Barkley Wants to be a General Manager

October 26, 2009 – Dr. Anklesnap

Yesterday it was being reported that Charles Barkley of, getting DUI’s on the way to meet hookers fame NBA on TNT fame, is making a public pitch for his services as a General Manager of an NBA franchise. In classic ‘Chuck’ fashion, Barkley knocks the NBA GM’s league wide in stating his case:

“It’s time for me to be a general manager,’’ said Barkley, who has been at TNT for eight years. “I think everybody around me knows it’s time for me to take a different challenge.

“I always want to keep going as a person. I love my job. I love the people I work with. But now it’s time for me to take on another challenge as a man. I need to grow as a person and it’s time for me.

“And certainly I can do a better job than some of these guys have been doing.’’

I’m not sure if it’s a longing to be a General Manager or if it’s just another chance to compete with his longtime friend and rival Michael Jordan, as MJ is a co-owner and executive with the Charlotte Bobcats. Chuck says he wants to ‘grow as a person’, but personally I think the managing of a basketball team is best left to those that are equipped to handle the in’s and out’s of contract negotiations. Charles may be better suited to act as a scout or marketing representative for a ball club. Or maybe i’m just bitter that if CB gets a job as a GM he won’t have enough time to entertain us all at half-time and post-game as an analyst.

Bulls will not extend Tyrus Thomas

The Rumor Mill

October 24, 2009 – Matt Anaya

A source close to the Chicago Bulls organization told us yesterday it looks like the Bulls will not extend Tyrus Thomas before the Oct. 31 deadline and I assume he also meant they will let him walk next off season when he becomes a restricted free agent.

With the summer of 2010 looming and the bevy of talented free agents available the Bulls seem content on letting the uber talented big man go via free agency.

The Bulls took Thomas, 23, with the fourth pick overall in 2006 ahead of Brandon Roy and have not received much in return but Thomas has always flashed brilliance and was a reason why they battled the Celtics last season.

It is safe to say if he had stayed all four years at LSU he would have battled Blake Griffin for the #1 spot last season and Tyrus will produce his best season this year.

Thomas is going to make it tough on Bulls management if he shines in his contract year and the Bulls have no plans of resigning him. They already screwed up not taking Roy and now they may screw it up again by not resigning the freakishly athletic spaz Ty Thomas is.

Matt Anaya

Kobe Bryant Rewind: 3 Point Specialist

Kobe Bryant All-Star Contests

October 23, 2009 – Allen Moll

Allen Moll is an avid NBA and College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen is a regular columnist for thehoopdoctors.com, Bleacherreport.com, UpperDeckblog.com, and his own blog, Hoops Haven.

We here at Hoopdoctors are big fans of Kobe Bryant’s game. He is the total package, elite scorer, supreme defender, and proven winner. The NBA’s current overall best player in the game. Although he has nothing left to prove, his drive and desire to succeed is among the league’s best. In this new multi-part series we will take a look back at some hidden gems caught on video showcasing some of the “Black Mama’s” biggest and best moments in his HS and NBA career.

Part Five – 3 PT Specialist

In as early as his rookie season, the three point shot was an integral part of Kobe’s all around game. While we, at the Hoopdoctors, have made many comparisons between Kobe and MJ, like in our Nextology of Michael Jordan feature, shooting with accuracy from behind the arc is the one proven edge for the “Black Mamba.” This early weapon made guarding Kobe nearly impossible since players had to respect his 3 PT skills, while being worried that he will put the ball on the floor and go right by them. His career 3 point percentage of .341%, doesn’t do him justice since he can easily go off and hit them in bunches depending on what the defense gives him. Amazingly, he has made more than 1200 career trifectas, has made 100 or more 6 times in his career, and already ranks in the Top 30 All Time in 3PT FG Made and Attempted.

Here is some footage of Kobe’s record setting 12 three pointers vs Seattle in ’03:

Watch all of Kobe’s 9 straight three’s vs the Utah Jazz:

Early Struggles may Spell Trouble for the Cavs

October 23, 2009 – R.S. De France

We all know the preseason doesn’t matter too much, especially for the good teams.

Current rivalries, on the other hand, can still be amusing in the preseason. In general, though, in the preseason, star players won’t play as much, and the bench players will have a bigger role. Sometimes, also, players won’t play quite as hard or with the same passion. This was not the case last night.
Three items key us into the passion behind this preseason win for the Celtics, as they beat the Cavaliers 96-82 on Wednesday night.

LeBron James wanted to win that game, which he made clear by his drives to the hoop area, and the emotion displayed in the game.
The Cavs were playing at home against the team that knocked them out of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008.
Things got a little testy. Celtic Sheldon and Cavalier Mo Williams got into a little shoving match under the basket. Players came between the two to prevent a fight.

