The Sports Chronicles: basketball

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Sunday, April 5, 2009

Portland Trail Blazers: "Bad Boys" ON THE COURT

by Xavier Thompson

http://www.nba4all.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/portland-trail-blazers.jpg

What a difference a few years of turmoil and unproductive seasons make.

Portland, which for 21 consecutive seasons, from 1983 to 2003, made the playoffs (second-longest streak in NBA history), had their fall from grace begin in the 2003 – 2004 season when that streak was halted. This was only the beginning, however, of a string of bad seasons as for the following two seasons they slumped to one of the NBA’s worst teams, “accomplishing” the feat of worst record in the league in the 2005 – 2006 season.

In the past two seasons, however, they have managed to get back on track, recording a .500 record for the first time in four years, last season (a season which included a 13-game winning streak) and set to finish with an over .600 record this season.

The playoffs are in sight and the Blazers are looking to create an upset or at least cause uproar.

Why are they back on track?

From even in times of prominence, the Blazers were known for their ‘bad boys’.

First was original bad boy, Rasheed Wallace, in the late 90s to early 00s whose love for technical fouls found him leading the league in the category for several seasons. As uncontrollable as he may have seemed at times and the fact that he was not the best teammate to play with (I’m sure Arvydas still remembers the towel Wallace threw in his face), his bad boy attitude and tenacity helped to propel Portland and keep them afloat.

‘Sheed’s departure, after the 2003 – 2004 season, did not take the “bad boy” out of Portland but this “bad boy” persona started to be channeled in completely negative ways. The next couple of years brought about the worst period of behavioral problems for the Blazers which led to their subsequent downfall.

Sure every franchise has their period of struggles and rebuilding, but this is usually due to young players still learning the tricks of the trade, NOT because of players who refused to manage their behaviors appropriately.

Where to start?

Qyntel Woods possessed more marijuana than actual basketball skill and know-ho.

Bonzi Wells was a child trapped in a man’s body, temperamental and nagging.

Sebastian Telfair’s IQ was apparently lower than his age as the terrorist-in-training brought a gun on the team plane (could it be that the Middle East isn’t the only place that harbors terrorists?).

Darius “I wish I was white” Miles was the pot that called the kettle (coach Maurice Cheeks) “nigger” (no wonder they wanted back their 10 million).

Ruben Patterson a.k.a. Mr. Cop-A-Feel was a registered sex offender.

Zach Randolph, who seemingly had a problem with this, decided to send a strong message of “No funny business” by all but breaking Ruben’s eye socket. Maybe it was that wanting glare in Ruben’s eyes or a little wink here and there that sent Randolph over the edge (this, of course, is merely speculation on my part).

These instances of bad behavior led to several years of bad luck.

Slowly, but surely, however, the Blazers rid themselves of one bad apple after another with Zach Randolph being the last to go and apparently bringing his selfish ball hogging playing style (which would have certainly continued to stifle Brandon Roy’s development) and hopefully playoff jinx with him.

I will admit that I questioned the Blazers move to trade Z-Bo and take Oden first instead of keeping Mr. Sock-it-to-you and taking Durant to fill their SF void. Looking at their roster, record and overall play now, I see why.

This brings me to the new era of Blazer basketball. Gone are the “bad boys” off-court and chokers when it really matters, on court and in are players who take their “anger issues” out on opponents instead of on each other (ye that was a cheap shot at you Mr. Randolph).

If you look at the Portland team now, they’ve got a ‘tude (attitude for those with Telfair-like IQs), a swagger, a silent aggressive nature that big opponents take likely and usually pay for, especially in the Garden of Rose (Rose Garden Arena).

Case in point, this year Portland has beaten some of the NBAs best, CONVINCLY, at the Rose.

One commonality in almost all the wins, aside from a sound a-whooping, was confrontation.

From The Big Ticket, KG, and Aldridge (vs. Celtics) to Ariza and Roy {dirty fool Trevor, dirty!} (vs. Lakers) and Shaq/Shaqovic/The Big Aristotle/The Big Cactus/Diesel (can’t remember any more nick names but I think I covered about half the list) and Carlos “C-Boo” Boozer vs. Przybilla (vs. Suns and Jazz, respectively), experienced teams are learning that this young team aren’t the pushovers they thought.

The latest incident, on March 31, in the rout of the Jazz, saw Boozer and Przybilla tossed for offsetting Double Techincals, going to show you that even the best of the best are being sucked in by the Blazers tenacity and even audacity – how dare such a young team, with absolutely no playoff experience, stand up to these experienced Juggernauts.

Easy, by doing just that and guess what it’s paying off - big time.

Dare I say the Hornets of this year? .... Let me not get carried away.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/151896-portland-trail-blazers-bad-boys-on-the-court

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/151458-ding-dong-the-witch-is-dead-blazers-make-playoffs

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TO READ FULL STORY GO HERE:

http://diphoenix.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/portland-trail-blazers-bad-boys-on-the-court/

Saturday, January 31, 2009

I like to see some players who arent on dominating teams get chosen. You can have great stats when you are surrounded by Garnett Pierce and Allen, or Howard and Lewis and Nelson. Al Jefferson is on a bad team and gets his stats being double teamed and ganged up on every night. Shaq has been great, but he is also playing with superstars Nash and Amare. I think thats why i like the Granger and Harris and Bosh picks. David Lee and Durant also do it often on thier own.

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jlt421

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Al Jefferson snubbed....are you kidding me?

WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

PLAYER A: 22.7 PPG 10.5 RPG 49% FG 74% FT

PLAYER B: 20.6 PPG 10.3 RPG 52% FG 68% FT

You would choose Player A right? Well.....Player A is Al Jefferson, and Player B is Tim Duncan, the starting PF for the West.... A complete travesty he did not make the team just beacuse the Wolves aren't a good team.

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thommie2011jz

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Shaq & Kobe, together again

On top of that, Jefferson averages those numbers with constantly facing double, usually triple teams beacause their are no other legitamate threat for the timberwolves offensively.

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MotownKit

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Shaq & Kobe, together again

Calderon deserves a spot. Hands down. Don't know why he was left off or no one is calling him a possible snub?

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MotownKit

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Shaq & Kobe, together again

Al Jefferson definitely got snubbed too but I dont know exactly who I would take off, maybe David West.

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Bluejays4ws

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Shaq & Kobe, together again

Shaq should be an all-star. If there's anyone Al Jefferson should've made it in over it would have to be David West

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playmaker21

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Shaq & Kobe, together again

i don't see why people are making fuss outta the all-star game, the weekend is just an excuse for people

to get drunk and have sex with hookers, nobody takes the game seriously. Also the media dig up the same garbage

every year and brag about the travesty about who didn't got in, or who got in. ENOUGH ALREADY.

also im sick of former nba-players using the all-star weekend to grandstand and promote their useless lives like how that homo amaechi tried to steal the show.

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Hawkman77

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Shaq & Kobe, together again

I say david lee instead of lewis or nelson i know orlando has a winning record but they already have howard starting. Lewis and Nelsons numbers are not great. David lee has great numbersTwo problems with that. 1) they play different positions. Nobody is going to pick David Lee over Jameer Nelson when they need a point guard for the team. 2) the numbers don't tell the whole story. Basketball fans know Lee is a good ballplayer, a scrapper who is not a star but who has played very well in D'antoni's system. Nelson is one of the few point guards shooting more than 50% from the field and is leading his team. I think Lewis is less deserving than Nelson but he's been great at what he does also. Lee is a nice player but he does not have great numbers - he has one great number, and that's his rebounding number.

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Hawkman77

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Shaq & Kobe, together again

WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? PLAYER A: 22.7 PPG 10.5 RPG 49% FG 74% FT PLAYER B: 20.6 PPG 10.3 RPG 52% FG 68% FTHorrible question. This is like saying numbers matter more than contributions and skill. Numbers don't account for the type of team a player is on, how he fits in the defense, intangibles, defense, etc.

Duncan = Hall of Fame and having a very strong year. Shooting a better percentage than Jefferson.

Jefferson = Good player. Might make an all-star team or two in his career. Can get to the Hall of Fame if he buys a ticket.

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Xavier Thompson from THE BLEACHER REPORT --- see part of story here: (scroll up to see all)

Firstly, let's start with the deserved ...

On the Eastern side of things, we saw all THREE debutantes in Nelson, Granger and Harris. A bit surprising since all are in the middle of their breakout seasosn, especially hARRIS AND nELSON (gRANGER was pretty good last year but has still improved a great deal). The bottom line, however, is that all three DESERVED their allstar selections. The rest of the east was pretty expected with Rashard Lewis being the only member chosen by the coaches which I thought was a bit undeserved. Now don't get me wrong Rashard is playing bball at a very high level and we're seeing numbers reminiscient of what he put up as a Super Sonic which led to his rise to stardom. Furthermore, after last year's dismal season (by my accounts) I think he's made very big steps in shwocasing his value to the Magics organization and fans. However, his numbers don't light up the board enough to be playing in such a showcase. Allen Iverson's selection was obviously the MOST UNDESERVED, however, seeing he was actually voted in by the fans then I have no right to argue, they choose what they want to see.

SNUBS ON THE EAST:

Mike Bibby - definately deserved a nod due to the way he's provided that extra uumph the Hawks needed to become a contender in the East.

Vince Carter - he may not be able to jump as high or as much but he still can light it up on any choosen day ... plus his numbers don't lie (maybe if the nets had a better record he would have made it)

Andre Iguodala

Tashaun Prince - this is more because of my view that a player which is undoubtedly the most valauble on his team though his numbers may not show this.

David Lee - maybe next year but the kid can play

ON THE WEST

NO FIRST TIMERS .... NOT SURPRISED. The ONLY problem with the roster chosen was DAVID WEST. Yeah, 20 ppg, 7 rpg looks pretty good on a stat sheet

Can't really say "Snubs" since the lineup was a pretty deserved one but there were a number of surprise absentees:

Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony (no excuse for him not being on ... definately should have made it over DAVID WEST), Al Jefferson (not really "surprising" per se but...), The Utah Twins ... Carlos "C-Bo" Boozer and Deron Williams (.... obviously only the injruies kept these two BEASTS off the roster), KEVIN DURANT ( if only this guy did not play for such a horrendous team but my God has this kid improved in terms of bball IQ and rebounding skills BIG PROPS TO MR. DURANT ... who the hell needs to be able to bench press 180 when u can play like this right? - mind over matter)

:)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FIRSTLY LETS JUS RECAP THE CHOSEN FEW

All-Star Game rosters

* — starters

EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

No.
Player, team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
College/HS/Country All-Star
Selections

4
Chris Bosh, Toronto
F/C
6-1
230
Georgia Tech 4th

5
* Kevin Garnett, Boston
F
6-11
220
Farragut Academy 12th

33
Danny Granger, Indiana
F
6-8
225
New Mexico 1st

34
Devin Harris, New Jersey
G
6-3
185
Wisconsin 1st

12
* Dwight Howard, Orlando
C
6-11
265
SW Atlanta Christian Academy 3rd

3
* Allen Iverson, Detroit
G
6-10
165
Georgetown 10th

23
* LeBron James, Cleveland
F
6-8
250
St. Vincent/St. Mary HS 5th

2
Joe Johnson, Atlanta
G
6-7
235
Arkansas 3rd

9
Rashard Lewis, Orlando
F
6-10
215
Alief Elsik HS 2nd

14
Jameer Nelson, Orlando
G
6-0
190
St. Joseph’s 1st

34
Paul Pierce, Boston
F
6-7
235
Kansas 7th

3
* Dwayne Wade, Miami
G
6-4
210
Marquette 5th

WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

No.
Player, team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
College/HS/Country All-Star
Selections

1
Chauncey Billups, Denver
G
6-3
202
Colorado 4th

24
* Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
G
6-6
205
Lower Merion HS 11th

21
* Tim Duncan, San Antonio
F
6-11
260
Wake Forest 11th

16
Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers
F
7-0
227
Spain 2nd

11
* Yao Ming, Houston
C
7-6
310
China 7th

41
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
F
7-0
245
Germany 8th

32
Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix
C
7-1
315
Louisiana State 15th

9
Tony Parker, San Antonio
G
6-2
177
France 3rd

3
* Chris Paul, New Orleans
G
6-0
175
Wake Forest 2nd

7
Brandon Roy, Portland
G
6-6
211
Washington 2nd

1
* Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix
F/C
6-10
245
Cypress Creek HS 4th

30
David West, New Orleans
F
6-9
240
Xavier 2nd

Firstly, let’s start with THE EAST …

On the Eastern side of things, we saw all THREE debutantes in Nelson, Granger and Harris. A bit surprising since all are in the middle of their breakout seasosn, especially Harris and Nelson (Granger was pretty good last year but has still improved a great deal). The bottom line, however, is that all three DESERVED their allstar selections.

The rest of the east was pretty expected with Rashard Lewis being the only member chosen by the coaches which I thought was a bit undeserved. Now don’t get me wrong Rashard is playing bball at a very high level and we’re seeing numbers reminiscient of what he put up as a Super Sonic which led to his rise to stardom. Furthermore, after last year’s dismal season (by my accounts) I think he’s made very big steps in showcasing his value to the Magics organization and fans. However, his numbers don’t light up the board enough to be playing in such a showcase.

Allen Iverson’s selection was obviously the MOST UNDESERVED, however, seeing he was actually voted in by the fans then I have no right to argue, they choose what they want to see.

SNUBS on the EAST:

Mike Bibby - definately deserved a nod due to the way he’s provided that extra uumph the Hawks needed to become a contender in the East.

Vince Carter - he may not be able to jump as high or as much but he still can light it up on any given day … plus his numbers don’t lie (maybe if the nets had a better record he would have made it)

Andre Iguodala

Tashaun Prince - this is more because of my view that a player which is undoubtedly the most valuable on his team though his numbers may not show this.

David Lee - maybe next year but the kid can play

THE WEST

NO FIRST TIMERS …. NOT SURPRISED. The ONLY problem with the roster chosen was DAVID WEST. Yeah, 20 ppg, 7 rpg looks pretty good on a stat sheet but he really hasn't provided any 'sting' for the hornets.

Can’t really say “Snubs” since the lineup was a pretty deserved one but there were a number of surprise absentees:

Steve Nash

Carmelo Anthony (no excuse for him not being on … definately should have made it over DAVID WEST)

Al Jefferson (not really “surprising” per se but…)

The Utah Twins … Carlos “C-Bo” Boozer and Deron Williams (…. obviously only the injuries kept these two BEASTS off the roster)

KEVIN DURANT - if only this guy did not play for such a horrendous team but my God has this kid improved in terms of bball IQ and rebounding skills. BIG PROPS TO MR. DURANT … who in the world needs to be able to bench press 180 when u can play like this right? - mind over matter.

—- Xavier Thompson

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/118091-nba-2009-allstars-have-been-named-who-deserved-it-who-got-snubbed?just_published=1

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Campion College Basketball: The Finale! [2007-2008 Season]

TEAM LEADERS

Points: Russell Thompson (16+ points per game)
Rebounds: Xavier Thompson (11+ rebounds per game)
Assists: James Deane (3+ assists per game)

Blocking Leaders:
Leighton Samuels
Xavier Thompson

Stealing Leaders:
Russell Thompson
Jason Blankson

Team MVP: James Deane
--------------------------------------------
AFTER THE SEASON

2008 - 2009 Season
This will begin the rebuilding period for Campion College Under-19 (Varsity) Team. The next two years should be rough but in a matter of time players such as Javier Gordon, Jonathan Mitchell & Leekem Brown, among others, should have the team back on track.

Season (League) Awards
James Deane was awarded a plaque for being the best 3-point shooter of the league.

In-house Awards
At their graduation, multiple members of the team were awarded plaques for their dedication and contribution to Campion College Basketball. These Players were as follows:

Jason Blankson
James Deane
Graham Reid
Leighton Samuels
Russell Thompson
Xavier Thompson

The Sports Chronicles would like to congratulate the 2007-2008 Campion College Under-19 (Varsity) Team for their achievements this year and for putting together a very exciting season and the best finish the school has seen in over seven years.

............

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites end season on high, trouncing Tarrant

Date: 31/01/08 [56-10] {Record: 3-5} Venue: Radley Reid Arena (Campion College)
[Home: 3-1][Away: 0-4]

Campion College finished their season in the same manner in which they started it - with a win - as action continued in the Southern Zone of the ISSA/KFC/Pepsi Basketball Competition. Campion soundly beat the lowly Tarrant High to complete and cap off a better than average (and expected) season. Though playing slopely, possibly due to their season having being over AND/OR the fact that they knew Tarrant was winless, the Campionites still managed to demolish their opponents 56-10.

Impressive Home Record

Though a sloppy match, the Campionites ended their season with an impressive home record of 3 wins and just one loss. The fans obviously playing a factor with this year being the only year in recent times that Campion fans came out in their numbers and actually outnumbered opponents. All-in-all, it was a great sending off for the Campionites with all but one of their members playing their last year of basketball with the school.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATS

Leading Scorers
James Deane 29 points
Russel Thompson 13 points
Jason Blankson 6 points

Leading Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 11 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 11 rebounds
Jason Blankson 9 rebounds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]

Bench:
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Graham Reid [5'11, 155 lbs]
Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAME NOTES
The second game more than two players had 8+ rebounds (X. Thompson, Samuels, Blankson).
Blankson, Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 31 rebounds [X. Thompson, 11, Samuels, 11 and Blankson, 9]
Russell Thompson, Xavier Thompson, Leighton Samuels, James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Graham Reid and Kim saw minority minutes.
Mikhail Mattis did not play due to injury (knee).

IN ATTENDANCE:
Racquel Dawkins, Shawntoll Buchanon, Damar Pessoa, Leikim Brown, Javier Gordon, Ashton Blankson.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

NBA PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

NBA PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: FIRST ROUND
by Xavier Thompson, basketball player and analyst
The EAST

1. BOS vs. 8. ATL

Not much too say about this matchup except for the fact that Atlanta will be lucky to even win a match. They have a good team but will have to wait for another two seasons before really being a contender.

Celtics sweeps Hawks 4-0

2. DET vs. PHI

With the way Philadelphia has played coming into the playoffs there is no doubt that they will prove problematic for the Pistons to get rid of. In fact, if the 76ers had been fortuitous enough to get the 6th or 5th seed, they would have a real possibility of upsetting a top seed. However, they are matched up with the veteran Piston side who even though have a history of becoming complacent, have not lost a first round series in more than 6 years. So, unfortunately for the upstarts from Philadelphia this is where their surprising season comes to a halt.

Pistons prevail 4-2

3. ORL vs. 6. TOR

This series probably won't provide much in the way of excitement and will be possibly one of the more overlooked matchups. The raptors are a good team but really do not have the strength or vigor to cause much problems for the Magic. In fact they will probably bring the series to six games for the sheer fact that the Magics on a whole are not a very experienced playoff team. However with Dwight Howard at the helm, the Raptors will have little chance of causing an upset.

Magics wins the series in 6 games.

4. CLE vs. 5. WAS

This is the only series in the east with a very good chance of going either way. Though assembling the best team roster since LeBron James' arrival, the Cavaliers have looked less than impressive in their run up to the playoffs and barely managed to get home court advantage over Washington. The Wizards on the other hand have learned to win without their star Gilbert Arenas (including two over the top team in the NBA, the Celtics) and with him now back will have a very good chance of finally getting past arch playoff rivals Cleveland. The two things going for the Cavs right now is the brilliance of King James and their mental advantage.

Wizards pull of the East's only upset and down the Cavs in 7

The WEST

1. LAL vs. 8. DEN

Sweep, sweep, sweep! The Nuggets allowed the Seattle Supersonics led by two rookies to not only beat them in a CRUCIAL must-win game but allowed them to score 161 points. Now double overtime or not that is HORRENDOUS. What does it show? Its a clear indication that this team has no defense and if that young Sonics could run them rampant, then I can only imagine what the Los Angeles Lakers will do to teroirize them. Out of all the playoff series this is the likeliest of sweeps you will find. The Lakers are just too god.

Lakers in easy sweep 4-0

2. NOH vs. 7. DAL

One of the two playoff seires in the West with serious 'upset' possibilities. As good as the Hornets have been and as bad as the Mavericks have proven to be against +.500 teams, one factor will ultimately let down New Orleans - their INEXPERIENCE. None of the starting five, except Peja, have any real playoff experience and though this can be compared to Deron Williams and the Jazz last year, let's face it, the West is just too tight this year (plus the Jazz didn't exactly have the toughest road to the Conference Finals). This series should provide for great entertainemnt and nail biting finishes and will be decided by one player: Peja Stojakovic. Yes, he isn't what he used to be but without him the Hornets will not be able to overcome the Mavericks. WIth him providing offense, the Hornets will probably prove too much for the Avery Johnsons coached Dallas. Who will come out on top?

Dallas given the edge to end Chris Paul's Hornets run in exciting 7 game seires.

3. SAS vs. 6. PHO

This is the other western series with serious threats of producing an 'upset'. The Spurs have previously proven too much for the Suns to handle in a playoff series (they haven't beaten the Spurs in a playoff series since the Spurs championship run began). However with a new look and with the Spurs not looking like they have in previous years, the Suns may just have their chance. The series will go down to the wire no doubt and will be decided depending on the team which is more hungry. Right now, that is looking like the Suns.

Phoenix tipped to win in 7

4. UTA vs. 5. HOU

The Rockets have done the unthinkable. Not only have they made the playoffs without the help of Yao Ming but they were actually in the hunt of a top seed position. And let's not forget their 20+ game winning streak. However, despite all of this Utah will still have an easy time disposing of them. T-Mac is an infamous playoff choker and the Jazz are even better than last year. Though last year's series came down to home court advantage and despite the fact that Rockets have it this time around, they just don't have the players to shut down the likes of Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Memhet 'Money' Okur. Great season but Rockets can't do much to help keep it alive.

Jazz win 4-2

Monday, February 4, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites season comes to an end, with loss to St. Catherine

Date: 24/01/08 [44-58] {Record: 2-5} Venue: Radley Reid Arena (Campion College)
[Home: 2-1][Away: 0-4]

St. Catherine High officially put an end to Campion College's bid for a playoff/quarterfinal spot as action continued in the Southern Zone of the ISSA/KFC/Pepsi Basketball Competition. The Campionites, who came into this match needing to win, went down in a match that was for the most part closely contested. At halftime the score was 17-26 and the Campionites looked a bt shaky. However they made great efforts in their comeback and drew close to St. Catherine team before finally allowing the match and hence their season, to slip away. The match eventually ended 58 - 44.

SLIPPED AWAY
As the match came down to the final five minutes Campion had drawn withint two points of their opponents. However, offensive blunders turned into easy fast break points which allowed St. Catherine to balloon back the lead to double digits. As the match came to a close, they knew that their spirited season was over.

FIRST HOME LOSS
This match was the first home loss for the Campionites who had previously been undefeated (2 - 0). (Though the loss to Calabar came at their home, it was scheduled and is still regarded as an away encounter).

ONE MATCH TO GO
They still have one match to go against Tarrant and the team is hoping to end their season on a high, not only due to pride but also the fact that most of these players are also seniors meaning this is their last year of high school basketball.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATS

Scorers
Russel Thompson 23 points
James Deane 9 points
Xavier Thompson 8 points

Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 14 rebounds
Jason Blankson 13 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 8 rebounds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
SF Graham Reid [5'11, 155 lbs]
SG Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
PG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]

Bench:
James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]
Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GAME NOTES
Benching Russel Thompson, Xavier Thompson & James Deane was a coaching strategy.
This was the only match where Campion's top three scorers (Deane, R. Thompson & X. Thompson) all came off the bench.
The first game more than two players had 8+ rebounds (X. Thompson, Samuels, Blankson).
Blankson, Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 35 rebounds [X. Thompson, 14, Blankson, 13 and Samuels, 8]
Russel Thompson, Xavier Thompson, Leighton Samuels, James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Graham Reid and Kim saw minority minutes.
Mikhail Mattis did not play due to injury (knee) and is doubtful for their match against Tarrant.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites get trampled on by Ardenne

Date: 23/01/08 [22-64] {Record: 2-4} Venue: Ardenne Arena (Ardenne High)

Ardenne High further dampened hopes of the unlikely Campion College of qualifying for the playoffs/quarterfinals as action continued in the Southern Zone of the ISSA/KFC/Pepsi Basketball Competition. Th Campionites, who came into this match needing to win at least 2 of their last 3 matches, went down to a handy 22-64 defeat at Ardenne. Th Campionites who managed to take an early lead and obviously caught Ardenne a bit by surprise did a good job defensively of containg the Ardenne offense. However, the Campionites faced their own problems as Ardenne too played great defense nullifying the Campion offense to only 10 points in the half (Season Low), to their 22. The second half seemed to be the breaking point as Ardenne began to exert more effort and caught out Campion College on many fast breaks. Further more, the defense of Ardenne kept the Campion offense locked up tight, resulting in their season-low in points scored in a game.

Dunking Phenomena & Triple Double
As with most blowouts that Campion College faces, there was one outstanding player who, though not scoring a lot of points,15, is the only player to come this close to a triple double againt the Campionites, missing it by only ONE block. Yes Ardenne's #15, Alex Lubsey, blocked anything and anyone in sight repeatedly, with quite a number of his 9 blocks done at the 3 point arc. He also had a 10+ rebound game to go with the fact that he dunked the ball at least 6 times throughtout the match, especially the second half.

Season in Jeopardy
Campion College's home record will be severely tested when they come up against their toughest competitor's at home, St. Catherine. They very well know that a loss tomorrow would ultimately mean the end of the season for the guys.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATS

Scorers
James Deane 11 points
Russell Thompson 9 points
Darren Mitchell 2 points

Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 7 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 6 rebounds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]

Bench:
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GAME NOTES
Russell Thompson, Xavier Thompson, Leighton Samuels, James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Mikhail Mattis and Kim saw minority minutes.
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Darren Mitchell were the only contributors offensively.
Xavier Thompson was the main contributor defensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 13 rebounds [Thompson, 7 and Samuels, 6] - SEASON LOW
This was the only match where only two starters scored.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

All-Star Game Selections / Formula for "Perfect Team"/Shaun "Polly" Pollock retires - Saying Goodbye to a legend

2008 All-Star Game Starters

EAST
Dwight Howard, C
Orlando Magic
2,066,991
2nd appearance

Kevin Garnett, F
Boston Celtics
2,399,148
11th appearance

LeBron James, F
Cleveland Cavaliers
2,108,831
4th appearance

Dwyane Wade, G
Miami Heat
1,608,260
4th appearance

Jason Kidd, G
New Jersey Nets
1,246,386
9th appearance

WEST
Yao Ming, C
Houston Rockets
1,709,180
6th appearance

Carmelo Anthony, F
Denver Nuggets
1,723,701
2nd appearance

Tim Duncan, F
San Antonio Spurs
1,712,800
10th appearance

Kobe Bryant, G
L.A. Lakers
2,004,940
10th appearance

Allen Iverson, G
Denver Nuggets
1,203,152
9th appearance

2008 Reserves
EAST
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Sel.
Chris Bosh Toronto F 6-10 230 3rd
Caron Butler Washington F 6-7 228 2nd
Paul Pierce Boston G 6-7 235 6th
Chauncey Billups Detroit G 6-3 202 3rd
Richard Hamilton Detroit G 6-7 193 3rd
Joe Johnson Atlanta G 6-7 235 2nd
Antawn Jamison Washington F 6-9 235 2nd
Coach: TBD

WEST
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Sel.
Steve Nash Phoenix G 6-3 178 6th
Chris Paul New Orleans G 6-0 175 1st
Dirk Nowitzki Dallas F 7-0 245 7th
Carlos Boozer Utah F 6-9 266 2nd
Amaré Stoudemire Phoenix C 6-10 249 3rd
Brandon Roy Portland G 6-6 229 1st
David West New Orleans F 6-9 240 1st
Coach: TBD

No real surpsrise .. for the most part i was right on the money on who should/would be chosen. However, they are a couple of decisions I don't agree with, and leading this pack is the non-selection of Baron "B.Diddy" Davis. WHAT??? How did the selectors manage to leave him off...to me it seems nothing short of crazy and delirium taking ahold of them. The player which should have been left off is Brandon Roy. Yes, he is having a great year but guess what Davis noto nly has better stats, on a way more competitive team, his team also has/had a better record at the time of selection. So how did the selectors manage to leave him out??? DUMBFOUNDED is what I am. In my point of view, even Deron Willaims could have been chosen over B-Roy, as with the case with B.Diddy, has the better stats and team(record)The biggest 'boo-boo' made on the East came in the form of Joe Johnson. Excuses can be made for why he made it but to leave off Hedo Turkoglu is easily the biggest snub on the East. Turkoglu is a 18-7-6 player, which easily outduels Joe Johnson's 20-5 line. He has improved tremendously and has been an incredible and integral part of the Magic organization.

Close calls/SNUBS:

Baron Davis & Hedo Turkoglu - MAJOR MISTAKE TO LEAVE THeSe TWO OFF.
Vince Carter - really didn't deserve it this year; way too shaky.
Marcus Camby - DEFINATELY DESERVED IT but didnt stand a chance against Yao and Amare.
Shawn Marion - not good enough this year.
Josh Smith - also a MAJOR SNUB!
Gerald Wallace - great player who would have a GREAT chance off making it, IF he played for a playoff contending team.
Andre Iguadala - same as Gerald, but to a lesser extent,
Al Jefferson - WONDERFUL PLAYER but, as it seems to be an unwritten rule/regulation, his team is WAY TOO BAD for him to have had a chance.

Surprises:
Joe Johnson AND David West - These were the only two I never really thought would make it or had a reasonable chance.

OTHER VIEWS HERE:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/allstar/rosters
http://community.foxsports.com/whoops.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/404.aspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Campion College's Xavier Thompson, gives us his formula for THE PERFECT TEAM:

STARTERS:
#C - DEFENSIVE, but with offensive capabilites and who is quick (can run the floor) - eg. Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby, Andris Biedrins
*PF - VERSATILE,with an array of offensive ways to score - eg. Chris Bosh/Carlos Boozer
#*SF - DRIVER-SHOOTER WITH DEFENSE, someone who is mainly a driver but can knock down the outside shot and has GREAT defense - eg. Gerald Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Manu Ginobli, Caron Butler, Ron Artest, Josh Smith
SG - OVERLOOKED THREAT, someone who is overlooked due to the stars at the PF, SF AND PG positions and who can easily and consistenly hit open jumpers - eg. Bonzi Wells, Deshawn Stevenson
#*PG - ASSISTING SCORER, a guard who has a pass-first mentality but who isn;t afraid to take over a game offensively (driving AND shooting) if needs be and who can also play defense - eg. Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Kirk Hinrich, T.J. Ford, Jose Calderon

BENCH - in order of their roles(places of the bench - eg. the first name would be the SIXTH MAN)

*SG - flat-out shooter with lots of range - eg. Kyle Korver, Cuttino Mobley
#C - very defensive, with different (bulkier) body type than the starting C - eg. Erick Dampier .... this ensures that if the oppsoing Centre is too big for the starter, you will have size on the bench.
#SF - defense-minded swingman who can hit open jumpers and 3-balls and who is POSSIBLY a better defender than the starting SF - eg. Bruce Bowen, James Posey...this ensures that if both the SF and SG of a team (eg. Boston Celtics with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce) need to be marked heavily, the back-up SF can fill in.
PG - experienced back up for the youthful starting PG to help guide and mold him, with decent defense - eg. Anthony Johnson, Sam Cassell, Brevin Knight, Derek Fisher
*PF - though a "TENTH MAN" when put on the court should be a main source of offense and also should be a player able to play SF if needs be - eg. Al Harrington

11th and 12th man should be a tall, oversized backup C and a SF/SG rookie.

* - Meant to be the main sources of offense
# - Meant to be great defenders

Additional talents that should be taught to players:

STARTERS:
C - should be taught/train to be able to guard all the way down to a tall SF (eg. Peja)
SF - should be able to guard all the way down to a PG
PG - should be able to guard SG's and SF's and VERY lacklustre offensive PF's/C's

BENCH:
SG - should be able to shoot from just below halfcourt WITH EASE

MINUTES ALLOCATION AND IDEAL HEIGHTS:

Starters:

C - 28-30 mins 6'11/7'0

PF - 35-40 mins 6'9/6'10

SF - 35-40 mins 6'5-6'7

SG - 20-25 mins 6'5

PG - 35-40 mins 6'3/6'4

Bench

SG - 20-25 mins 6'5

C - 15-20 mins 7'0

SF - 15-20 mins 6'8

PG - 10-15 mins 6'3/6'4

PF - 10-20 mins 6'8-6'10

With a line up like this you will have a VERY GOOD balance of offense and defense.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaun Pollock

What a great cricketer he is! The Sports Chronicles would just like to say farewell to such a fantastic player and contributor to the sport of Cricket.

Team: South Africa -
Greatest Bowler in SA history with 391 One Day wickets and 400+ wickets in Test matches.

Will be remembered not only for his wicket taking but his knack for having a great economy rate.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites upset Meadowbrook to remain undefeated at home

Date: 16/01/08 [38-37] {Record: 2-3} Venue: Radley Reid Arena (Campion College)

Campion College upset Meadowbrook to record a narrow 38-37 win to remain unbeaten at home as action continued in the Southern Zone of the KFC ISSA Basketball Competition. The match was close from the get-go as their previous match, with Campion eventually pulling it out in a 'must win' match for the Campionites in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. The match went back and forth as both teams exchanged the lead. At the end of the first the score was tied at 9. At halftime the score remained close with Meadowbrook having a narrow 20-18 lead. The third quarter saw much of the same with both teams exchanging baskets and deseprately vieing for the win. In the end Campion got it together and kept their cool as they came away winners by one point.

LOST?
Campion was allowed to dribble away the last 18 seconds of the match witho Meadowbrook not seeming to have the presence of mind to foul in order to get back the ball.
CLOSING SECONDS OF THE MATCH

REBOUNDING MONSTERS
Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels were monsters on the glass as they combined for a SEASON-HIGH 36 rebounds. Both had 10 rebounds each at the half and 18 rebounds (each)at the end of the match.

'MEN OF THE MATCH'
All starters contributed tremendously and all deserve an award for their outstanidng play.

REFUSED TO CHOKE
Even though they are well known for choking, the Campionites stuck to their guns and came away with an impressive victory.

BIGGEST HOME CROWD
Campion saw their largest crowd at a home match in a number of years. Campion is notorious for having away team crowds outnumber their own.

DAY OF CAREER HIGHS:
Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels both had whopping 18 rebounds each which broke their previous career highs. Prior to this Xavier Thompson's carEer high was 13 rebounds and Samuels 11. This made it back-to-back career highs for Xavier Thompson who had only the match before recorded a new career high in rebounds. Jason Blankson also tied his career high in points with 8.

UNDEFEATED AT HOME
Campion remained undefeated at home with their second win from as many matches.

DOING WAY BETTER THAN EXPECTED
The Campionites who will lose all but one member of their Under-19 squad next year are doing way better than many pundits expected. Last year they were expected to show real improvement as many thought they had the 'dream team'. However, with injury to James Deane and obvious inexperience they slumped to yet another disappointing season winning only one match. This year many thought that with second-leading scorer Raymond Wilson gone, they would not have much of a season. As you can see however they have already won more matches than last year and 2 of their losses came in very close encounters away from home. It is obvious the players want to leave with a bang.
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FEATURE PLAYERS :

We continue our look at the individuals on the team Point Guard, James Deane:

James Deane is known as the 'tactitian' of the team with a very high basketball IQ. This is why he is the captain. He leads the team with vigor and obviously knows what he wants out of the members of the team. He always plays hard and with passion and is somewhat of a perfectionist on the court. An essential asset to this team and its success.

STRONG POINTS:
Great passer and vision of the court, great scorer/offense, stealing, great defender.

We continue our look at the individuals on the team Center, Leighton Samuels:

Leighton Samuels has become a very depedable center playing with much gusto and willing to challenge the big men inside. He is a great rebounder and blocker who gives his all and his best.

Xavier Thompson had this to say of Samuels

"I used to think of him as my protege a couple of years ago but he has really grown into his own. He is a great player to work alongside of."

STRONG POINTS:
Great rebounding, blocking and defender.
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Post Game Press Conference

Mikhail Mattis:

"We played pretty hard, straight through the game. We were definitely active on the boards, which was a great advantage, and the main reason I believe we got the win. Our defence was good, but not great, as i saw that Meadowbrook was definitely not a good shooting team, so i think we should have pressured them to make more jump shots. I don't think we hustled how we ought to, but we still got the W, and at the end of the day thats all that counts. I would have liked some more minutes, but sometimes you, got make sacrifces and just work hard, and the minutes will follow. But that win was good, and now we look forward for our next opponent."

Russell Thompson

"It was a good team performance. I was impressed with how Deane created a lot of chances for us."

Xavier Thompson

"It was a match where everyone and i mean EVERYONE played well. We really put our heart into this and dug deep to pull off this deserving victory. It was also great to have some support at home for a change which I'm sure made a difference to our intensity. I'm just hopoing we can win at least two more matches, that would be incredible!"

Leighton Samuels

"I was hoping we could've beaten them by more. I think we depend too much on Russel and James. It was an overall good effort but we need to beat the zone offense for the Ardenne and St. Catherine."

James Deane

"It was a splendid match and everyone played very well."

Jason Blankson

"I think it was a very good, hard fought match."

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STATS

Scorers
Russel Thompson 14 points
James Deane 11 points
Jason Blankson 8 points

Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 18 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 18 rebounds

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Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]

Bench:
Graham Reid [5'11, 160 lbs]
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
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GAME NOTES
Russel Thompson, Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels played all 40 minutes of the match.
James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Mikhail Mattis and Kim saw minority minutes.
Graham Reid DID NOT PLAY (Coach's Decision)
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Jason Blankson were the main contributors offensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 36 rebounds [Thompson, 18 and Samuels, 18] - SEASON HIGH
This was the only match where ALL starters scored.

REMAINING SCHEDULE:
@ Ardenne - Wed. 23/1/08
vs. St. Catherine - Thu 24/1/08
vs. Tarrant - Mon 28/1/08

IN ATTENDANCE:
Ryan Brown, Audley Gordon, Miya Gentles, Kimberly Shaw, Steven Hamilton, Joni-Kay Johnson, Chad Brown, Steven Moore, Shaun Dufus, Patrica Taylor, Monique Smith, Sheree Henry

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites lose close encounter to St. Jago

Date: 14/01/08 [32-37] {Record: 1-3} Venue: De La Vega Arena (St. Jago)

Campion College came up unlucky yet again, away from home, as they lost a close encounter to St. Jago, as action continued in the Southern Zone of the KFC ISSA Basketball Competition. From the opening whistle the match was closley contested with both teams playing great defense. The teams were tied going into the half, at 16. The Jagonians extended their lead in the third quarter as the quarter finished 30-25. The game came down to the wire with Campion within a 3-point shot from the lead. However this did noot materialize and though coming close, Campion fell short going down 32-37.

Best Defense
This was the best defensive tactics used by Campion. It was very effective and St. Jago had a arduous time scoring.

3 pointers
Campion's offense was not as effective as it might have wanted to be due to St. Jago's disciplined defense but kept close with perfectly-timed three point shots. Russel Thompson went 4 of 7 behind the arc and scored a timely three in the closing seconds of the match.

Rebounding Tossle
The first half saw St. Jago outrebounding Campion. However, the second half saw Campion turning the tables and outrebounding the home side.

Career High
Xavier Thompson had a career high in rebounds as he recorded 13.
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Highlights and Stats:

Scorers:
Russel Thompson 16 points
James Deane 13 points
Xavier Thompson 3 points

Rebounders:
Xavier Thompson 13 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 7 rebounds

Main highlights
James Deane driving and hitting critical free throws.
Russel Thompson's 3 point shooting.
Xavier Thompson's circus 'ballerina' shot.
Leighton Samuels opening block.
Graham Reid's surprising burst of energy of the bench.

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Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]

Bench:
Graham Reid [5'11, 160 lbs]
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
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GAME NOTES
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Xavier Thompson played all 40 minutes of the match.
Leighton Samuels had played the majority of the match before fouling out.
Jason Blankson played majority of the match.
Graham Reid and Mikhail Mattis saw substantial minutes.
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Xavier Thompson were the only contributors offensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 20 rebounds [Thompson, 13 and Samuels, 7]
Kim Sing Yung was sick and only able to play a few minutes of the match.
Campion's coach was not present at the match and they were coached by a stand-in coach.
Mikhail Mattis made his debut for Campion.
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RESCHEDULED MATCH - The match against was postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Trade deadline needs for each team (Adapted from Msn Foxsports)

Now that we've survived a disturbing throw-back fashion statement from the L.A. Lakers, it's time to zero in on the NBA's next crucial event.

We're going to pass on All-Star Weekend, which has fallen under the purview of law enforcement. So with gimmicky skills contests out of the equation, I suppose we're left with to build the hype crawling up to the NBA trading deadline.

Scheduled to expire Feb. 21, the trading deadline has cobbled a fine history of underwhelming basketball around across the globe. But despite its potential for letdown, the NBA trading deadline has provided enough juice to move hotshots of the caliber of Baron Davis and Gary Payton.

Anyway, while the countdown continues and creative sharpies find myriad landing spots for Jason Kidd and Ron Artest, I've taken the liberty of identifying the immediate needs of every stinking (and non-stinking) team in the league:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

# Boston Celtics: Their wish list begins with a back-up point guard capable of handling the ball and running an offense better than Eddie House and ends with a reserve center with more offensive skill than Scot Pollard. Gee, that could be anyone.

# Toronto Raptors: Since nobody seems to be giving away starting-caliber centers, it might be nice if the Raps could acquire a wing shooter who is also capable of guarding someone (yeah, that's a shot Jason Kapono).

# New Jersey Nets: They need to find a team within range of contender status that's still willing to give up a good young player or two for Jason Kidd.

# Philadelphia 76ers: It might help if the Sixers had the resources to acquire a power forward who is good enough to nudge Reggie Evans over to his proper role — backup power forward.

# New York Knicks: Short of hiring Harvey Keitel's character (The Wolf) from Pulp Fiction to clean up this mess, it might be interesting to see how much some other high-minded team might cough up for center Eddy Curry. Sure, 7-footers with skill are rare, but 7-footers with skill and an interest in rebounding don't reside in New York. It also could be worth a shot to bestow most of the inside minutes to a couple of power forwards (Zach Randolph and David Lee) who actually hit the glass.

Central Division

# Detroit Pistons: Personnel man Joe Dumars has done a pretty nice job of setting up the Pistons bench, although it might be swell to add another big capable of giving them more than young Amir Johnson has provided.

# Indiana Pacers: This is another team screaming for a backup point guard with enough quickness to get into the lane and keep the guy he's defending from doing the same.

# Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs fans have been grouchy about adding another shooter, but it might be a fine idea to employ a guard with the ability to create a few scoring opportunities if LeBron James has to sit down. Can they tempt anyone by offering Larry Hughes at two years and $13 million?

John Paxson would jump at a deal for a big that could score. ( Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

# Chicago Bulls: If any team was prepared to unload a low-post scorer, we no longer have faith that general manager John Paxson would have the chutzpah to pull off such a deal.

# Milwaukee Bucks: It would be tough to find any team with worse defenders at the forward positions, so the Bucks might be wise to sniff around the D-League for anyone hungry enough to guard somebody.

Southeast Division

# Orlando Magic: When your No. 2 rebounder is Hedo Turkoglu, the hole to be filled is big enough for you to be standing in.

# Atlanta Hawks: I've never been much for mathematics, but yet remain convinced that one rookie backup point guard plus two veteran backup point guards does not equal one starting point guard.

# Washington Wizards: Their challenge is to find someone willing to give them what Etan Thomas gave them or convince Andray Blatche that a commitment to the dirty work might be worth more than 18 minutes per game.

# Charlotte Bobcats: They could use help everywhere, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to remind their famous personnel guy that not every athletic 6-foot-6 player is worth trading tall prospects to acquire.

# Miami Heat: Man, what this team wouldn't give for a 7-2, 320-pound center who felt like dominating at both ends. That may be tricky to attain, so Pat Riley could consider upgrades for playmakers (ahem) Jason Williams and Smush Parker.

Western Conference

Northwest Division

'Melo would be happier with a pass-first PG. (Rocky Widner / Getty Images)

# Denver Nuggets: With plenty of double-team-demanding hotshots in their lineup, the Nuggets are advised to acquire a guard with the credentials to make their lives easier. Hey, we have a theme — pass-first point guards. We now advise moms and dads to pull their kids out of the tennis academies and have them study Steve Nash (on offense only).

# Portland Trail Blazers: They have plenty of guys to handle the point, so while the NBA's hottest team waits for Greg Oden, someone who bangs with more gusto than Channing Frye might be in order.

# Utah Jazz: The addition of Kyle Korver might persuade teams to think twice about zoning, so the next move would be a hypnotist to convince Mehmet Okur that he's a rebounding and defending beast.

# Seattle SuperSonics: Yeah, having a 6-foot-10 guard is really neat, but GM Sam Presti and coach P.J. Carlesimo should find a two-guard, then move Kevin Durant to small forward ... where he might stand a chance on defense.

# Minnesota Timberwolves: Here's another team with no center and a GM who (among other things) drafted Brandon Roy and traded him for Randy Foye. Maybe the rhyming confused Kevin McHale.

Pacific Division

# Phoenix Suns: The solid reserve play of veteran "big" Brian Skinner means the Suns' first priority should be a spot-up shooter with a reasonable chance to guard another team's back-up, spot-up shooter, right? Well, based on the recent scoring salvos against the Suns by Andrew Bynum, Chris Bosh and Al Jefferson (just for starters), it seems that Skinner either needs to play much more or Amare Stoudemire should look in the mirror. Oh, I would mention backup point guard, but only 24 or so other teams need one.

# Los Angeles Lakers: Well, they have a back-up point guard, so the pressing need is to resist the urge to deal Kwame Brown's valuable and expiring contract unless a real player is offered in return.

# Golden State Warriors: The Warriors have everything they need to thrive in coach Don Nelson's system. Unless defense is added to the system, I doubt there's any deadline deal that can get them where they want to be.

# Sacramento Kings: Trade chips Ron Artest (bone chips in his elbow) and Mike Bibby have been hurt, but they still should be more than enough to bring back a player or two who can REBOUND.

# Los Angeles Clippers: With high hopes for the returns of Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston, now is not the time to make any deal that might harpoon their lottery status.

Southwest Division

Manu Ginobili and the Spurs just need to stay healthy. ( Rocky Widner / Getty Images)

# San Antonio Spurs: The defending champs have plenty of depth; they just need to keep the graybeards healthy.

# Dallas Mavericks: When a team's leading dime-dropper averages less than six per game on a team like this, the Achilles' heel in Dallas is obvious.

# New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets have a decent starting lineup, but don't seem to have the resources to grab the kind of reserves they lack — a wing shooter and a serious rebounder.

# Houston Rockets: The league's most puzzling team didn't solve PG and PF issues by adding Mike James and Luis Scola, so the Rockets might as well take a stab another glaring weakness — perimeter shooting.

# Memphis Grizzlies: After trading down at the GM spot, should we even care what the guy who drafted Kedrick Brown at No. 11 (for Boston) might accomplish? We probably shouldn't, but Pau Gasol might.

by Randy Hill
Veteran columnist Randy Hill is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7629258

Monday, December 31, 2007

NEW SHOW RELEASED IN L.A.

At the beginning of the NBA season many persons were of the opinion that the Los Angeles Lakers would be in serious trouble as a result of the many distractions caused during the off season. Something similar to what seems to be happening to the Chicago Bulls. After a slow start to the season the L.A Lakers now seem to be showing their true colours, on a 4 game winning streak and winning 10 of their last twelve the Lakers are proving to be another 'elite' team in the intimidating western confrence. After beating the Pheonix Suns on both occasions and losing only 5 of 19 games against teams of western opposion, many teams are taking notice of the Los Angeles Lakers.
With arguably the best player in the league, many thought the only way the Lakers could go on a run like this is if Kobe put the team on his back and literally carried them to the victories as he did at the end of last season scoring 50 points on 5 staight occasions. Being only one 'man' this had its disadvantages as when Kobe gets fatigued or has an off game, the entire team would suffer. This is not the case with the present LA team, with the highest scoring bench in the NBA and the support of role players on the team each victory has been a team effort.
Looking at the LA team you cannot help but to identify the blueprint to getting a championship team, one that Phil Jackson has been working hard to build since the departure of Shaq.
The Lakers have a superb shooting team,evident by the high shooting percentage that the team boasts, many of the persons coming off the bench for LA are more than capable of being starters on other teams around the league such as Farmar, Walton and Radmanovic. Also a close look at the Laker roster will show that they are one of the youngest teams in the league. These players are young, skilfull and still have alot of potential yet to be realized. The perfect example being Andrew Bynum, this young man has already proven himself to be one the more dominant big men in the league. A mixture of his body, his athleticism and his positive attitude has transformed him from a 'soft' player to a dominant center in the league. This young man with the teaching of the great Kareem Abdul Jabar still has alot of room for improvement. To aid with the growing of these young players the Lakers have brought back Derek Fisher who along with the fellow veteran Lamar Odom provide leadership for the young team. Finally with all these factors the Lakers have one of the greatest players of all time at their disposal.
The question has been asked "Is this Laker team capable of running the playoffs in this tough conference and then take on the likes of the best that the East has to offer and come out victorious?", different persons will have different answers each of which does have its points, but it is undoubtable that in the period of 2-3 years this team is likely to be the cream of the crop in the west.

P.S keep your eyes open, next we take a look at the Portland Trail Blazers

The Sports Chronicles