down a shot in the clutch?  Carroll earned a reputation as a scorer at Missouri, but he has shown there is little he can't do on the professional level, and he doesn't appear rattled yet in his first two appearances.  I'm sure his day will come, though.  It's a long season, and it drags down every rookie sooner or later.

Toronto Raptors preseason posted by john howard

I have always enjoyed the Toronto Raptors. There is something about them that catches my eye.  They always have a knack for finding talent.  They just have a hard time keeping it.  This year they managed to bring one in: Hedo Turkoglu.

This year will be a year of gelling and growing.  How long will it take for Turkoglu, Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, and Jarrett Jack to gel?  The sooner the better.  This team should be one that improves throughout the year.

A lot of how much they improves relies on the progress of youngsters, DeMar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, and Marco Belinelli.   Toronto has a thin bench and one of these guys will start.  But, the other 2 will see plenty of time.  They are a shooting guard away from making the play offs and a year away from acquiring more bench help or having it develop.

This team is doing a nice job.

The NBA Draft's Five Best Second Overall Picks Since 1984 & Sammy Sosa Is a Joke and He Does Not Deserve Induction into the HOF posted by Colin Linneweber

The NBA Draft's Five Best Second Overall Picks Since 1984

The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to pick former Oklahoma Sooners star Blake Griffin Thursday with the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

However, there is not a consensus projection for the No. 2 pick and basketball analysts remain largely uncertain who the Memphis Grizzlies will choose tomorrow in Gotham.

In recognition of the NBA Draft, I have decided to rank the five most accomplished players selected second overall in the past quarter century.

1) Jason Kidd

Kidd, 36, attended the University of California and helped resurrect the Golden Bears dormant basketball program with his stellar play at the point guard position.

After being honored as a First Team All-American as a sophomore, Kidd declared for the NBA Draft and was selected 2nd overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 1994.

Unfortunately, the Bay Area native’s initial stint with the Mavericks didn’t materialize as most anticipated it would.

According to legend, singer Toni Braxton went to the Mavs team hotel to meet Kidd after a game.

However, instead of rendezvousing with Kidd, Braxton instead left with his Dallas teammate Jimmy Jackson and the two purportedly fornicated until the wee hours.

Subsequently, Kidd loathed Jackson and he demanded an escape from “Big D.”

Kidd, a 9-time All-Star and 6-time All-NBA nomination, was traded to the Phoenix Suns at the conclusion of the 1996 season and his career began to truly ascend in the desert.

The 5 Best Second Overall Selections in the NBA Draft Since 1984 posted by Colin Linneweber

The Los Angeles Clippers are expected to pick former Oklahoma Sooners star Blake Griffin Thursday with the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. 

However, there is not a consensus projection for the No. 2 pick and basketball analysts remain largely uncertain who the Memphis Grizzlies will choose tomorrow in Gotham.

In recognition of the NBA Draft, I have decided to rank the five most accomplished players selected second overall in the past quarter century.


1)  Jason Kidd 

Kidd, 36, attended the University of California and helped resurrect the Golden Bears dormant basketball program with his stellar play at the point guard position. 

After being honored as a First Team All-American as a sophomore, Kidd declared for the NBA Draft and was selected second overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 1994. 

Unfortunately, the Bay Area native’s initial stint with the Mavericks didn’t materialize as most anticipated it would. 

According to legend, singer Toni Braxton went to the Mavs team hotel to meet Kidd for a date after a game. 

 However, instead of rendezvousing with Kidd, Braxton instead left with his Dallas teammate Jimmy Jackson and the two purportedly fornicated until the wee hours. 

Subsequently, Kidd loathed Jackson and he demanded an escape from “Big D.” 

Kidd, a 9-time All-Star and 6-time All-NBA nomination, was traded to the Phoenix Suns at the conclusion of the 1996 season and his career began to truly ascend in the desert. 

Toronto Raptors and the draft. posted by john howard

The Raptors had a horrible season finishing third from the bottom in the East.  Anthony Parker, Shawn Marion, and Jake Voskhul are all free agents.  That is 2 starters and a top bench player.  That leaves a shaky starting lineup:

PG--JOSE CALERSON  SG--JASON KOPONO  SF--JEOY GRAHAM  PF---CHRIS BOSH  C--ANDREA BARNANI

And a very weak bench.  Things may get worse before they get better.  I don't know of any trades, but perhaps a splash in free agency. It's not a big market this year.  And next year, Bosh is a free agent.  So the draft is the best bet for now.  The Raptors have the 9th pick in the draft.  There is bad news and great news with the 9th pick.  Of the past 14 drafts 7 have produced startes, 5 bench players and 3 flops.  The bad news is out of the top 10 picks, the 9 spot produces the least amount of startes and the most number of busts.  The great news is that the 7 starters are all-starts.  Picking first or third also produced 7 all-starts in that same span.  The 9th pick has yielded just as many all-starts as the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 8th combined! So, the 9th spot is truly a hit or miss.  There isn't much in between.

The top 2 choices on mock boards appear to be either Gerald Henderson from Duke or Tyreke Evans from Memphis.  Both are sf/sg type guys who are athletic.  An all-star to go along side Bosh would be great.  This team is definately retooling.