When the Cavs reloaded over the summer by adding Shaquille O’Neil in exchange for Ben Wallace, his afro and a couple other pieces, most people and plenty of sports writers prematurely declared them conference, or even NBA champions. I, however, was in the other camp. Shaq has played more minutes than any other player in the NBA currently, and he is also 37 going on 38. Also, I looked at what happened to the Suns. By the way, what did happen to the Suns? Will they pull through and make the playoffs again in ‘09? After their years of exciting and effective play, that sounds strange to even ask. When Shaq joined the Suns, they were a perennial playoff team that had been deep in the playoffs. Trading Shawn Marion for O’Neil didn’t work out well for either player or, for that matter, for either franchise. Surprisingly, Miami has been even better without Marion. Will the Suns, likewise, be better without Shaq?
Last night, it was the Celtics who were better despite James leading his team in scoring with 18 and Shaq helping him by adding the second best scoring output (for the Cavs) with 16. But, James and Williams were a combined 9/23 (39%) from the field.

To see the Cavs beaten so easily, although the Cavs tried to stay within reaching distance in the first half, may in itself not seem like a big deal. Except, that’s not all!

Garnett did not play. Instead, they started Rasheed Wallace, who picked up five fouls in under 30 minutes.
Ray Allen did not play (and neither did Tony Allen).
Glenn Davis did not play.
Oh, and Pierce played just over 13 minutes and had fewer points than Kendrick Perkins.

The Cavs, aside from David West, were not missing any significant players, and they had all of their starters.
LeBron played only two minutes less than Perkins, who played the most minutes of any player in the game. So, while LeBron was playing a lot, trying hard, his Cavs could not break through the Celtic barrage led by bench warmer and streak shooter Eddie House and Celtic new-comer Marquis Daniels.

Clearly, it’s too early for the Cavs to panic, but is it too early to look at this game and see cracks in the armor?

Mr. Missing In Action: Jermaine O’Neal

Jermaine O'Neal

October 22, 2009 – Allen Moll

Not too long ago, fans in Eastern Conference NBA hardwood arenas witnessed a dominating big man with the last name of O’Neal, patrolling the paint that used to give opposing players and coaches nightmares with them thinking of how to defend the 6 time All-Star. No……….I’m not talking about the former Shaq “Diesel“O’Neal, who used to play for the Orlando Magic in the mid 90′, but Jermaine O’Neal, the former high school prep to pro shot blocker who, when finally given playing time, led the Indiana Pacers all the way to the Eastern Finals in 2004.

It’s hard to believe but just two seasons ago in ’07, O’Neal played in his 6th straight All Star Game before two shaky knees have potentially derailed a once elite level career. When the rebuilding Pacers sent their once promising franchise player and his monstrous contract(2 years at $44 million at the time) North of the border to the Toronto Raptors, in the ’08 offseason, most of us lost track of the former 3 time All NBA Team Selection. In Canada, injuries plagued O’Neal, seeing him score 20 points only 3 times over the first 25 games and missing almost a quarter of the Raptors games as emerging 7 foot star in his own right, Andrea Bargnani, took full advantage of Jermaine’s frontcourt minutes. With Toronto in need of another wing player, he was sent to in a 4 player trade to Miami for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. O’Neal was only a shell of his former self for the Heat, averaging 13 ppg, 5.4 rebs, and 2 blocks in helping the Heat earn the 5th seed in last season’s playoffs. On balky knees, his rebounding totals were his worst since ’99-’00 when he was a reserve playing only 12 minutes per game in Portland.

There’s no doubting that Jermaine was once a top 5 NBA center during his time in Indiana(’01-’08) when he averaged 20.6 ppg, 9.9 rebs, and 2.4 blocks, made the Pacers annual Eastern Conference contenders, and leading his squad to the postseason for six straight years upon arrival in Indianapolis. Jermaine was part of a talented core of players which included Reggie Miller and Ron Artest. He regularly upped his game in the playoffs even averaging an astounding 23 points, 17.5 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the ’03 postseason. USA Basketball took notice and selected him to represent his country and play for the US National Team in the ’01 Goodwill games, ’02 World Championships, ’03 Tournament of the Americas, and even the ’04 Olympics, although he couldn’t participate because of injuries. He earned All NBA 2nd and 3rd Team Selections from ’02-’04, won the Most Improved Player Award in ’02, and holds 5 Pacers franchise records including most blocks in a game(10) and most rebounds in a playoff game(22).

