This is My NBA - Weekly Review (Nov 6-Nov 13) -New Trades

[Pistol]

I got my virus scanner to work, but it won't pick it up. I keep running scan after scan and nothing. Any suggestions?

[Fresh8]

Once you fix up your computer, hopefully you can read my thread.

[shadowgrin]

Try those online scanners those companies have. I think even Microsoft has one.

[Pistol]

Written By NBA Staff Writer Casey Lee
November 1, 2010





Game Summary
The Toronto Raptors came in 2-0 with wins over the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Toronto would be facing the 1-2 Sacramento Kings on this night. The Raptors aren’t being considered for the playoffs and that there early undefeated start has to do with poor opponents. The Kings came into the game on a two game losing streak with their most recent loss coming to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Leandro Barbosa has taken his new starting job in stride and has been leading the Raptors so far this season. Tonight would be no different as Barbosa would take center stage on the road.

The first half was won by the Raptors 52-51, but it was a great game. Neither team was in complete control of the game and the score kept going back and forth. No team could seem to find that edge that would let them run away with the game. Barbosa had sixteen points in the first half for the Raptors. The third quarter came to a start and the Raptors came out on fire running away with a 20-3 run. Sacramento never recovered from the run and the Raptors dominated the rest of the game. The Kings shooting was very D League-ish and they could not do anything to stop Barbosa or Andrea Bargnani. Those two took the Kings down single handed. Peja Stojakovic had a great game in his first start of the year over Linas Kleiza. Jose Calderon after the game had this to say, “Many people are thinking that we can’t compete and that we are helpless with out Chris (Bosh). We still keep coming out and playing are hardest and we aren’t just going to lay down. We got a good group a guys and I think our chemistry is really what’s getting us going. All of us are guys that had to work just to get a spot on a team and we are going to keep busting are balls this year.” Preach all you want Calderon, but you guys are going to be watching the playoffs this year.

Player of the Game - Leandro Barbosa


Score Around the League
Trailblazers @ Bulls (79-86)
Spurs @ Clippers (104-86)

[Mandich]

The pictures are really perfect

[Pistol]

Written By NBA Staff Writer Casey Lee
November 2, 2010





Game Summary
The Portland Trailblazers and the Milwaukee Bucks are two teams on the cusp in their respective conferences. Both teams are going to have to fight to get into the playoffs, but both teams look like they are capable of doing so. The Blazers game into the game at 2-2 while Milwaukee came in holding a 2-1 record. Portland has been healthy so far in the young season and hope to keep it that way. Milwaukee has a lot of depth and a lot of players that might have the ability to break out this season. Many scouts around the league look at Milwaukee as being the next breakout team in the NBA.

The first quarter belonged to the Bucks and the Blazers were slow to get going. Where the Blazers were depending on the game of Brandon Roy, the Bucks made sure to spread the ball around and attack as a team. Both teams spread the scoring out for the most part, but the Bucks bench looked to be just that much better than Portland’s bench. The Blazers would rebound in the second quarter though making a halftime score of 52-49 in favor of Portland. Lamarcus Aldridge was the big reason for the Blazers comeback in the second quarter as he abused Drew Gooden down low.

Once the second half rolled around the game stayed right throughout the third quarter. The Bucks kept a constant rotating squad in the third quarter. In the third alone, the Bucks put eleven different players out on the court. Right now Milwaukee is mixing in Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Drew Gooden, and Ersan Ilyasova at the power forward position. All of them contributed in their own ways and none of them stood out from the others. This keeps the job hard for Coach Skiles to try and choose between the three. He gave this comment after the game, “The three of them are all playing great and all give us a different style of play. Right now Drew is the veteran and he has the job, but he isn’t promised that spot all season long.”

At the start of the fourth quarter the game was all tied up. The Bucks started to make a run in the third, but Greg Oden kept up scoring all eight of his points in the third quarter. Even though the final score separated the teams by eight points the game was very close down to the end. The Blazers missed some key shots and that forced them to foul and that separated the teams more and more.

