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Around the NBA: Notes and recap

Ongai — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:44:01 +0000

The wait is over as the first two days of the 2009-2010 NBA season is over and done. We saw strong teams get beaten, players coming back (Mr. Arenas!), rookies who don’t play like one and more and more exciting plays. It’s just exciting isn’t it? So here are some of our thoughts from the first two days.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 0-2 after losing to the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors. Lebron James has been fantastic in the first two games but we still think that their lineup isn’t that strong this year even with Shaq and new addition Anthony Parker around. The Cavs need to get things together or else…
Gilbert Arenas is back! We know it’s just one game but if you saw how he played he had thing in control on his way to a 29 point game where he had 9 assists. He didn’t record any assists but he shot well,10-21 from the field. It looks like the 2 years did his body good as he tries to revive his career.
We loved Andrew Bynum in his first game where he posted a line of 26 points, 13 rebounds while shooting 9-15 from the field and 8-10 from the line. We have a good feeling that he will stay healthy this year.
The Philadelphia 76ers really had a hard time against the Orlando Magic and we don’t like what we’re seeing with Elton Brand. As for Marreese Speights, this guy really looks like he will battle Samuel Dalembert for minutes and he could end up being their starter by December.
So much for Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy saying that Dwight Howard can hit close to 75% of his free throw attempts. He started the year going 3-6.

The New York Knicks were crushed by the Miami Heat, 115-93 but it’s good to see Danilo Gallinari playing and shooting well. He made 7-13 from downtown and if he becomes consistent enough and hits threes at the end of games, we shall call him, “The Da-ga” (The Dagger).
We actually thought that Jermaine O’neal showed signs of his old self against the Knicks. Well, except that he didn’t block any shot. As long as he’s not hurt and playing, we’re good with that.
Chris Paul didn’t have a steal. That should be news worthy.
The San Antonio Spurs will definitely challenge the Los Angeles Lakers for the Western Conference title and they can win it.
The Spurs’ DeJuan Blair was a monster on the glass with 11 rebounds in 22 minutes. He also had 14 points.
Who here thinks Minnesota Timberwolves rookie guard Johnny Flynn can help turnaround a franchise? We do! That kid is amazing!
With a stat line of 27 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks, Brook Lopez is making his owners happy after they drafted him as early as the 20th pick. That would be us and we’re really happy with that decision.
Yi Jian Lian came to life against the Timberwolves after two years of being lost. He had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes and he had the best +/- in his team where he a +9.
Corey Brewer struggled offensively throughout the game but his offense came just in time to help the T’Wolves in a comeback victory against the New Jersey Nets. If you can stomach his poor shooting percentages but love his defensive numbers then stick with him. He’ll be fine!
Damien Wilkins made the winning shot at the buzzer but we’re not convinced that he’ll be producing a nice stat line throughout the season.
Steve Nash had 24 points and 8 assists but his lay up with 5 seconds left was the biggest basket of the game. Even if he had 8 assists, we still think he can lead the league this year in that category.
Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol was the only bright spot on their team with a line of 21 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook had a career high 13 assists. Kevin Durant led the team in scoring with 25 points with 11 rebounds.
Congratulations to Omri Casspi for being the first Israel born player to play in the NBA. He actually looked good and we’d love to see him start instead of Desmond Mason. Come on Paul Westphal!
Anthony Randolph only played 10 minutes in the game against the Houston Rockets and this may be because he’s coming off an injury. If not, a lot of Randolph owners will once again be disappointed with Don Nelson’s coaching style.
As for Greg Oden, he struggled offensively especially against smaller Houston Rockets centers but it’s encouraging to see the 5 blocks he had. You’ve got to love him this season..watch out!

These were our thoughts, what about yours? We’d love to hear them.

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NBA Free Agent Update

Ongai — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:18:37 +0000

Marcin Gortat signs offer sheet worth 5 years, $34 million; Gortat says he’ll be happy whether he stays or goes to Dallas. Orlando Sentinel

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley wants to meet with Iverson and is seriously considering a one-year, $5 million offer, according to team insiders. Heisley’s renewed interest presents a sudden turn of events given the organization had all but decided to pass on Iverson. Commercial Appeal

Antonio McDyess, a 34-year-old veteran of 14 seasons, agreed Wednesday to terms of a free agent contract that will pair him with Duncan. Sources close to McDyess said the contract is for three seasons, starting at the full, mid-level exception to the NBA’s salary cap restrictions, $5.845 million. The third season is believed to be 50 percent guaranteed. MySanAntonio

The Bulls have agreed with free agent guard Jannero Pargo(notes) on a one-year deal worth approximately $2 million, a league source said Wednesday afternoon. Yahoo Sports

Center Zaza Pachulia agreed to terms with the Hawks on a new four-year deal worth an estimated $19 million, according to two people familiar with the situation. Atlanta Journal Constitution