The turning point appeared to be when he was suspended for 25 games for being a primary participant in the infamous Pacers/Pistons brawl during the ’05 season. Although his suspension was reduced to only 10 games, he suffered through a series of ongoing knee and shoulder injuries that seemed to ultimately derail his career. Although he had two more good seasons after the ’05 season, he lacked explosiveness especially on defense where he was considered one of the game’s best. Even though he was in his mid to late 20′s during this time, he never played in more than 69 games in a season or averaged 10+ rebounds after the incident.

Fast forward to today and Jermaine O’Neal has put his body through a 15 week grueling training regiment to bring back the 14 year veteran’s career back from essentially basketball death. For the past 3+ seasons he has endured the pain of swollen knees that at times grew to the size of grapefruits. The hard work appears to have paid off as O’Neal has just gotten through the Miami Heat training camp without the usual bulky knee braces that have been as customary as his trademark headbands in recent years. Also gone is the portable ice machine that he was forced to carry with him everywhere. He has given himself an ultimatum with his motto for this upcoming season as “All or Nothing.” Even though he is still only 31 years old, Jermaine is at peace with himself if he fails to regain his place as a dominant big man this season, since he has a wife and two beautiful children he can retire to in the final year in which he will earn more than $21 million dollars.

Check out the video “Timeline” which show O’Neal’s career highlights:

Video of the Day: Allen Iverson Rookie Season Highlights

Allen Iverson Rookie

October 21, 2009 – Allen Moll

Most of us forget just how good “The Answer“, Allen Iverson was upon entering the NBA from Georgetown University in 1996. It’s hard to believe Iverson wasn’t voted an All-Star in his Rookie of the Year campaign, when he posted 23.5 ppg, 7.5 assists, and 2.1 steals for the Jerry Stackhouse and Derrick Coleman led Sixers. Also entertaining in the video, is witnessing the 21 year old A.I., without most of the tattoos or cornrows. I also forgot how much he loved to dunk the basketball and school NBA veterans with his patented crossover, which was one of the game’s best, until the NBA decided to start enforcing the palming violation again. My favorite part in the video is within the first few seconds when he breaks Michael Jordan’s ankles with a crossover before hitting a mid range jumper.

Remembering the Original Point Forward – Rick Barry

Rick Barry

October 20, 2009 – Allen Moll

Rick Barry, who many feel was the original point forward, made his NBA debut for the San Francisco Warriors back in October of 1965. He has the distinction of being the only player to lead the NCAA, NBA, and NBA in scoring for an individual season. Known as the “Miami Greyhound” early in his career because of his tall slender build, Barry is one of the few elite players who were forced to change their game because of injuries and remain a superstar. He is regarded as the prototypical small forward because of his perfect balance of an uncanny court vision, precision outside shooting, knowledge and execution of team defensive principles, and a tenacious and demanding will to win, and off course, he is probably best known for his patented underhand free throw style. He is also considered one of the game’s best underdogs since his teams regularly overachieved despite having marginal talent around him.

Born in Elizabeth, NJ, Barry was and 2 time, All State performer for his high school in Roselle Park, NJ, before taking his game to the University of Miami. This was a surprising move in itself since “The U” was not necessarily the mecca of collegiate hoops and for the fact that they were also on NCAA probation and banned from postseason play. As a senior in ’64-’65, he led the nation in scoring with a 37.4 ppg average, earning him the #2 overall selection of the San Francisco Warriors in the 1965 NBA Draft. Barry left the NCAA as one of it’s All Time greatest players with career averages of 29.8 ppg and 16.5 rebounds.

His impact was immediately felt in the NBA as he averaged 25.7 ppg and a career best 10.6 rebounds as he helped the Warriors improve from 17 wins to a respectable 35 wins in winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and an All NBA 1st Team Selection. His second season was perhaps his best statistically since he led the league in scoring with a 35.6 ppg average, edging Oscar Robertson by 5 points, which ranks as the 8th highest single season in history. Only Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Michael Jordan have had a higher average in a season. He also set an NBA record in a game against the NY Knicks by making 14 free throws in one quarter. That season, Barry also had one of the best performances ever in the All Star Game, scoring 38 points, earning the game’s MVP and helping to lead his West squad over a uber talented East squad led by coach Red Auerbach, Wilt, Bill Russell, and Oscar Robertson.