Catching up with the Phoenix Suns rumors this off season and who should be kept around for next year? posted by Ryan Greyslak

There have been many rumors surrounding the Phoenix Suns since they missed the playoffs this season. Some of these rumored trades would actually help the team, but some of the options are only opportunities to cut payroll for the oncoming season and further destroy the team. Some of the biggest names involved in these rumors for the team have been Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa, and Jason Richardson.

 Shaq Rumors 

Shaquille O’Neal has not been shy about the fact that he would not mind playing for another team other then the Phoenix Suns and is interested in a contract to extend him for one to two more years. Some of the rumored teams to be interested in Shaq are Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Hornets.

Cleveland has reportedly offered Ben Wallace (who might request a buyout or retire) and Sasha Pavlovich who has a non guaranteed contract. The Suns could potentially get out of both players and save money off payroll this year. This is a bad deal for the Suns and I would not expect it to happen for these players. They would get nothing for Shaq.

Another of the rumored teams interested in Shaq are the Dallas Mavericks. One of the rumored packages would send Jerry Stackhouse expiring contract and Erick Dampier. Dampier is guaranteed for the next two years at over 23 million. This again would be a horrible trade for the team and they would essentially be giving Shaq up for a smaller expiring contract and a slower less effective center. If the Suns have any talks with Dallas they should absolutely involve Josh Howard but it is rumored Sarver does not want to do business with Cuban.

Relieved Post-Deadline Knicks Beat Down The Toronto Raptors By Thirty! posted by Jason M. Williams

One day after the NBA Trade Deadline passed, many Knicks played like they had a world of pressure taken off their shoulders.  With much speculation swirling around whether or not the Knicks would deal away enigmatic guard Nate Robinson and workhorse David Lee, both were able to breath easier last night knowing that they'd be playing in New York for the remainder of the season.

The team came out strong against the Toronto Raptors, scoring the game's first nine points and never looking back.  At one point the Knicks led by a season-best 38 points, and finished the rout with a 127-97 victory in front of the loyal Garden faithful on Italian Heritage Night.

On the bench in his new number-nine jersey was Chris Wilcox, who was brought over from the Oklahoma City Thunder at the deadline.  Next to him on the bench in street clothes was Larry Hughes, brought in from the Chicago Bulls.  Both were interviewed by the MSG Network and both seemed excited to get integrated into Mike D'Antoni's system. 

But most noticeable of all was the loose, relaxed, and somewhat relieved play from Lee and Robinson.  Both had big nights - Lee with 24 points and 15 rebounds, while Robinson added 26 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and one sick block of Chris Bosh that he sent into the tenth row to ignite the crowd.

With only 28 games remaining on the season, the Knicks currently find themselves two games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the eighth seed.  Remember, however, that the Knicks have been atrocious against the Bucks this season (0-3), so they'd have to leapfrog them if they want to get past them into the postseason. 

Marion Trade May Put Heat On The Knicks posted by Jason M. Williams

Today, the Toronto Raptors traded Jermaine O'Neal, Jamario Moon, and a lottery-protected first round pick to the Miami Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.  On the surface this looks like a great trade for the Heat, but it can also cause potential problems for the Knicks as they do battle with the Raptors twice next week and will continue to battle them down the stretch in the Chase For The Eighth Seed.

Marion will immediately allow the Raptors to do two things - move Andrea Bargnani to the five and stick Marion at the three.  A frontcourt of Marion, Bosh, and Bargnani is very troublesome for opposing teams, namely the Knicks. This new front line will be very dangerous in the open floor and gives them a post presence, a big man who can hit the outside shot, and the workhorse in Marion. 

The Knicks will now lose their mismatch against the Raps while on the offensive end.  No longer will they be able to run Jermaine off the floor and will still face the music that they can't defend big scorers in the paint like Bosh.  Marion gives the Raptors another level of athleticism, one that is greater than that of the Knick wings.

So, as we gear up for the second half of the season, this Marion-O'Neal trade creates dual problems for the Knicks.  Both the Heat and Raptors improved and created stronger teams that will make life more difficult for the Knicks.  Now, it is time for Donnie Walsh to put his cards on the table and make an improvement to the roster to help this team reach the NBA's second season.

Suns backup C Lopez suspended 1 game (AP)

Phoenix Suns backup center Robin Lopez was suspended for one game by the NBA on Wednesday for improper conduct toward a game official. Lopez was ejected after a run-in with referee Rodney Mott in the second quarter of the Suns' 99-96 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. Lopez, upset with a foul call, glared at Mott as he walked to the bench, brushed against the official as he... [read full article]

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Bargnani returns, Raptors end skid against Suns (The Canadian Press)

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Bargnani's 36 in return spark Raptors (AP)

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Paul out Sunday, questionable vs. Lakers (Yahoo! Sports)

Chris Paul was out again Sunday and could also miss Wednesday's rematch against the team that almost acquired him, the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul was set to miss his sixth game with a strained left hamstring for the Los Angeles Clippers, on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors,... [read full article]

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Without Paul, Clips beat reeling Raptors (AP)

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