Player of the Game - Brandon Jennings







Game Summary
Both the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons came into this came at 1-2. The Celtics are trying to recover from losing their emotional leader in Kevin Garnett. They still haven’t rebounded fully from losing him to a broken wrist. They were hoping they could find their game against the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons were fresh off a win and enjoying their new ‘bad boy’ in Kenyon Martin. Some people around the league thought that with Martin, the Pistons might be able to make a playoff run. Then the played the Celtics and everyone probably has different thoughts about that now.

The Celtics came out shooting and never slowed down. Everyone was firing on all cylinders as Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were hot early. They carried the team through the first quarter and that five point lead they had would be the smallest lead they had all night. Boston dominated all night and the only reason the didn’t blow out the fourth quarter is because the last half of the fourth the played their bench. When the bench came on, Nate Robinson absolutely blew up the score board. The Celtics proved that they can play without Garnett. Paul Pierce after the game, “We need a win like this. Whenever you lose someone like Kevin it puts a chink in your armor. We knew it would take a couple games to get readjusted and now we feeling good about the team we got out there right now. It sucks losing Kevin, but we have the depth on this team to where we should be able to lose anyone and not skip a beat.”

Player of the Game - Rajon Rondo







Game Summary
Today was the day that the Knicks brand new star would undergo surgery. Amare Stoudemire received surgery to fix his broken wrist and is expected to return within a month and a half. The Knicks added power forward Sean Williams to try and fill his shoes. New York lost their previous match up against the Portland Trailblazers. That was their first game without Stoudemire and in that game Anthony Randolph would roll his ankle. Randolph’s injury is only day to day and the Knicks planned on him playing against the Orland Magic. Once he got out on the court though, it was very obvious that it was hard for him to get up and down the court. Randolph would only end up playing nine minutes tonight putting a lot of pressure on Williams. The Magic came into the came with an even record of 1-1 and still trying to adjust to all the new faces.

The New York fans were still loud as ever, even without Stoudemire and Randolph. Raymond Felton and the upbeat Ronny Turiaf would lead the way for the Knicks. Many are expecting the Knicks to plummet without Stoudemire, but the team proved tonight that they are here to compete. They took an early lead and never looked back. With Stoudemire out, this has turned into Felton’s team and he has accepted the responsibility. Felton spoke to reporters after the game, “I’m fine with stepping up as a leader, that’s the kind of guy I have been my whole life. It’s not just me out there though, this is a total team effort. When you lose guys to injury you find out what a team is all about. You see who is going to step up in their absence. I was surprised tonight don’t get me wrong. I’m looking forward to playing out this season and getting into the playoffs.

With Amare out for an extended period of time, the Carmelo Anthony trade talk is a popular subject in New York. New York is busy trying to get Anthony here in order to make up for the loss of Stoudemire. Sources are saying that the deal is being held up while Denver and New York are looking for a third team to enter the trade. It’s expected to be a team that will be lottery bound because Denver is in search of a high draft pick.

Player of the game - Raymond Felton


Score Around the League
Hawks @ Cavaliers (106-102)
76ers @ Wizards (95-74)
Timberwolves @ Heat (112-113)
Grizzlies @ Lakers (100-95)


- NOTE - I just noticed that the box scores say November 1, 2010. Oops, it's supposed to be November 2, but I'm not about to remake those whole things just to change the date.

[Mandich]

Rondo pic is amazing !!

[Pistol]

Welcome to the Rumor Roundtable. This is a new idea that will be tested throughout the season. We will throw a bunch of rumors out onto our table and go around and address them all. Today we will be talking about some guys that already want out of their bad positions and some guys that have already told us what they are doing this off-season. We also have a couple of old timers that are coming back into the league, we will be looking at where they might be headed. Lastly we have our selves a team that is in a bad spot because of an injury, but are looking to make it a better by executing a trade.

