Golden State.
Oh yeah, that is a mouthful. Think of all the recent titles Golden State has achieved. Uh, think of any titles…how about Conference titles? No? Uh, think of all the good parking places in their parking lot. You can park your car right beside the stadium.

How about all the tremendous players on their roster. Let’s see, there is…um, there is… Don’t they have Baron Davis? He left? Chose to go to the Clippers? He chose to go to the Clippers? No one made him go?

Now they did make some huge deals today.

Moore, a 33-year-old 7-footer who averaged 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.6 minutes a game during the playoffs with Boston, is expected to sign a one-year contract midweek for the veteran minimum $1.3 million. Watson, a restricted free agent, alerted his Twitter flock that he is re-upping with the Warriors for a one-year qualifying offer of just more than $1 million

source

Ok, maybe not too huge.

We are getting sidetracked here. Face it, Golden State stinks. If Stephen Jackson wants to leave the team and go somewhere else then let him. They need to rebuild anyway. Find a better team player that wants to be there.

Think Stephen Jackson is upset?

Stephen Jackson was with the Pacers when Ben Wallace and Ron Artest got into it. He also went through suspension for the Malice at the Palace. His legacy will be marked by it.

Now he is demanding a trade and stating it publicly, which under National Basketball Association rules you cannot do.

The league fined Jackson $25,000 on Tuesday for public statements “detrimental to the NBA.” Players aren’t permitted to make trade requests publicly, and Jackson is the first player fined for such statements since Ron Artest, then of the Indiana Pacers, during the 2005-06 season.

Players are allowed to and have, on occasion, requested a trade through their teams’ hierarchy. The players, however, are not allowed to make said mandates through the media.

“It’s against league rules to request a trade publicly,” vice president of NBA communications Tim Frank said. “Therefore, a fine was issued.”
source

Image: Zuma Press

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Danny Granger is for real. There, it is out there for everyone to see and if you have not seen this guy play then you are missing one heck of a player.

My first introduction to Danny Granger was last year when Granger was scoring at will against my Pistons. Now Indiana had nobody on their team including this Granger guy and yet, there he was driving and scoring, pulling up and shooting, draining free throws and just being an offensive pest.

This year Danny made the All Star team and just notched Most Improved in the NBA.

Danny Granger is one of the bright young NBA stars!

Maybe the highest praise came from Larry Bird.

A first-time All-Star, Granger realized how far he’s come after Larry Bird’s comments this morning.

In introducing the Pacers forward as the NBA’s Most Improved Player this season, Bird referred to Granger as “a hell of a player.”

“I watched Larry play probably when I was in diapers,” Granger said with a laugh. “It’s a great honor to have him congratulation you on the type of success you have. It speaks wonders.”

Granger, the NBA’s fifth-leading scorer this season with a 25.8 average, reiterated his desired to become an elite defender.
source

Now if Larry Bird could just surround Danny Granger with some other talented players.

Photo source Newscom

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Pacers 107, Magic 102

With Danny Granger!

Maybe Danny needs a nickname like Superman has?

But, wait a minute; did Orlando just have a bad game?

First off, the Magic had some incredible stats. Stats, of course, do not mean anything when they only count wins.

Orlando’s Dwight Howard had 21 points and 20 rebounds, but made just five of 12 free throws. Hedo Turkoglu had 20 points and 11 assists and J.J. Redick tied a season high with 17 points for the Magic. source

So, what difference do those awesome stats make when Danny Granger is around?

The Indiana Pacers’ All-Star forward lost his outside shooting touch while dealing with a sore right knee, and hadn’t scored 30 or more points in nine games. Instead of settling for jumpers, he attacked the basket and carried his team to a 107-102 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

He scored 33 points and went 12-for-12 from the free-throw line.

“I just switched my game up, tried to rely a little bit on driving because my shot was a little bit off, especially with the knee,” he said. “Driving to the basket and getting to the line is easy points.”

Photo source Newscom

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Elton Brand dunking

Philadelphia was down 38 – 13.

Past 76er teams would have quit. We are going to lose, so let’s go home.

But they did not quit and came back to win the game 94 – 92 over the Indiana Pacers. Elton Brand had 15 rebounds and Thaddeus Young had 25 points.

“It was a great comeback by Philadelphia,” Indiana coach Jim O’Brien said. “Sometimes you get too big a lead early in the game — and the NBA is a game of momentum shifts.”
source

There is no quit with Mo Cheeks as coach. You noticed last year in the playoffs as this Philly team eventually lost to the Detroit Pistons that they just keep coming at you. There is no quit in these 76ers.

Now the Philadelphia team added prize 20 -10 guy, Elton Brand. Now the 76ers have some power on the blocks and who knows how far this team can go.
Photo source Newscom

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The latest, the greatest, the rumors we are all seeking. They are all right here.

It looks like Jamal Tinsley will be leaving the Indiana Pacers, since they loaded up on point guards this past spring. The most likely suitor is the Denver Nuggets.

The proposed deal would send point guard Chucky Atkins and center Steven Hunter to the Pacers. Both would have backup roles with the Pacers.

Atkins will make $3.2 million this season and $3.5 million next season, with $760,000 of it guaranteed. He is expected to be out until at least next month following right knee surgery last month. The 7-foot Hunter will make $3.9 million this season and $3.7 million next season. Tinsley will make $21.5 million over the next three seasons. The trade would benefit both teams. The Nuggets need a point guard, and the Pacers would save money, get two players with shorter contracts and, more important, end their relationship with Tinsley.
source

Check out this YouTube of Jamal.

Photo source Newscom

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LeBron James is partying at the thought of all the NBA players available in 2009

Even with all the big name free agents in 2010, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in the group, the year 2009 could still be the year of the free agent.

