Free Ballin’

I just wrote an email that I’m sending to Henry Abbott and Bill Simmons.  In the email, I provide them (and now you) with the definitive solution to the sucky NBA officiating.  I’m posting it here in epistolary form, not because I’m too lazy to re-format; it’s just how I roll. ************* SOLUTION TO NBA [...]

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Henry Abbott’s assessment of David Stern’s comments is clear and thoughtful.  Abbott and I also have the same problem with David Stern’s statements: Stern says the league is great shape in all respects and yet somehow the teams will lose around $400 million this year.  One comment Abbott made caught my attention: “What’s a fair [...]

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Stern spent the first few minutes of the press conference talking about how well the league had been doing – which he always does – especially internationally – which he always always always does.  The whole world is embracing the NBA, yadda yadda.  He even said that the Association’s revenue hadn’t been hit as hard [...]

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If Amar’e Stoudemire goes to Cleveland, it would seemingly increase the chances that LeBron will stay in Cleveland.  And who wants that?  I mean, I know a guy from Columbus Ohio, but other than him, who wants that?  If Amar’e sticks in Phoenix, he’ll be pissed, LeBron will be pissed, Wade will be pissed, and [...]

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Most Rockets fans I chat with these days take it as a given that the Rockets will make every effort to re-sign Luis Scola this summer.  Now, as much as I like Scola, I don’t see why the Rockets would commit significant money or years to Scola when Carl Landry is going into the last [...]

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I was talking NBA with a friend last week and he asked me what I thought of the Gilbert Arenas/James Crittenden locker room gun fun; said he was surprised he hadn’t seen commentary on my blog.  First, I assure you it was entirely unrelated to the break from blogging I took for a holiday week [...]

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I’m not quite sure what to make of the Mavericks.  Their top five players have a lot of talent, but only Dirk is presently in top form.  He’s a machine and doesn’t seem to have aged a bit since their Finals run in ’06.  But Kidd, Marion, Terry, and Howard have all had better days.  [...]

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It’s never been adequately explained why the Memphis Grizzlies are still called the Grizzlies, when they clearly should be the Memphis Blues.  That name was available for years and now it might be too late.  The Memphis Blues of the World Basketball Association Exposure League emerged in 2008.  But who knows?  In this economy, what [...]

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Among the Trailblazers, Rockets, and Thunder, two will make the playoffs.  San Antonio will knock one of them off.  Fortunately, I think it’s the Trailblazers who are most likely lotto bound.  They’ve had a cupcake schedule and without Oden they’re a bubble team.  The Rockets and Thunder have faced some real competition thus far, and [...]

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Portland had no reason to panic.  For a few years they suffered mostly from an embarrassment of riches: a young star in Brandon Roy, loads of other young talented players who weren’t making big dough yet, cap space, draft picks, a generous owner, and a kick-ass city to play in.  It looked to be the [...]

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