Chris “Birdman” Andersen has reached a five-year deal to keep his high-flying, shot-blocking act with the Denver Nuggets. – ESPN

The 24-year-old Trevor Ariza agreed to join the Rockets last Thursday night, switching places with free agent Ron Artest, who left Houston to play for the Lakers. ESPN

Ron Artest signed Wednesday with the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers and received a five-year deal worth about $33 million, according to his agent, David Bauman. Yahoo Sports

Rasheed Wallace is officially a Boston Celtic. The Celtics signed the 34-year-old free agent to a two-year deal using the mid-level exception. Boston.com

The Mavericks have announced that they have signed 6-6, 193-pound guard Quinton Ross, a local who played at Dallas’ Kimball High School and SMU. Dallas News

The Toronto Raptors signed Andrea Bargnani to a new contract; a five-year, $50-million (US) extension that will kick in next season. The Globe and Mail

The Hawks agreed to terms on a three-year, $18 million deal with veteran point guard Mike Bibby. Atlanta Journal Constitution

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Yao Ming could miss ‘09-’10 season or more

Ongai — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:16:20 +0000

It’s still early in the summer and the Houston Rockets have already announced last week that Yao Ming’s foot isn’t healing well and it also looks like that he might miss the whole of next season. This foot had been bothering him in the past and required three pins to be inserted but it cracked when they were against the Los Angeles Lakers in last year’s playoff.

Initially the Rockets told us that Yao’s foot will be healed in 8 to 12 weeks but right now they don’t have an exact timeline when he would be able to play again.

“At this point, the injury has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career threatening,” team physician, Tom Clanton said. “One of the things we are trying to get is a consensus opinion on that, to make certain there is no option we are overlooking that would provide an earlier return or would be an option for treatment that he would prefer rather than doing additional surgery.”

Based on the news and the hairline fracture of his foot, it looks like Yao’s feet are having a hard time carrying the load of his 7′6 frame and is slowly breaking down.

This is hard for him and the whole Houston Rockets organization as Yao Ming will be a free agent after this season. If Yao’s foot doesn’t heal in time for the season or if he misses the whole season, then his stock would definitely plunge. He is just 28 years old but by having 4 surgeries in three years and missing a ton of games, I don’t think other GMs would be interested in giving him a long term contract.

As for Houston general manager Daryl Morey, who has kept quiet, I think that he will have a summer of thinking. Thinking of what he will do with Yao Ming’s contract next year and he’ll be thinking of what he will do with Tracy McGrady’s expiring 22 million contract and if he will be offering a long term contract to Ron Artest.

There will be a lot of moves to be made for the Houston Rockets and with Yao’s injury they would definitely need a center. With Dikembe Mutombo retired, they don’t have any other player above 6′9. While they almost beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoff, it would be hard to see them play with a small team the whole season.

Right now it doesn’t really matter what deals they made since one of their top priority is making sure that Yao Ming comes back healthy. And here in buhaybasketball.com, we hope that the Big Fella comes back soon.

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Shaq gets sweet with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Ongai — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:53:45 +0000

Shaquille O’neal just knows how to get his name talked about even if his team is out of the playoffs. A couple of weeks ago, Louis Amundson pranked Shaq and he retaliated. This time Shaq’s did a video of him tempted by Krispy Kreme donuts while Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” plays in the background.

I’ve got mixed emotions on this video as it looks funny, creepy and weird but I love it because it’s Shaq. Another great work by the Diesel.

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Around the NBA: April 10, 2009

Ongai — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 08:43:49 +0000

Dikembe Mutombo had his first double double in over a year scoring 10 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in a win over Golden State. Yahoo Sports

Nets All-Star point guard Devin Harris left the game in the third quarter with a sore left shoulder and did not return. – Yahoo Sports

Monta Ellis has played his last game of the season for the Warriors. Jamal Crawford may have played his last game as a Warrior. – Contra Costa Times

Marcus Camby returned to the lineup and grabbed 11 rebounds but failed to score in 22 minutes of action.

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Jason Kidd is number 3 in NBA All Time Assist List

Ongai — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:58:43 +0000

Jason Kidd passed Magic Johnson for 3rd All Time in the NBA’s career assist List. This came on a game where Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks crushed the Suns’ playoff hopes with a convincing 140-116 win. He was able to reach the milestone, 10,142, in the second quarter on a dish to Josh Howard.

He had 16 assists in the first half and finished the game with 20 giving him a running total of 10,148. He received a standing ovation from the Mavericks’ crowd together with commentator Mark Jackson who is second in the list with 10,334. John Stockton is the all time assist leader with 15,806.

Kidd has been one of my favorite players of all time and it’s surprising how he has taken care of his health even after having a major knee surgery. Remember this guy is already 36 and he is still outplaying some of the younger guards. He has also been a surprise this year fantasy wise and to everyone who got him in the third round, your team must be doing well this year.