"I will be testing the free agency market this off-season" - Shannon Brown of the Los Angeles Lakers
The season has only been alive for a week and Brown has already made it 'official' that he will be taking offers this off-season. Really guy? You couldn't wait till later on in the season when people might actually care what you have to think? If anything Brown just shot himself in the toe. Let's say he kept quiet and didn't let anyone know. Then he would continue to be a key role player for the Lakers and he would have a shot at winning a title for the third year in a row. Once that was done he would probably have a bunch of offers from teams wanting him to start. But no, he had to open that big ol' mouth of his. Now the Lakers could get smart and trade him away so they don't lose him for nothing. Phil Jackson isn't one for letting the spot light being shown on something happening off court.

"I want to play for New York, it's been my dream since I was a kid" - Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets
Everyone knows that Melo has been trying to get traded to the New York Knicks since the off-season. He won't shutup about his dream spot until he gets traded there. Right now sources close to the Knicks organization are saying that a deal is close, but New York is looking for a third team that would be willing to give up a draft pick. Denver is making it difficult because they want a 1st round lottery pick. If the Knicks get Melo their draft pick will not be a lottery pick, hence the reason they are looking for a third team. The Knicks weren't in any hurry to trade for Melo until Amare Stoudemire went down with a broken wrist. With Amare being sidelined until late December, New York doesn't want to risk falling out of the playoff picture early. Look for a Melo deal to happen if not this week, next week at the latest.

Antwan Jamsion and the Cleveland Cavaliers have a mutual feeling
Antwan Jamison is old and over paid. He also has two years left on his money eating contract. The Cavaliers want to ship him out for some expiring contracts or young talent. Jamsion wants to leave anyways so he can play for a contender. The Cavaliers agreed to let the season go by a little bit so that they can see who is in the playoff picture and who isn't. This way they can send off Jamison to a contender. Why so gracious you ask? Jamison was willing to come in and play for these guys when it was the LeBron's, but now that he is gone do you really expect Jamison to be happy playing around a bunch of summer league players? Plus the longer they keep Jamison the more mentoring J.J. Hickson will get and god knows he needs it.

Atlanta is without Josh Smith until the new year, what now?
The team already had no depth in their front court, but with Josh Smith breaking his back the team needs to find an answer. Josh Smith is expected to be out for two months and that leaves plenty of time for the Hawks to falter and find themselves on the outside looking in. As of right now, the Hawks moved Patrick Ewing Jr. from SF to PF and brought in Maurice Evans to start at SF. The talk around the league is that Atlanta has put Jamal Crawford out on the table. They are asking for some help in their front court and are willing to part ways with their premiere sixth man. The teams that have shown interest are the Knicks, Nets, Rockets, and Bulls. The two teams most likely to make the trade are Chicago and New Jersey. Troy Murphy of the Nets doesn't want to be a part of the rebuilding process in New Jersey. Murphy could fill the void of Smith for the time being and once Smith comes back Murphy would be great to have coming off the bench. The Bulls have a secret weapon in Taj Gibson, but the question is whether they want to part ways with him or not. In my opinion the smart move is to keep Gibson, but we all no that Chicago isn't in the business of smart moves.

Stackhouse and Finley to return this season.
Jerry Stackhouse and Michael Finley have made it official that they are both looking for teams to play with this season. Both men are looking to play for team that will be contending for an NBA Championship. Stackhouse's people are saying he has been contacted by the Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, and the New Orleans Hornets. People close to Finley say that the San Antonio Spurs reached out to him. Greg Popovich confirmed the rumors, "Yes we did reach out Michael. He is always welcome back here in San Antonio. He was great with us and we would love to have him back." Other teams that have contacted Finley are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trailblazers.

[kibaxx7]

You really had time this last couple of days Loving the pics as always, and would be nice to see Finley back with the Spurs.

[Houndy]

Nice recaps, and the pics are great

[Radioman]

Rondo 25 assists

The performance of Shaq was ok but i expected more of him


Difficult situation in New York, without Amare.

[Pistol]

Rondo pic is amazing !!

The pictures are really perfect

Ps3 + HDTV = Success

You really had time this last couple of days Loving the pics as always, and would be nice to see Finley back with the Spurs.

Yea, I don't have to go to work while I recover from knee surgery. I literally have nothing to do all day.

Nice recaps, and the pics are great

Thanks man. You like the Rumor Roundtable?

Rondo 25 assists

The performance of Shaq was ok but i expected more of him

Difficult situation in New York, without Amare.

Yea I played with the Celtics that game. Usually I get my big men much more involved, but as you can see the guys out on the wing could not miss. I just went with it.

[Pistol]

Written By NBA Staff Writer Casey Lee
November 3, 2010





Game Summary
The Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets came into the came on opposite sides of the spectrum. The Dallas Mavericks were enjoying a 3-0 start and nothing seemed to be going wrong for them. Their three wins were over the Bobcats, Grizzlies, and Clippers though and they came into the game looking to get a win over a competitive opponent. Denver came into the game with the big distraction of Carmelo Anthony. The front office still looking to find a team that would be willing to jump into their deal as a third team and give their first round pick to the Nuggets. The Nuggets were also struggling with an 0-3 start. Throughout this game it was very easy to describe Denver in one word, ‘distracted’.

The first quarter was the quarter that decided the whole game. The Mavericks came out and pounded the Nuggets early on. Caron Butler and Jason Kidd started the game off hot and would continue with their stellar performances throughout the game. Then Jason Terry came in off the bench and also lit up the Nuggets. The Nuggets never recovered the rest of the game. They started to make a comeback in the fourth quarter when Anthony started demanding the ball and making just about every shot he took. He had eighteen of his forty points in the fourth quarter alone. Once the Nuggets got within six points in the fourth quarter, Jason Terry hit two huge back to back three pointers to get Dallas up by double digits again. After that Caron Butler took back over and the Mavericks never looked back.

Player of the Game - Caron Butler

After the Game
The game itself was very uneventful and not competitive at all. It was the post game that had everyone stirring. Once the clock ran out in the fourth quarter Chauncey Billups continued to trash talk Jason Kidd after a frustrating game. Kidd looked away, but instead of just walking away he tossed the ball at Billups who had started to walk away. The ball hit Billups and he instantly went into a rage. He stormed over to Kidd and shoved him from behind. Kidd turned around shoved Billups back and then Billups swung and connected with Kidd’s face. The two continued to get in a huge fist fight near center court until Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki pulled them apart. Both players had to be escorted off the court. The NBA has already addressed the situation and both players have been suspended for a total of 17 games.

Jason Kidd apologized to Dallas and the fans after the game, “I should have controlled myself. The situation would have never happened if I hadn’t thrown the basketball at Chauncey. I over reacted and lost my professionalism. I am sorry for letting my teammates, fans, and the front office down. I can promise you all that it won’t happen again.” J.J. Barea and Rodrigue Beaubois will be expected to step up in Kidd’s absence. Kidd has been quarterbacking this offense and was a big reason for the 4-0 start. “Jason is a great player and a leader on this team. It’s going to hurt us not having him for that chunk of games, but we are going to have to move past this and keep fighting. We have full faith in J.J. and Rod, we shouldn’t have trouble continuing what we are doing,” Dirk gave this comment after the game.

Chauncey Billups wasn’t so apologetic after the game saying, “Jason’s a punk and he has always been a punk. He is lucky there were people there to stop it or he might never play basketball again.” Billups gave that comment and stood up and walked out. Billups frustration obviously goes beyond the game, but with the recent trade and now new trade rumors going around it has all the Nuggets on edge. Carmelo Anthony decided not to talk about the on court incident and didn’t talk about the trade talk either. Anthony was the first to get out of the locker room. Coach George Karl after the game said, “We gotta keep our cool in these situations. It’s hard starting out 0-4 and also dealing with all the off-court stuff. It’s still no excuse for our performance and for Chauncey losing his cool. He is a veteran leader and needs to lead by example. If things were hard enough as they were, now we have to try and replace him for seventeen whole games.”