Try this out for 2009.

Some of the Restricted Free Agents: Andrew Bynum, Marvin Williams, Jason Maxiell

Some of the players that can opt out of contracts: Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Rip Hamilton, Hedo Turkoglu

True Free Agents: Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, Rasheed Wallace

So what about money?
Some teams are loaded depending on what happens.

Thunder 25 – 30 million
Trail Blazers 15 – 32 million
Grizzlies 18 – 24 million
Pacers 11 million
Heat 10 million
Bobcats 10 million

Plain and Simple, there will be lots of player movement in 2009 in the NBA.

story source espn

Photo source newscom

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Wayman Tisdale was the second pick of the draft by the Indiana Pacers and the big lefty had a great career.

Tisdale averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds for his NBA career. The 6′ 9″ forward averaged over 25 points per game in college.

He also played for the Kings and the Suns. With the Kings, Wayman had a 3 year stint where he averaged over 19 points per game.

first learned he had cancerous cyst below his right knee after he broke his leg in a fall at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2007.

Tisdale, now an award-winning jazz musician, underwent treatment and later had knee replacement surgery and resumed touring. Tisdale was still undergoing chemotherapy when he told the AP in June that “I feel better than ever. I’m excited. I’ve got a whole new look on life. I look at life on a whole ‘nother radar.”

…On his Web site, Tisdale said removing a portion of the leg would be the best way to ensure that the cancer would not return.

source

Wayman retired to become a professional jazz musician.

Check out this YouTube of Wayman Tisdale playing and discussing his jazz album Way Up.

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The Indiana Pacers made Jerryd Bayless the 11th pick in the draft. They compare him to Gilbert Arenas. Now get to know him.

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Kobe Bryant brings the ball

The Lakers won game 6 out of the last 7.

It was Lakers 112 Pacers 96.

It was all Kobe Bryant in the 3rd quarter with 12 points.

The continuing to improve Andrew Bynum had 23 points and 13 rebounds.

The spiraling downward Indiana Pacers, a recently great franchise with nowhere to go, could not put it together.

Mike Dunleavy led Indiana (16-19) with 17 points. Danny Granger added 14 points, Jermaine O’Neal scored 13 and Kareem Rush had 12 for the Pacers, who lost their fifth straight road game and for the sixth time in seven games overall. source

As surely as the Pacers are going downhill the Lakers are going uphill.

In fact, Coach Phil Jackson just achieved a major milestone in the recent victory over the 76ers.

the Lakers gave Phil Jackson the 939th victory of his Hall of Fame coaching career, moving him past Red Auerbach into seventh place on the NBA’s all-time list. Bill Fitch is sixth with 944 victories.

“Oh, there goes another number,” Jackson said of passing Auerbach. “It’s nice to win. Maybe there’s another name there on the list (to catch) if we continue to win.” source

First off, 900 of anything is amazing, but to beat Red Auerbach in incredible. He coached those Celtic teams with Bill Russell when there was very little player movement in the league and once your team was great it stayed great forever. The Celtics won title after title.

But then, so has Phil. Does not hurt to coach Michael Jordan, Shaq, and Kobe.

Laker side note I: This is 12 wins out of the last 15 games.

Laker side note II: The Lakers are 7 – 0 when all 5 starters are in double figures. Go figure.

Don’t look now, but Kobe and the Lakers are for real!

NBA Basketball Fan Question Are you a Laker believer?

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Man, oh man. What is Isiah thinking now? He talks about winning championships in New York. He talks about staying and winning with some of the guys he has now.

What is he thinking?

Now as a long time Piston fan there is a soft spot in my heart for Isiah. He came to the Pistons as a small guard leaving Indiana early. He talked about winning championships. Isiah won championships.

Almost immediately he made the team better back then. He was full of fire and felt unstoppable. Every year he added something to his game.

As better players surrounded him, he played even better and took over the leadership role of the team backed by Bill Laimbeer.

Now with the New York Knicks, Isiah is still talking Championships.

I believe in (the team) and I believe that this is also the time that you can make serious mistakes with your roster that could set you back another three, four years,” Thomas said. “We have good talent, we have good players, we have young players.

“We have a good nucleus and we just (need) them to play well together. It’s not about breaking them up or tearing them down, it’s about getting them to play better as a team.” source

Do we believe him?

Thrown out

Remember, the Pistons Bill Davidson, the owner, threw him out. Later his backcourt mate, Joe Dumars got the GM job of the Pistons and turned them back into a powerhouse.

Remember that arch rival Larry Bird threw him out. Larry is the GM of Indiana and Isiah was the coach.

How can James Dolan, the GM at New York not throw him out.

Train wreck

Isiah has consistently picked up overrated selfish players, including my all time favorite Stephon Marbury, who admits he plays for the money! Then he overpays them!

The team is a wreck heading for a bigger wreck.

But do we believe him?

That must be the question that haunts James Dolan, because Isiah is still there. Still going at it.

To hear Isiah is the hear the same contagious confidence he displayed in Indiana and in Detroit.

Plenty of New Yorkers would disagree. Fans routinely chant for Thomas to be fired during Knicks games, and last month a group held a giant pink slip during a rally to express those wishes.

But Thomas said he wants to be remembered in New York as he is in Detroit, where he led the Pistons to two NBA championships during a Hall of Fame playing career.

“I don’t necessarily just want to win a championship. I want to leave something that’s going to stand for a long time. I want to leave a legacy, I want to leave tradition,” Thomas said. “I want to leave an imprint, a blueprint in terms of how people play, and how they coach and how they respond when they put on the Knick uniform.

But do we believe him?

NBA Basketball Fan Question How is Isiah keeping his job?

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