Here’s a video of Jason Kidd getting his 10,334th career assist:

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Who should win the 2008-2009 NBA’s Most Improved Player

Ongai — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:04:37 +0000

Basketball Image via flickr

Innovative basketball by benjieordonez

The NBA has been asking the question, “Where will amazing happen?” this year but before we know where that will happen since that will only happen in the playoff, we should first look at the individual awards. I like to take a look at the Most Improved Player award first since it’s nice to see players taking their game to another level from the previous year(s). So my question is who’s the Most Improved Player? So here are my candidates and my favorite to win the award for the 2008-2009 season.

Kevin Durant
He’s my favorite to win the award this year but I don’t think he’ll get the votes to win this. It may be because he’s not that not popular (yet) or they just don’t see the improvement he has done to lead the Thunder. Whatever the reason is, the numbers speak for themselves, as he has increased in every category and has been really an efficient player. What’s nice is that he increased his fg% by over 5 points while also increasing his shots taken by 2. Kevindurantula has got to win this award and there should be no more snubs for this kid.

Devin Harris
This guy looks like he’s going to win this award not only because of his All Star vote but also for showing maturity to lead the Nets to a respectable record. His stats didn’t jump to great heights from the previous years but it did improve – enough for him to be considered as the Most Improved player. This guy didn’t surprise me at all this year as he has already showed signs of being a future All Star in Dallas and even when he was traded to the Nets last year. If ever Harris wins this award, he will be the first MIP player to player in an All-Star game since Gilbert Arenas did it in 2003.

Paul Millsap
A great start to the season placed him among the early favorites to win this award but an injury and the return of Carlos Boozer somehow affected his overall performance. This guy was one of my picks to be part of the All-Star game because he was so consistent and it didn’t look like his early start was a fluke. Boozer plans to opt out of his contract at the end of the season, and Millsap will be a restricted free agent. He’ll be cashing in as long as Boozer leaves but I hope he continues to improve. The sky is the limit for this kid and who knows, he might win it all next year.

Andrea Bargnani
A lot of people have been talking that Andrea Bargnani might be a bust after being taken 1st overall in 2006 but he’s proving his doubters wrong this year. He just wasn’t given the chance to play in Sam Mitchell’s offense in previous years and right now he is playing with more confidence. He has a small chance of winning MIP but this guy is still worth mentioning as he has stayed pretty consistent the whole year and producing solid all around numbers.

Chris Duhon
You’ve got to love Chris Duhon as he has brought excitement back in New York. Of course, Mike D’Antoni is there and so is Nate Robinson but at least this guy can lead his team or should I say teams. The Knicks had three different teams on their roster this year due to trades in different parts of the season and Duhon had the leadership to make them adjust to his play while not affecting his stats. In fact, all of his stats increased this year and is having a career year.

Jeff Green
Durant’s sidekick is doing a lot to help the Thunder win as much as games as possible and gain momentum towards next season. Jeff Green has increase almost all of his stats except for the blocks but he has learned how to shoot threes and is evident from his 1.3 a game this year to last year’s .3. This guy hasn’t had enough buzz around the league to win MIP but he will definitely improve his game and hopefully take it to another level next year.

Other players worth mentioning:

Danny Granger – looks to be the favorite of everyone to win this award but I am not that convinced he should.

Spencer Hawes – The season’s beginning was great. The middle was bad. The end is looking good.

Dominic McGuire – Did improve but his overall stats aren’t that impressive.

Von Wafer – The Rockets unloaded Alston and Head because they liked what they saw in Wafer and Aaron Brooks.

Nene – We already knew this guy was good but he took his games to another level and increased his games played after 4 injury plagued seasons.

Dwayne Wade – Believe it or not but Wade increased in every statistical category from last year but we knew he was injured. We also knew he was good the two years ago and the year before that and so on..but he’s looking to play his most played games in the season this year.

There you have it – my list for Most Improved Player. What do you think of this? Let me know through comments or you can just email me.

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Lebron James does yoga

Ongai — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:36:35 +0000

LeBron Does Yoga

CLEVELAND — Over the last year, hotel guests in various NBA cities have likely been a little jolted to see the Cavaliers’ LeBron James out by the pool in the mornings. Not so much because he’s a celebrity, but because he just might be standing on his head.
When James first came into the NBA at the age of 18 he didn’t even tape his ankles, sometimes ate McDonald’s an hour before tipoff and his main use for ice was cooling beverages.

