NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Shaquille O’Neal has moved to number 5 on the all time scoring list for the NBA with 27, 411 points.

Kareem leads everyone with 38,387
Karl Malone is next with 36,928
Michael is next with 32,292
Wilt is fourth with 31,419

Shaq moves up the scoring ladder

He is number 8 on the NBA/ABA list. Only us old timers would even consider that.

What does Shaq have to say about all this?

“It was good, but I’m still kind of disappointed in myself,” O’Neal said. “Mathematically, I’ve missed three years worth of games and I missed 5,000 free throws. If I was there, I’d probably be No. 2 or No. 3 right now.”

Then he added, “It shows I’ve been consistent at what I’ve been doing and the next guy is my illegitimate father — Wilt Chamberlain — so just like in Star Wars, hopefully I can catch up to my father.”

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One of my favorite hoop sites is basketball reference.com

Today, why don’t we look at playoff games for a player’s career?

So who has the most NBA playoff games in their career that is still playing?

1. Robert Horry 244 - Somehow this guy gets himself on teams that win it all and he makes big shots.

2. Shaquille O’Neal 203 - The big guy was the dominant player in the game for most of his career.

3. Tim Duncan 155 - The big fundamental always seems to get the job done and creates a mismatch on the court.

4. Derek Fisher 154 - Just like Robert Horry, this guy finds a way to play for winning teams and makes big shots.

5. Kobe Bryant 152 - What Kobe did last year cemented his legacy as one of the best players in the game for all time.

6. Rasheed Wallace 149 - The mercurial center for the Pistons can be whatever he wants to be on a given night and he plays superb defense.

7. Lindsey Hunter 141 - Lindsey may be done, but Joe Dumars keeps talking him into one more year. The speedy backcourt player is one of the best one on one defenders of quick point guards.

8. Sam Cassell 136 - You could see age catching up to the quick shooting Sam Cassell as he played for the Celtics last year. Sam could always get his shot off in the playoffs, which is a special skill in itself.

9. Bruce Bowen 130 - a key member of Tim Duncan’s team, Bruce can stop any forward or big guard in the league.

10. Chauncey Billups and Tony Parker 117 - both excellent guards at the point position for their respective teams. Tony is more of a penetrator and Chauncey is known for his big shots.
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Rudy Fernandez

The Blazers purchased the rights to Rudy Fernandez from Phoenix.

Rudy will actually make less money to play in the NBA than if he had stayed in Europe. If you flash back to the Olympics, Rudy was an outstanding player for Spain, the Olympic silver medalists.

Fernandez has been a huge surprise in early games with his ability to make precise passes to teammates. In one game he threw two passes between a defender’s legs.

The Blazers knew Rudy could score and were claiming he was the best young European in the NBA.

“All I know is, Rudy is going to play, whether as a starter of reserve,” McMillan said. “He plays the game with his heart. He plays it with passion, on both ends of the floor. You rarely see that in the NBA. A lot of guys give that effort on only one end of the floor. When you have a guy who plays hard on every possession, with his kind of potential … once he figures everything out, he’ll be a special player.”

Demopoulos said Fernandez reminds him of Doug Collins as a player. McMillan said he sees a little bit of Pistol Pete Maravich in him.

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Nobody is saying that the Portland Trail Blazers will win the NBA or even win their division, but these two rookies have taken the town by storm and now plan on storming the NBA!

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Greg Oden

Last year the Portland fans went crazy when the team drafted Greg Oden from Ohio State.

Greg had led the Ohio State basketball team to the NCAA finals and dominated everyone along the way. He is the best big man to hit the NBA in a long time. He has the size and the beginnings of having the moves.

Will Greg be the new Shaquille O’Neal? That is a tough bill to live up to for anyone. We do know Greg will provide the big man presence the Trail Blazers need in the box.

Limited to 20 minutes in each game by coach Nate McMillan, Oden averaged 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, shooting .526 from the field. Of his 10 baskets, nine were dunks — six or seven of the rim-rattling, backboard-shaking variety.

Oden got few of his other attempts — jump hooks or putbacks — to fall. But he was aggressive on the offensive glass, and his presence at the defensive end meant opponents had to think before entering the paint with the ball.

Against Golden State, Oden dunked five times, more than once carrying an opposing arm or two up toward the basket.