He came into his own during the ’67 Playoffs after leading the Warriors to 44 wins and finishing 1st in the Western Division. He led a much less heralded Warriors team all the way to the ’67 Finals against, what many consider one of the greatest teams of All Time, the Chamberlain led Sixers, taking them to six games before losing. Barry was phenomenal in the postseason by tieing or setting numerous NBA records. He tied Wilt’s record in the Finals by launching 48 shot attempts, making 22, tieing another record set by Elgin Baylor. His 55 points in that game rank 2nd All Time in Finals history, which was later tied by Jordan(’93), and 2nd to only Baylor’s 61 points in ’62. For the series, Barry averaged 40.8 ppg which was a Finals record until broken by Jordan’s 41.0 ppg in ’93.

He then was at the center of some controversy since he opted to jump to the rival Oakland Oaks of the ABA over bonuses that the Warriors refused to pay. A court injunction sidelined Barry for the entire ’67-’68 season before joining the Oaks in ’68. The move was perceived by fans as greed and arrogance and forever stained Barry in the public eye even though many other players were jumping to the rival league at the time as well.

Again, his immediate impact was felt as he averaged 34 ppg in leading the Oaks to the ABA Championship in ’69, even though he played in only 35 games because of injury. Then came more controversy since the Oakland franchise moved to Washington to become the Capitols. Barry refused the move and stated,”If I wanted to go to Washington, Id run for President!” After being refused to return to the NBA with the Warriors, he was forced to honor his ABA contract as the team played one season in Washington before moving again to become the Virginia Squires. Barry again made some off color comments in saying that he didn’t want his kids to grow up with a “dumb southern accent.” He was then traded to the NJ Nets for 2 seasons where he averaged 29.4 and 31.5 ppg. Barry left the ABA after playing only 4 seasons, earning 1 scoring title, 1 league championship, and 4 All ABA Selections, and is regarded as one of the best players in the league’s rich history.

A court decision forced Barry to again play for the Warriors in the NBA. Upon his return, he showed off his bulked up frame and ball handling and outside shooting, which he was forced to develop because of the ABA’s style of play and some injuries. He made the playoffs 4 times over his next 6 seasons with the Warriors, regularly averaging 20+ ppg and winning three of his six FT% titles, and leading his squad back to the NBA Finals in 1975. The Warriors shockingly swept the heavily favored Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes led Washington Bullets in the Finals behind Barry and Rookie of the Year, Jamaal(then known as Keith) Wilkes. Barry earned the Finals MVP Award. In an interesting fact, because nobody expected the Warriors to go so deep in the Playoffs, their home arena in Oakland was booked for another event and the team was forced to play their home games at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Barry ended his career with the Houston Rockets in 1980, after being traded for Jerry Lucas. Although not scoring at what was his accustomed high rate, he focused on distributing , 3 point shooting, and free throws, where he shot a then NBA record .947% in his final season.

After playing, Barry was one of the first to make a successful transition to broadcasting which he still does today on Sirius Satellite Radio. Even while as a commentor, Barry could not stay away from controversial statements by commenting on Celtics legend, Bill Russell, smiling during the ’81 Finals, saying.”He looks like some fool over there with that big watermelon grin.” As an announcer during the ’87 Slam Dunk Contest, he also called one of Jordan’s dunks a “Chinese Superman” because “It had a slant to it!”

Barry and his son Brent, along with Matt Goukas and son, have become the only father and son duo to win a NBA Championship as players. His other 3 sons, Scooter, Jon, and Brent have all played professional basketball. In 1987, Barry was elected into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

As for his legacy, he is at least in the argument as one of the greatest offensive players in history. his more than 25,000 career points, combining both leagues, ranks him 16th All Time. There is no doubt that Barry’s demeanor off and on the court depicting a villain, by berating officials and opposing players, never holding his tongue, and sometimes playing the game with a disdain, as if those surrounding him were on another level beneath him, will forever taint his legacy as one of the game’s best players.

Check out some career highlights of the “Miami Greyhound”:

Catching Up With NCAA’s Midnight Madness

Catching Up With NCAA's Midnight Madness

October 19, 2009 – Allen Moll

The phenomenon known as “Midnight Madness” in college basketball, signals the official beginning of the NCAA season. Although most teams won’t be competing head to head for another two weeks, excitement and enthusiasm runs rampant on every campus, during each schools’ version of the glorified pep rally for their basketball teams. The event marks the date that teams can officially start practicing as a group, for the upcoming season. Every year teams go all out by booking musical acts and former star player and alumni appearances, pyrotechnics, and dunk contests to drum up support for their programs and to convince possible future recruits to commit to their schools.

Midnight Madness officially got its start more than 30 years ago at the University of Maryland, as coach Lefty Driesell took his players outside at midnight, for a few laps around the football field, while a small gathering of students were on hand to cheer them on and help illuminate the field with their car’s headlights. Fast forward to today, and the event has turned into a multimedia extravaganza highlighted by packed arenas, dance contests, and even full coverage by ESPN. Here is a just a small sample of the “Madness.”