As he’s matured, part out of necessity and part out of pride, he’s serious about preparing and maintaining his body for the rigors of an NBA season. That includes a wide range of measures from diet and recovery techniques to the Vajrasana, Virasana and the particularly stunning Salamba Sarvangasana. – www.cleveland.com

WHAT’S A TYPICAL LEBRON GAMEDAY
Morning
Stretching
Strategy sessions, drills and shooting with teammates and coaches
Film work
Afternoon
Lunch and hydration
Nap
Pregame
Small meal
A mixture of weight training, massage therapy, stretching, ankle taping and shooting
Postgame
Ice bath for feet, lower back and sometimes shoulders
Small meal, often chicken, sushi and/or fruit with recovery drinks

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Fantasy Basketball: Hot off the waivers

Ongai — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:42:30 +0000

I haven’t been able to update this section lately but all is not too late since there are still a lot of players you can pick up to help your team reach first place or just enough to make to the playoffs. We are down to our last month so it’s important that you play close attention to the waiver wires and fix your roster everyday. So here are some of the fantasy basketball pick ups you may still find.

Chris Andersen, PF-C, Denver Nuggets (22% owned)

With Nene out, Andersen will get the bulk of minutes at the center position and he is a very good source for blocks and rebounds. When Nene comes back, as long as you’re in a deep league you can still hold on to him.

Marreese Speights, C, Philadelphia 76ers (10% owned)

He has been up and down mainly because he is a rookie but if you’re in a deep league you have to have this guy on your roster. Good source of rebounds, blocks and fg%.

Fred Jones, SG, LA Clippers (4% owned)

The Clippers are clearly struggling and they’ve had a hard time having able bodies to play on a nightly basis that’s why journeyman Fred Jones has been given a chance. He has scored double figures in four out of the last five games and is a decent source of threes and steals. Surprisingly, he has been giving a block in three straight.

Kyle Weaver, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (1% owned)

This guy has been under the radar of most people but he has been producing lately. 45% FG shooting for a guard with a three in the last five out of six games. An all around guy who will give you three rebounds and three assists, a steal and very good ft shooting. Surprisingly, his scoring has been up after the trade for Thabo Sefalosha to the Thunder.

Kurt Thomas, C, San Antonio Spurs (3% owned)

The veteran can still play that’s for sure as he has been playing well of late grabbing rebounds and with that occasional putbacks. The Spurs will try to be cautious with Duncan’s knee as we near the playoffs, Thomas is the only reliable big man off the bench for them. Grab him if you really need help in the boards.

Nicola Batum, SG-SF, Portland Trailblazers (2% owned)

He has been scoring double figures in three out of the last four games and has been hot shooting the three. An all around guy also who will give you steals and an occasional block. But this guy should only be grabbed if you’re in a deep league.

Michael Finley, SG-SF, San Antonio Spurs (14% owned)

He has been hot with the threes lately due to an increase in minutes when Manu Ginobili went down with an injury. He won’t be on fire every night but as long as he is getting minutes the points, threes and occasional steals will keep on flowing. Grab him now!

Brandon Rush, G-F, Indiana Pacers (3% owned)

You knew how he was capable of scoring 20 in a games in December when Dunleavy was out. Now that he is given minutes, it’s also a given that he will score in double figures in most games in the last month of the regular season. Just be sure you can take his 37% fg shooting.

Other players you may pick up:

Goran Dragic, PG, Phoenix Suns – A short term pick up if Nash will be out a little longer.
Antoine Wright, SG, Dallas Mavericks – Grab him if he is still in the waiver wires.
Francisco Elson, C, Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks are thin at the center position and he’s starting.
Travis Diener, PG, Indiana Pacers – No Granger. No Dunleavy. Ford is in and out of the lineup.
Keyon Dooling, PG, New Jersey Nets – Good source of points and threes.

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Bulls trade for Miller and Salmons

Ongai — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 01:03:23 +0000

The Chicago Bulls and the Sacramento Kings made a trade with less than 24 hours left before the trade deadline where the Bulls got Brad Miller and John Salmons in exchange for Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni and Cedric Simmons.

This will be Miller’s second stint in Chicago while Gooden is slowly being labeled as a journeyman.

With this trade happening, it sure will free up more minutes for Spencer Hawes unless Gooden plays the center position and Jason Thompson stars at the power forward position. Andres Nocioni can start at small forward and take the place of Salmons but this is the lineup I’d like to see out there.

PG – Beno Udrih
SG – Kevin Martin
SF – Jason Thompson
PF – Drew Gooden
C- Spencer Hawes

As for the Bulls, it looks like the they aren’t done trading yet as it is rumored that Kirk Hinrich will also be moved to Minnesota together with Thabo Sefalosha for Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal. If this trade happens it would be made for financial reasons and for the Bulls to have financial relief.

This would also be a great trade for the Wolves as they get a combo guard who could play well beside Randy Foye. They also get a good defender in Sefalosha just in case Corrie Brewer doesn’t heal well for next year. As for McCants, he’ll have more DNP-CDs.

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