“When he grabs on to that ball and pumps it up to the basket, you have two choices — get out of the way or foul him,” Portland assistant coach Dean Demopoulos said. “And a lot of the time, he’ll make the shot. Wherever he is, there’s going to be something physical happening.”

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Greg Oden is a tower of power that will make the Blazers a good team for years!
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It is the Clippers.

It is the Clippers, still.

Yes, Baron Davis, one of my favorite players to watch has come to town, but it is still the Clippers.

Baron Davis shooting over Andrew Bynum of the Lakers

Image details: Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers served by picapp.com

Clippers fans have to be bumming. They lost Elton Brand to the 76ers, because the Clippers upset his manager, David Falk. They lost Corey Maggette to the Golden State Warriors, can’t remember why. Maybe money.

Anyway, even with the signing of Baron Davis the Clippers will suck. Baron cannot carry them on his back all by himself.

It sucks to be a Clippers fan when the Lakers are just across town. Just off the top of my head the Lakers in my lifetime have had Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant.

The Clippers in my lifetime have had…the Clippers have had…well, uhh..oh..Elgin Baylor! Not as a player, though, but it still counts doesn’t it? Elgin is vice-president of basketball operations and very good at his job.

NBA Elgin Baylor factoid - From the 1960-61 to the 1962-63 seasons, Baylor averaged 34.8, 38.3 and 34.0 points per game, respectively. His 38.3 point per game season average is the highest for any player other than Wilt Chamberlain. Baylor, a United States Army Reservist, was called to active duty during that season, and being stationed in Washington state, he could play for the Lakers only when on a weekend pass. However, despite playing only 48 games on the season, he still managed to score over 1,800 points.

The 71 points Baylor scored on November 15, 1960 was a record at the time. The 61 points he scored in game 5 of the NBA Finals in 1962 is still an NBA Finals record. An underrated rebounder, Baylor averaged 13.5 rebounds per game during his career, including a remarkable 19.8 rebounds per game during the 1960-61 season — a season average exceeded by only five other players in NBA history. Baylor was a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection and went to the NBA All-Star Game 11 times.source

Baron Davis

Baron is one of the great penetrating guards of today. Somehow he can muscle inside or move fluidly inside for easy baskets, but he will miss big Elton Brand.

“Before you ask, there was never an underground handshake with Baron Davis,” Brand said Wednesday, addressing speculation that he’d given Davis some kind of commitment to return to the Clippers.

Today, we’ll find out if Davis feels the same way.

Davis is a two-time NBA All-Star (2002 and 2004). He averaged 21.8 points (12th in the NBA), 7.6 assists (6th in the NBA), 4.7 rebounds and 2.33 steals (3rd in the NBA) while playing in all 82 games for the Golden State Warriors during the 2007-08 season. Davis was just one of four players in the league last season to average 20+ points and seven+ assists (Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Chris Paul) per game.

Entering his tenth NBA season, Davis brings career averages of 17.1 points, 7.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.95 steals and 35.5 minutes per game.

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Check out this list of free agents.

Now you can see why the Pistons, Nets and other teams are clearing off salary cap room for next year:

Player option: Player has right to opt out of contract if he wants.

It is just amazing to even think about it.

It could become the most talented free agency class ever in professional sports in that there will be five players — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson — with already one NBA championship, two NBA Finals, four U.S. Olympic team invitations and 16 All-Star appearances among them and not one of them will be older than 30 in 2010.

If that doesn’t whet the appetite, then there will be an available 32-year-old former league MVP (Dirk Nowitzki) and a just-turned-31 Michael Redd, one of the game’s deadliest perimeter sharp shooters.

source

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Tim Duncan says “You have to stop me to get to the finals

The Lakers picked up Pau Gasol, so they would not lose any momentum when Andrew Bynum was injured. When Bynum comes back, you have a front court of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom to go with Kobe Bryant. Arguably a powerful lineup.

The Phoenix Suns dealt the Matrix for Shaquille O’Neal. The Suns needed a center to get past the Spurs and because the Gasol deal had moved the Lakers ahead of them. If Shaq can turn it on one more time for the speedy Suns with Amare Stoudemire moving to power forward and Steve Nash wanting to win a ring before he retires, then the deal will look brilliant.

Even the San Francisco Warriors picked up Chris Weber, because they have playoff potential and are seeking any edge they can find.

So the Spurs looked around and decided to take…no one.

Yeah, that is right. No one.

“I never feel pressure to make a deal,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We talk to everybody, just like the other 29 teams. If something makes sense, we’ll do it. But making deals because you feel pressure is a recipe for failure.” source

Now the San Antonio Spurs did sign Damon Stoudamire to fill in for the injured Tony Parker, but that is it.

Their record does not look quite as sparkling as usual due to various injuries, but come playoff time you still have to knock off the Big Fundamental if you want to win the West.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Are the Spurs still the team to beat?

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Shaq vies for another ring

The story will be written from here on out. The Shaq trade has implications for both conferences. The fallout can be seen everywhere. Can it be coincidence that the yesterday’s trade news for Pau Gasol to Kobe’s Lakers lost to the Hawks? You may have to read that twice. Shaq brings his presence and salary cap to Phoenix and new GM Steve Kerr. If Shaq is a bust then Kerr will again be a brilliant TV announcer. Kerr had a valid concern. The center-less Suns would never get out of the West.

The Suns have the best record in the West (34-14) but have not played up to their own expectations. Their interior defense is among the NBA’s worst. Kerr apparently felt that without a large presence inside, Phoenix could not combat the big men, such as Andrew Bynum and Tim Duncan, in the playoffs. source

If Shaq wants another ring, then Steve Nash can finish his career with a smile on his face.

Miami Heat

Meanwhile in Miami, the Heat can Read more

NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Teammates?

Can you see it?

Rasheed Wallace joking with Shaq before the game?

A front line of Tayshaun Prince, Wallace, and Shaq?

Yeah, you are right; it probably has a zero chance of happening. But how cool would it be, if it did?

Just think of the next time the Celtics rolled into the Palace to play the Detroit Pistons and Kevin Garnett had to look up to Shaq and then see Rasheed needling him, standing right next to Shaq.

Shaq could help. The Pistons have a serious flaw on their team and it is in the paint. Rasheed and McDyess do not like to post as much as they like to shoot.

On the few occasions when the Pistons have lost this season, opponents have destroyed them in the paint.

Excluding the Nov. 18 game in Sacramento, in which both teams scored 36 points in the paint, the Pistons have been outscored in the paint by an average of 15.4 points in their seven other losses. source

Hey, Big Baby on the Celtics had the game of a lifetime against the Pistons the other day. If Big Baby can suddenly look like he is an All Star, then anyone can.

Shaquille O’Neal lowdown

Shaq will turn 35 in March and that is getting up there for a guy that carries so many pounds around. So his trade value is not too high. He can be had.

Ok, dreaming again. But even a Read more

NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

By Guest Blogger, Kori Ellis

If you hadn’t watched an NBA game since June of 2006 and you watched the Heat game on Friday night, you would’ve thought nothing had changed. The Heat, who won the 2005-06 NBA championship, had Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal dominating like they did on their championship run.

Wade had 31 points, five assists, three rebounds and two blocks in 41 minutes of action. Shaquille O’Neal had a season-high 26 points to go along with a season-high 14 rebounds. O’Neal also had three blocks, two steals and two assists as Miami rolled to a 98-91 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Last season, the Heat battled injuries and had chemistry issues. Ultimately, Miami got swept by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. The Heat lost all of their preseason game this year and then their first five regular season games. However, Wade returned from injury and O’Neal began to start playing better, which has produced a Heat squad that has won two out of their last three games.

Do the Heat, who stand at 3-9 on the season, have a chance to regain their championship glory this season? It’s a long shot but it’s not impossible. The most important thing that must happen is that Wade and O’Neal must remain healthy. Without those two players healthy and playing well, the Heat aren’t a very good team.

Another thing the Heat need to do is figure out a rotation that best maximizes the talent of the team’s role players. Miami has talented players such as the newly-acquired Ricky Davis, Udonis Haslem, Jason Williams, Alonzo Mourning and the rejuvenated Penny Hardaway. A couple of those players need to step up for the Heat and produce on a nightly basis.

It’s a difficult task for the Heat but with two of the best players in the league and a coach in Pat Riley who knows what it takes to win championships, don’t count Miami out just yet.