General Manager Masai Ujiri wasn’t so cool and calm after the game when reporters caught up to him. He was livid when he gave this statement, “I might be new around here, but this is my team now. The start to the season has been very hard to watch. I don’t stand for mediocrity and I also don’t let pre-madonnas like Carmelo control my team. Expect changes to be made before are game against the Clippers in two days. When I say changes I’m not just talking about Carmelo either, this bad boy image has to go. I have no room for it in my organization. Kenyon Martin was the first to start a movement.” Ujiri is obviously furious with his team and looks to be making some big moves to shake up the team.

In the talks of Carmelo Anthony going to the New York Knicks, they are just searching for a third team that would be willing to give up their first round pick. Denver prefers this draft pick to come from a lottery bound team. The Clippers, Kings, and Timberwolves have been rumored to be connected to the deal. Many people were saying a deal might not happen because Denver was being to picky, but with recent events I don’t think Ujiri is too concerned with what he gets as much as he just want Melo off his team. When one person thinks about this ‘bad boy’ image that Ujiri wants to get rid of you instantly think of guys like Billups, J.R. Smith, Chris Andersen, and Renaldo Balkman. Are these guys on their way out too?

Scores Around the League
Pistons @ Hawks (63-85)
Bobcats @ Nets (87-73)
Timberwolves @ Magic (98-108)
Pacers @ 76ers (77-118)
Raptors @ Jazz (98-109)
Spurs @ Suns (110-113) *Nash scored career high 43 points
Hornets @ Rockets (87-90)
Grizzlies @ Warriors (94-80)
Thunder @ Clippers (80-64)
Lakers @ Kings (103-82)
Bucks @ Celtics (86-103)

Injuries Around the League
IND - Roy Hibbert
Broken Foot - 6-8 Weeks

NBADL Assignments
IND - PG A.J. Price (Sent Down - Fort Wanye Mad Ants)

Free Agent Signing Around the League
IND - PF Jeff Pendergrapg (1yr/$1.29M)

[Radioman]

Dallas and Nuggets are destroying themselves

I think for Denver its even worse, 0-4 and then this... sh...

Looks like Ujiri is going to trade the whole team.

[Pistol]

Dallas and Nuggets are destroying themselves

I think for Denver its even worse, 0-4 and then this... sh...

Looks like Ujiri is going to trade the whole team.

Yep just keeping the season interesting. Plus when I saw Kidd toss the ball at him after the game it sparked an idea. Yea Denver is struggling and Ujiri is steaming, expect Denver to have big changes. Denver is either going to crumble or have some unexpected leaders step up, should be an interesting season to watch.

[Radioman]

48 points from Melo is definitely a word.

Can you support a Pacers game within the next week. Maybe the game against Houston or whatever

Hibbert got injured, that sucks... i think Hansbrough or Foster replaces him?

[Pistol]

Hansbrough has been starting at PF, McRoberts will move in to start at C because Foster is an old man. I will definitely fit one in with the next day or two.

[kibaxx7]

Wow, hard fight between Kidd and Billups. SUSPENSIONS, SUSPENSIONS FOR EVERYONE!

[Fresh8]

Don't see Kidd getting into a fight in his old age But I like the way you captured it in pictures!

[megarover]

I'm not sure who I would take between these two old men.

[Pistol]

Behind the Scenes

The Denver Nuggets

The General Manager of the Denver Nuggets, Masai Ujiri sat at the head of the table in the conference room. The table was a large table meant to sit upwards of twenty people. In the middle of the table on Ujiri’s right was Head Coach George Karl and his Assistant Coach Adrian Dantley. Ujiri had his chair turned around facing away from the table and he was busy texting on his phone. Karl and Dantley were having a converstation between themselves. Dantley looked at Karl, “This might not be a bad thing you know.”

Karl - “I like the team the way it is. If we have to get rid of Carmelo than fine, but why turn the whole team over.”

Dantley - “Carmelo and Kenyon were the foundation of this team. Billups was a huge factor that helped make that foundation stronger. With Carmelo and Kenyon gone it gives the team a new dynamic. Billups made some bad decisions and now the boss wants him gone. With those three guys gone we have to start over and guys like J.R. and Chris are going to have to go.”

Karl - “Why do we have to make such big moves in the middle of the season? Why can’t we wait and see how the season turns out?”

Ujiri was finally don on the phone and turned his chair around to face Dantley and Karl, “Look George, this has to happen. We need to improve the image of this team. I know it’s hard for you because you have gotten so close to these guys, but a lot of these guys are going to lose that drive to play without Billups and especially when Anthony leaves. We need to make moves that are going to bring in guys that are hungry for an opportunity. We need guys to bring a new image and energy to this team.”

Karl - “You can’t just start over with a new team in the middle of the season.”

Ujiri - “Maybe you can’t, but I’m sure I can find someone who can if that’s what needs to happen.”

Dantley - “Woa now, let’s all calm down before we have a remake of the Billups and Kidd fight alright. Let’s bring these guys in and talk to them alright.”

Ujiri nods and dials the phone on the table, “Send them in Lisa.”

The doors of the conference room opened and in walked Al Harrington, Ben Gordon, and Ty Lawson. Ujiri stood up and shook all their hands before motioning for them to sit down at the table. They sat across from the coaches. Ujiri sat down last and spoke towards the players, “As you guys know, we have some issues going on with the team right now. The leadership that was in place when we brought you guys to this team is starting to fall apart. I know we brought you all to this team at different time, but we need you guys right now. Carmelo is on his way out soon and now Billups has been suspended. I want to improve the image of this team and I want you three to lead the way. Right now I want to depend on you to be the nucleus of the new team and I want you to set the standard. There are changes coming within the next day, big changes. You guys are staying put because I know you can do the team good.”

Harrington - “What kind of changes are we talking?”

Dantley - “It sounds worse than it is. There will be some players leaving the team in order to try and improve the teams play and image. These players that are leaving are players that have been the heart of this team the past few years. That’s why when they leave it will be important for you guys to step up and bring the team together. Welcome in the new guys. We understand you are new too Ben, but we believe you can be a big leader for us.”

Ujiri - “Basically Al and Ben are going to be our new captains. Ty we brought you in here to let you know that this is going to be your team. You’re the future of this organization along with Al and Ben here. We want you to get your shot running this team before you contract runs out, maybe even work out a new contract. Al and Ben are locked in here for a while and we would love to offer that same thing to you.”

Karl - “We aren’t expecting you be all for it right now. The team is in turmoil and we know that. This organization basically has to prove to you to stick around once your contract is out in two years.”

Urjiri - “Do you guys have anything for us?” The players shake their heads no, “Are you guys alright with being labeled as the new leaders and captains of this team?”

Harrington - “Look I’m getting old and I’m not in the business of losing. You guys just brought me in for five years, so this will probably be my last stomping ground. I’m here to do whatever we have to to ensure we make the playoffs,” he looked over at the Ty Lawson and Ben Gordon.

Lawson - “I have been waiting for my chance to start. It sucks how it happened, but I’ll try not to let you down.”

Gordon - “I have been waiting for my chance to start since I got into the league. As long as you guys keep me in the starting line-up then I’m ready for whatever changes you guys have.”

Ujiri - “With Billups suspended and Carmelo getting traded soon the scoring is going to fall on your shoulders Ben. We are really going to find out what your made of.”

Gordon - “I won’t let you down.”

The players stood up and shook hands with the coaches and Ujiri and left the room. Ujiri looked over at Dantley and Karl, “Too fucking easy. We have the first couple pieces to our new puzzle. Deals are being crunched out right now and I’ll try to get them done in time for you to practice on the day off before the Clippers game.” Ujiri’s cell phone rung and he answered it as he walked out of the room.

Dantley and Karl sat in the room alone and Dantley looked over at Karl, “Your still in aren’t you?”

Karl - “I don’t know.”

[kibaxx7]

Well, Melo is out in almost every association now

[Pistol]

Well, Melo is out in almost every association now

Yea I noticed that too. Mine came earlier than most though and plus he is going to a different team in mine than he is in yours.

[Houndy]

Yeah, trade that punk Billups Ujiri!

[shadowgrin]

Old man fight!