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

Hey, the Heat can forget about Amare Stoudemire.

Miami finally took that option Friday, taking the Heat out of the chase for Marion’s ex-Phoenix Suns teammate Amare Stoudemire.

In a deal first reported by ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher, the Heat agreed to trade Marion and guard Marcus Banks to the Raptors for O’Neal and swingman Jamario Moon.

source

All Shawn Marion did was lay down a dunk to beat the Bulls and then get shipped out of town.

Is this deal a big deal?
well, no, maybe, yes, depends.

O’Neal gives Miami a center. That makes Pat Riley happy, but O’Neal’s contract of 23 million can come off the books next year when Dwyane Wade has to be signed.

Marion gives the Raptors some scoring, but many think that Bosh will be heading out of town.
Photo source Newscom

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Paul Pierce takes turns scoring lots of points with Ray Allen

Maybe Boston is just bored, but they just went through a period where losses came more often than wins and that has been rare the last two years.

Boston 115 Toronto 109 OT

Now they turn to Paul Pierce for 39 points to beat a Toronto team missing both Calderon and O’Neal. Sunday they needed 36 from Ray Allen to be Toronto. The big 3 has turned into the big one at a time. Now it is Garnett’s turn to beat Toronto one would assume.

“Ya’ll need to start playing some of that ‘Superman’ theme music in the building when he’s going like that,” Garnett said of Pierce’s 39-point, 49-minute performance, all of it on a sore right knee that nearly kept him out.

“This is Clark Kent right here, ladies and gentlemen,” Garnett said. “He was 13-for-26 tonight with 39 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Superman.”

Not bad for a player who, prior to yesterday’s shootaround, was a 50-50 shot in the mind of Doc Rivers to even play.

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Digging a little deeper one sees that Kevin Garnett held Chris Bosh to 1 - 4 shooting in the 4th quarter and 0 for 0 in the OT. Garnett proving why he is so valuable to the Celtics once again.
Photo source Newscom

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Zach Randolph is sent to the Clippers

The Knicks have shown the door to half the team or so it seems. Time to clean out the deadwood and find some winners.

The summer of 2010 is still almost two years away, but on Friday the New York Knicks officially made themselves players in what is expected to be the richest free agent crop in recent history. In two bold strokes, Knicks president Donnie Walsh has shed a pair contracts that have hung around his neck like an albatross since he assumed control of basketball operations last April: Jamal Crawford, the offensively-effective-yet-defensively-putrid guard who was shipped to Golden State for forward Al Harrington, was owed more than $20 million on a contract that ran through the 2010-2011 season; and Zach Randolph, a stat stuffing machine who, along with reserve guard Mardy Collins, was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers for forward Tim Thomas and guard Cuttino Mobley, is scheduled to pocket $38 million through ‘10-’11.

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So are the Knicks setting up to get LeBron James or Chris Bosh as some are saying?

Maybe they are just cleaning out the losers and trying to get players that fit in D’Antoni’s fast paced system?
Photo source Newscom

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LeBron James must be crying in his orange juice. Once again the Cleveland Cavaliers have failed to help him out. It is very hard to believe that LeBron will spend his whole career in Cleveland.

Don’t get me wrong, Jermaine O’Neal is not the best player in the league, but he is a mobile scoring front line player that could have changed the whole complexion of the Cavaliers.

The Pacers were looking for a starter-quality center in return for O’Neal, which made it tough to make a deal work for the Cavs. They are not permitted to trade Anderson Varejao until at least Dec. 5 due to collective bargaining rules because they matched an offer sheet he signed on that date last year. They were not interested in parting with Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
source

Was that a collective groan from Cav’s fans? We missed out on Jermaine O’Neal because we wanted to keep Zydrunas? Zydrunas? You have got to be kidding me.

After 6 All Star years and now his 30th birthday, Jermaine is once again healthy and hungry.

“The fact is, I played on one leg for two years,” says O’Neal, whose averages shrank to 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in 42 games last season after he reinjured his knee in 2006-07. “You hear people say that you slowed down, that you don’t have it anymore — but you know that you still have it. All the naysayers who are saying that I lost a step, they’ll get a full dosage of me next year.”

source

Unfortunately for Cav’s fans, Jermaine will be a Toronto Raptor to join forces with Chris Bosh.

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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LeBron James career scoring leader for the Cav’s at the tender age of 23

LeBron did it in 168 less games than Brad Daugherty.

LeBron James now has 10,414 points.

Oh, and his team won, too.

Cleveland 90 Toronto 83

Coach Mike Brown pointed out LeBron is only 23.

The sellout crowd at Quicken Loans Arena immediately rose to give James a thundering ovation and when Brown called a timeout, the All-Star forward first walked to the bench to receive high-fives and hugs from his teammates.

Then, he walked to the center of the court to acknowledge Cleveland’s fans, who serenaded him with “MVP” chants throughout the evening.

“These fans have watched me go from zero points to 10,000” he said. “They’ve seen me go from a young man to a man now. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve had. To be the all-time leader is something that I never dreamed of. But now that it’s here, it’s an unbelievable feeling.” source

Perhaps Joe Smith said it best.

“It took me 13 years to get 10,000 points,” Cavs forward Joe Smith said. “It goes to show what kind of talent he is. I know he has at least 30,000 more in him.”

Long live the King, LeBron James.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Will LeBron someday get to 30,000 points?

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Dwight Howard has tremendous upside

Normally the All Star game is not a big ticket with your intrepid author.

A game with little or no defense has a hard time holding my interest.

In fact, today’s basketball with all the rule changes towards offense has really bothered me in recent years.

But this year may be an exception. The league is just so filled with exceptional talent.

One starter in particular could become a dominant force in the NBA sooner than we think. That man would be Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

Hmm, may just have to tune in after all. Here are your vote getters.

The leaders of both the Eastern and Western Conference players for the second returns of the 2008 NBA All-Star voting program are attached:

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING EASTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,186,690; LeBron James (Clev) 1,005,733; Chris Bosh (Tor) 313,983; Paul Pierce (Bos) 268,926; Yi Jianlian (Mil) 192,828; Caron Butler (Was) 150,042; Hedo Turkoglu (Orl) 121,991; Tayshaun Prince (Det) 120,783; Rashard Lewis (Orl) 116,168; Antawn Jamison (Was) 106,370.

Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 777,764; Jason Kidd (NJ) 559,333; Vince Carter (NJ) 468,051; Ray Allen (Bos) 464,810; Gilbert Arenas (Was) 422,463; Chauncey Billups (Det) 238,125; Michael Redd (Mil) 183,309; Richard Hamilton (Det) 121,663; Joe Johnson (Atl) 109,443; Andre Iguodala (Phi) 109,345.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 970,778; Shaquille O’Neal (Mia) 466,292; Rasheed Wallace (Det) 124,348; Ben Wallace (Chi) 114,245; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 100,622; Jermaine O’Neal (Ind) 89,900; Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Clev) 55,217; Emeka Okafor (Cha) 51,490; Zaza Pachulia (Atl) 43,036; Eddy Curry (NY) 37,252.

2008 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING WESTERN CONFERENCE

Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Den) 767,722; Tim Duncan (SA) 722,059; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 686,853; Carlos Boozer (Utah) 281,299; Josh Howard (Dal) 251,756; Shawn Marion (Pho) 240,752; Shane Battier (Hou) 227,112; Luis Scola (Hou) 222,896; Kevin Durant (Sea) 191,542; Grant Hill (Pho) 152,898.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 941,716; Tracy McGrady (Hou) 663,141; Steve Nash (Pho) 526,493; Allen Iverson (Den) 514,291; Manu Ginobili (SA) 220,620; Jason Terry (Dal) 200,693; Baron Davis (GS) 194,048; Chris Paul (NO) 189,646; Tony Parker (SA) 183,173; Jerry Stackhouse (Dal) 178,152.

Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 813,305;Amaré Stoudemire (Pho) 463,916; Erick Dampier (Dal) 171,386; Marcus Camby (Den) 161,807; Pau Gasol (Mem) 118,759; Mehmet Okur (Utah) 85,715; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 69,691; Tyson Chandler (NO) 69,083; Andris Biedrins (GS) 67,862; Chris Kaman (LAC) 66,315.  source

NBA Basketball Fan Question Did your favorite player make the cut?

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Carlos Delfino goes 5 - 5 from 3 point land

You know the other day the Orlando Magic had a great confidence builder against my Detroit Pistons. It can only help them improve as a team.

Now the Toronto Raptors have done the same thing by beating the Boston Celtics.

The Raptors could not miss. They were nailing shots from all over the place.

Coach Doc Rivers of the Celtics was stunned.

Final Score Toronto 114 Boston 112

He could not believe it.

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers looked at the boxscore and shook his head at the shooting percentages Toronto had just compiled.

“Fifty-eight percent (from the floor); 71 percent from the 3; 100 percent from the foul line. At least the foul line wasn’t guarded,” Rivers said after the Raptors made 15 of 21 3-pointers to beat Boston 114-112 on Wednesday night.

“Half the guys in our league couldn’t shoot 15-for-21 if they were in a gym by themselves,” he said. “It was almost like we didn’t believe they would shoot another one.” source

Here is a quick game rundown.

Just who scored for whom?

Jose Calderon converted a go-ahead, three-point play with 10.5 seconds left and finished with 24 points and 13 assists. Chris Bosh and Anthony Parker scored 23 points apiece and Andrea Bargnani had 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Raptors.

Kevin Garnett scored 26 for Boston, which had won three in a row and hadn’t lost to an Atlantic Division rival in 10 tries this season. Paul Pierce had 19 points and nine assists, and Ray Allen also scored 19 for Boston, which still holds an 11-game lead over second-place Toronto in the division.

Do not dismiss the importance of this game in Read more

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

Rip and Sheed get serious

The Pistons won their 11th game in a row. Only Portland with 13 wins in a row this season has a longer streak. Portland lost Monday to Utah to end their streak.

Saturday in a marquee matchup the Pistons face the Celtics in the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Richard Hamilton scored 22 points, Rasheed Wallace added 20 and the Detroit Pistons extended their winning streak to 11 games with a 101-85 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Chauncey Billups had 18 points for Detroit, which has not lost since an 80-77 defeat in Houston on Dec. 12 and owns the longest current run in the NBA.

The Pistons’ streak is their longest since winning 11 straight in January 2006. source

The Celtics will be looking for a little revenge after losing to the Pistons recently. The Pistons tagged Boston with their first home loss of the year.

Toronto

The Toronto team was overmatched by the Pistons, but Chris Bosh had a great game. Read more