Syracuse Midnight Madness

The Orange brought in two former BMOC, John Wallace as master of ceremonies and G-Mac(Gerry MacNamara), to get the festivities started with both sinking half court shots in the long distance shooting contest. Besides the annual dunk contest, the highlight of the evening has to be Coach Boeheim entering the arena in a police cruiser and dressed like the sheriff.

Syracuse Basketball Midnight Madness 2009

Countdown to Craziness – Duke University

If the Dukees fail miserably as basketball players, they may have a future in acting……..not! Check out the hilarious video which kicked off the Blue Devils version of midnight madness. The video features the men’s team spoofing many blockbuster movies including, Kyle Singler and Coach Wojo in the Godfather, Steph’s little brother Seth Curry and Mason and Miles Plumlee in Austin Powers, the Spy Who Shagged Me, and Nolan Smith and Andre Dawkins hilarious take of a scene from Titanic.

Michigan State Midnight Madness

Since the Final Four will be played in Indianapolis this year, Coach Tom Izzo enters the sold out Breslin Center, driving a Formula 1 race car. We get it coach,…………..the Spartans, who are one of the deepest teams in the country, should make a return trip to the Final Four.

Kentucky Big Blue Madness

We all know that Coach Cal brings lots of excitement to the Wildcats program, but judging by the 23,000 fans of Blue Nation, who camped outside and packed Rupp Arena, they apparently think he is the second coming of Christ and also bleeds blue. Calipari starts his speech off big with fireworks and a 3 minute handshaking session……………Isn’t this supposed to be about the players?

Even the player introductions are done big as each player descends from the rafters on a makeshift elevator. Listen to the crown erupt when the former#1 HS player in the country, John Wall is announced at about the 3:50 mark. Can you say one and done?

Washington State Midnight Madness

Check out WSU’s Brock Motum imitating current NY Knick forward David Lee’s shirtless dunk from 2001.

Captain Jerk: Stephen Jackson’s Comments on Kobe

October 19, 2009 – R.S. De France

Keep talking Jackson.

Over the summer he alienated himself from his coach, his team, and the city where he plays. And that couldn’t have been easy in a city where they have a Stephen Jackson Day. Why stop there?

In Thursday’s San Francisco Chronicle, an article by Rusty Simmons quoted Jackson as saying this about Kobe Bryant:

“I’m not a fan of Kobe. I’m not somebody who looks up to him,” Jackson said. “I’m a grown man, so when I go out there and play the game, I play the game. I feel like I’m just as good as him…”

While I respect Jackson’s skills, I also have to add that his comment was idiotic. Bryant, a future Hall of Famer in my opinion, has amassed a greater career at this point, beyond any reasonable doubt.

	Kobe Bryant	Stephen Jackson
Points per Game	25.1	15.4
Rebounds per Game	5.3	3.8
Assists per Game	4.6	3.2
Highest PPG	35.4	20.7
Lowest PPG	7.6	3.9
Scoring Titles	2	0
NBA Titles	4	1
NBA Finals	6	1
MVP’s	1	0
All-Star Selections	11	0
Career High Points in a Game	81	42
Olympic Gold Medals	1	0
Final’s MVPs	1	0
Slam Dunk Championships	1	0
All-Star MVP’s	3	0
50 Point Games	21	0

His comment was framed around the debate about star players getting favorable foul calls, which is another issue entirely. Just for the accuracy of the debate, though, Captain Jack: you are no Kobe.

Kobe Bryant Rewind: The Fights

October 16, 2009 – Allen Moll

We here at Hoopdoctors are big fans of Kobe Bryant’s game. He is the total package: elite scorer, supreme defender, and proven winner. The NBA’s current overall best player in the game. Although he has nothing left to prove, his drive and desire to succeed is among the league’s best. In this new multi-part series we will take a look back at some hidden gems caught on video showcasing some of the “Black Mama’s” biggest and best moments in his HS and NBA career.

Part Four – The Fights

In this segment we have some footage of some of Kobe’s best tension filled moments. When a player like Kobe has such a passion for the game and a superior will to win, sometimes his emotions will explode in the heat of battle during a game. He has had his fair share of skirmishes, finger pointing and stare downs in his career. Most notable was probably his taking exception to Ron Artest’s over the top, hard nosed defense during last season’s playoffs or his actually taking a swipe at Marko Jaric of the Grizzlies a few years ago which earned him a suspension. Check out 3 videos of Kobe’s most famous fights.

Kobe vs Chris Childs(NYK) early in career: