2011 NBA Season is Heating Up

July 29, 2010 – R.S. De France

The newly formed 2011 Miami Heat has drawn praise and criticism from around the league, taking attention away from the narratives of other teams, like the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, who are looking for a second three-peat in ten years.

No matter how you feel about the Heat (I like them and think they will do quite well), I think most people would agree with me: LeBron James needs to shut up and win (a title)…Then, he can keep talking like we all know he will.

After how “well” the “decision” went, it seems James has not finished “talking.” (Sorry, using excessive air-quotes makes me feel like Dan Gilbert).

I have been anticipating the NBA season more than ever since the announcement of Miami Heat’s ‘big three’ or three amigos, the three kings, or whatever you want to call them.

2011. The Los Angeles Lakers’ quest for a second three-peat in the span of Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, and Phil Jackson’s reign in L.A. One more push for Boston’s aging all-stars, the “Big Three” of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce to add a second title. Will there be a newcomer to the mix in the form of the Dallas Mavericks or the Orlando Magic? How much better will the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls be?…And, of course, the most compelling story will be how Miami’s “Three Kings” come together and blend as a team—with Phil Jackson’s quest for a 12^th title and Fisher and Bryant’s quest for a 6^th coming in at a close second.

Most importantly, I look forward to laughing heavily when I think back about LeBron James’ comments at the Miami Heat Summer of 2010 Welcome Event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA-slCPeh3o

…Not five, not six, not seven… James basically promised 0 or 8 NBA titles. So far, he has zero, and there’s no way he’s getting eight, so I’m leaning somewhere towards the middle.

James is mostly right: the Heat will not win seven, or six, or five titles. That is a little too unrealistic. It still seems that James would be better off just keeping his mouth shut. As if they did not already have a bull’s eye on them after this summer, the more the Heat talk, the more other teams will want to shut them up. Many are starting to feel like Rajon Rondo, who came right out and said the obvious—the Heat hasn’t done anything yet.

But, this Heat team will bring it. They will win titles, but it will be hard to come up with seven. No one since Bill Russell has won seven. Only Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen have six. George Mikan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dennis Rodman, Kobe, and Magic Johnson have five rings. Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal have four (by the way, they should just team up already. Neither has a great shot to win another title, so what have they got to lose?).

Even though they may have trouble winning more than 7 titles, the Heat has a very unique opportunity. They now have 3 future Hall of Fame level players in place, 3 players in the top ten-twelve players in the NBA today. Most importantly, and what separates this trio from others in NBA history, Wade (28), James (25), and Bosh (26) are all in the prime of their careers. These players have between five and ten years left where they can play at an elite level.

James is right that they won’t win 7, 6, 5, or 4 titles, but claiming that his team will win 8 titles sounds just silly coming from a player with no rings. Before this team is done, though, they will win. “3 titles for 3 kings” has a nice ring to it, 4 if the stars align.

Like Magic Johnson said, the Heat will not win one in 2011. After the Lakers’ get another three-peat, the Heat will win. Until he wins, James needs to stop talking about how many titles he’s going to win. No more talk, just play the game.

R.S. De France is a College and University instructor of English Composition. He has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing. One of his life-long pursuits has been writing and covering anything related to sports, specifically the NBA. Recently, De France, his wife, and another colleague started an internationally read magazine at Shwibly.com.

Shaq Sings Duet With Justin Bieber

July 28, 2010 – Dr. J-Water

Shaquille O’Neal has done some crazy and quirky things in the last couple of years. Most of them make him a social media and internet all-star. From twitter, to facebook, to youtube, the man has serious game when it comes to moving eyeballs across websites. I doubt this latest appearance of the Big Fella will be any different.

ABC announced Wednesday that Justin Bieber is among those the NBA star will face off with in his reality competition series. O’Neal will take on the much smaller 16-year-old pop star, presumably in a singing contest.

The second season of “Shaq Vs.” will take the focus off athletic competitions. O’Neal will have a cook-off with Rachael Ray and a hot-dog-eating contest with competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut.

At a recent soundcheck rehearsal for a Justin Bieber concert in Phoenix, Shaquille O’Neal made an appearance and took the opportunity to sing a duet with Justin Bieber the teen singing sensation. Cheezy, yes. Corny, Yes. Good for a hard laugh, definitely:

The Lakers Reload: The Rich Get Richer

July 28, 2010 – Kevin Burke

The entire basketball world has gotten so caught up in the LeHeat extravaganza, that we almost lost sight of reality. Now that the dust has settled some, let’s think rationally. Let’s not crown the Miami Heat just yet. The 2-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers have just reloaded in a major way to remind the rest of the NBA who the best team still is. The Lakers just signed Theo Ratliff and Matt Barnes to join their already very talented team. The old adage is that defense wins championships. Apparently, the Lakers believe in that too.

Theo’s presence gives the Lakers another big body to contest shots down low. With the oft injured Andrew Bynum, Ratliff certainly doesn’t hurt. Bynum is set to undergo surgery tomorrow and is supposed to be at full strength to start the season, but come on, does anyone think Bynum will have a full, healthy season? I’m sure Bynum doesn’t think Bynum will have a full healthy season. Not that Ratliff has been that much more durable as of late either, but size down low is size down low. Ratliff’s 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes last year was good enough for 13^th in the league.

Once a very feared shotblocker around the league, Ratliff has very quietly reached 37 years old and is a shell of his former self. However, shotblockers may lose some agility, but they don’t lose the most important factor in their craft: timing. He will still clog up the lane for the opposition and play a key role off the bench for the LakeShow. At only 1-year and $1.35M, it’s definitely worth rolling the dice for the Lakers. Theo won’t be asked to play heavy minutes. Last year, with stints with the Spurs and Bobcats, he averaged 16.5 minutes, 3 points and 3 boards. But again, that big presence down low is more valuable than anything that is measurable.

Matt Barnes should also prove to pay dividends for the Lakers as well. Surprisingly 30 years old already, this is the journeyman’s fourth stop in Cali, having played for the Clippers, Kings, Warriors and now the Lakers. I like what Barnes brings to the table. He’s a feisty, versatile defender who can score if needed (but let’s just hope it’s not needed that often). In 81 games for Orlando last year, Matt averaged just under 9 points in about 26 minutes worth of work.

Matt’s physical style of defense has gotten under the skin of a few guys around the league. Namely, Kobe Bryant. This won’t be the first time Kobe Bryant has to be the teammate of a guy he’s had an altercation with. He had to do the same thing with Ron Artest last year. I don’t see that being a problem at all, though.

The Cavs were also taking a look at Barnes and offered him more money than the Lakers, but he decided to opt for winning rather than cash. Barnes will make $1.8M this year and a player option for similar money the following year.

If nothing else, these moves send a clear message to the rest of league, and maybe to South Beach as well.

If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe too for free on iTunes.

NCAA Freshman of Year Award To Be Named After Wayman Tisdale

July 28, 2010 – Allen Moll

In a move that just makes sense, the US Basketball Writers Association, who annually hand out an award to the best Freshman player during each NCAA season, has decided to name the prestigious award after former Oklahoma stand-out Wayman Tisdale. Why not, since Tisdale was once the first freshman ever to make an All American team back in the ’82-’83 season. He was one of the all around good guys in both the college and NBA games until his untimely death resulting from complications from cancer.

With today’s game dominated by one-and-done players, the annual Freshman of the Year Award is arguably equivalent to the NBA’s MVP Award, aptly named after Hall of Fame icon Bill Russell. Even though the NCAA also gives out a regular Player of the Year Award, in recent years a number of college freshman have turned out to be the best players like Kevin Durant, and John Wall last season. In fact, a lot of recent Freshman have gone on to even become #1 overall draft picks in the NBA in the past few seasons.

Tisdale had arguably the best Freshman campaign in NCAA history by compiling 24.5 ppg, 10.3 rebs and shooting more than 58% from the field. During his 3 seasons with the Sooners, he was thrice chosen as an All American before leaving for the NBA after his junior season. Tisdale also won a Gold medal for the USA in the ’84 Olympics, before playing 12 impressive seasons in the NBA, with career averages of 15.3 ppg and 6.1 rebounds. After basketball, Wayman also became an accomplished Jazz musician before his untimely demise.

There has been a discussion of naming the award after Tisdale since last Thanksgiving but couldn’t become official until approved by his widow, who unanimously complied earlier this month. The Tisdale Award winner will recieve a bronze statue, usually given out at each season’s Final Four site. Since Tisdale was an active member of his community, the award will also generate money to go towards some local charities, like most noticeably the Wayman Tisdale Charitable Foundation. The organization is still in search for a national sponsor for the award.

Check out a great Wayman Tisdale Tribute featuring Michael Jordan:

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

Where In the World Is Lorenzen Wright?

July 28, 2010 – Allen Moll

In some rather concerning news, former University of Memphis standout and 13 year NBA veteran Lorenzen Wright has apparently fallen off the face of the Earth. Friends and family have been unable to locate the 6‘11 big man, who played for 5 different NBA franchises including the LA Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and most recently Cleveland Cavaliers during the ’08-’09 season. Reportedly, the former lottery pick back in 1996, was last seen over a week ago on July 19th at a local Memphis barbershop.

After failing to latch on with an NBA club for last season, Wright had fallen on a bit of hard times financially and recently had gone through a divorce and lost two homes in Memphis and Atlanta to foreclosure earlier this year. On July 22nd, Wright’s mother officially filed a missing person’s report after her son was last seen visiting his children on the night of July 18th, although some people saw him at a barber shop the following day. According to his ex, Wright apparently just up and left around 2AM while his family was asleep. According to family and friends, the whole situation is rather out of the ordinary since Wright is known to be a jovial and very upbeat person, even during hard times, and up and leaving his children is very uncharacteristic for the former NBA star. There is an internet rumor that Wright is just on a vacation with his father in Europe, but it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense since his mother apparently felt differently by filing a police report.

Wright, after being selected as the #7 pick in the ’96 Draft by the Clippers became a very serviceable front-court player for a long period of time in the league. Although he never quite lived up to being a lottery pick, Lorenzen was a part time starter for both Atlanta and Memphis, with his best years coming during the ‘01 and ‘02 seasons where he averaged career bests in points(12.4 ppg) and rebounds(9.5 rebs). Like most under-achieving lottery picks, Wright was often criticized for his, at times, lack of production, considering he was once one of the highest paid players in the league during the 2000‘s. He has career averages of 8 ppg, 6.4 rebs, and played in more than 775 NBA games.

As recently as during this year’s Hawks playoff series with Milwaukee, Wright was seen at all of their playoff games in support of close personal friend, and current Hawk, Josh Smith. Wright even was reportedly speaking with Hawks management at that time about possibly coming back to the organization for a 3rd go-around with the team. It may have become a possibility, with the Hawks still unable to come to terms with free agent big man Shaquille O’Neal.

Unfortunately, to the average NBA fan, we sometimes forget that the behemoths of the hardwood, that we marvel at and put on a pedestal with their amazing skills on a court, are human just like us and sometimes they fall on hard times as well. Let’s just hope that foul play wasn’t involved and Lorenzen just needed a time out from all that ails him and the stress of dealing with life’s ills. All of us at the Hoopdoctors.com wish you well and a safe and happy return.

Check out some original footage of Wright being selected by the Clippers in the ’96 NBA Draft:

Source: Memphis Commercial Appeal

Omar Samhan Signs 2 Year Deal to Play in Europe

July 27, 2010 – Allen Moll

A few short months ago, back in the midst of March Madness, the name Omar Samhan was the talk of the NCAA tournament’s first weekend after scoring a tourney record 61 points and leading his St. Mary’s Gaels teammates onto their first ever Sweet 16 appearance. Even though the Gaels’ Cinderella run was abruptly put to an end by eventual Final Four participant Baylor, Samhan undoubtedly made a good impression on NBA scouts, as he was invited to play for the Dallas Mavericks’ Vegas Summer League team.

Although he only played in 4 games, Samhan definitely played well by averaging 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and just over 1 block per contest. Because of an underwhelming amount of athleticism, the 6‘11 and 265 lb Center knew he would have to have a good showing in Vegas to make an NBA roster. Unfortunately because of a logjam on the Mavericks front-court with the likes of newly re-signed Brendan Haywood, freshly traded for Tyson Chandler, Alex Ajinca, and Ian Mahimni, Dallas was unable to offer the jovial big man a guaranteed contract. And even though a number of other NBA squads offered an invite to their regular season training camp, Omar chose to take a sure thing, and play for Zalgris Kaunas in Lithuania next season.

Mavs coach Don Nelson, who still has a number of European contacts, helped broker a two year guaranteed deal for Samhan, with a buy-out after the first year if an NBA team comes calling. Omar will obviously have to work on his conditioning and defensive prowess while overseas, despite having some of the best low post footwork of any player leaving the college ranks. Samhan averaged a team high 21.3 ppg, 10.9 rebs, 2.9 blocks, while shooting 55 % from the field in helping to lead St Mary’s to their 3rd straight 25+ win season and a surprising West Coast Conference crown over perennial conference powerhouse Gonzaga Bulldogs.

In addition to his impressive skills on the court, Omar has a bit of comic relief in him as he has continuously proven to be a ham in front of the camera. Seemingly during each and every interview he always shows off his great personality by throwing out hilarious one-liners or comedic outakes like when he decided to be a PR man for his St Mary’s club prior to their tourney match-up against Baylor. And lets not forget the time he decided to show of his defensive skills by guarding an unsuspecting woman in an arcade.

Keep your head up Omar. I have no doubt that you have the offensive skills to be a good NBA player. Just play the game and hone your skills in Europe. Surely we’ll see you in the National Basketball Association soon enough.

Check out some highlights from his senior season at St Mary’s:

John Wall’s Ultimate Highlight Reel At Kentucky [Video]

July 27, 2010 – Allen Moll

Just because we all could use a little break from either all of the Lebron haters or Chris Paul trade rumor news, we’ll shift our focus back to one of TheHoopDoctors.com’s favorite all time players, #1 NBA Draft pick John Wall. Of course, recently we reported on Wall’s outstanding showing in the Las Vegas Summer League, by leading all players in scoring, as he proved to the Washington Wizards that they are getting the real deal as NBA superstar and crowd pleaser. But we are going to take a step back and revisit some of John’s most marvelous and magical plays from his lone season at the University of Kentucky.

By now we have all seen the compilation videos featuring, of course the John Wall dance and his top plays from high school, but missing are John’s highlight reel plays as a Freshman, playing for the Wildcats. Arguably one of the biggest UK fans on youtube, ukcats8fan, has put together the best John Wall at Kentucky compilation video that I have seen on the web. Be sure to enjoy all of the behind the back lay-ups, ankle-breaking handles, and posterizing jams served up by the one and only John Wall.

Check out John Wall’s Top Plays at Kentucky:

Source: KentuckySportsRadio.com

Amar’e Not Playing for Team USA: Knicks Fans Can Breathe Easy

July 26, 2010 – Kevin Burke

Team USA’s march towards the 2010 FIBA World Championships have officially begun as the squad has already assembled in Vegas. Riddled with young players who are hardly stars in the league, this team could use all of the veteran leadership it could get. That objective took a blow as New York Knick, Amar’e Stoudemire is not in Vegas and will not compete this summer. If nothing else, Knicks fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

Amar’e is not participating due to problems insuring his contract. The Knicks asked Amar’e to remove himself from the roster, although he was surprisingly looking forward to playing. The reason for all of this is because the insurance policy surrounding Stoudemire’s contract with the Suns is still in place, but it does not include his surgically repaired left knee. The process to obtain insurance on this new deal is already underway by the Knicks, but it is still ongoing. Without adequate insurance, NBA teams can prevent players from participating in summer events that do not benefit the team. The Knicks have chosen to exercise that. Amar’e still, however, may play for the U.S. during the 2012 Olympic games.

Along with Kevin Durant, Stoudemire was supposed to be the other go-to-guy on this team. Now the team must look elsewhere for a legit running mate for Durant this summer. But that’s the last thing that Knicks fans are concerned with. They couldn’t care less. Because of Stoudemire’s microfracture surgery a few years ago, most Knicks fans would actually like to see him rested, healthy and ready to go when the season starts. In fact, recently departed fan favorite David Lee reportedly dislocated the middle finger on his right hand about 30 minutes into scrimmage for Team USA. Unfortunately, Lee is no longer with the team so it’s not as much of a concern anymore, but can you image if Amar’e was dealt a serious injury this summer?

Maybe it’s me, but the Amar’e signing is reminiscent of the Antonio McDyess acquisition from nearly a decade ago. Amar’e and Antonio are similar in build, athletic gifts (at the time they were each acquired by the Knicks), they play the same position, both were 27 when the Knicks took a chance on them and both had serious injuries to their left knee. Granted Stoudemire’s biggest injury came prior to him joining the Knicks and McDyess’ came while he was a member of the Knicks (A preseason loss, in his first year with the club, to the Suns – ironically, Stoudemire’s former team), so things aren’t exactly identical. However, for some odd reason, it has a similar feel.

Despite that, I have all the confidence in the world that the Amar’e movie will end differently than Antonio’s, and him not playing in Turkey this summer for Team USA is a good start.

Tracy McGrady to the Chicago Bulls?

July 26, 2010 – Dr. J-Water

Word was moving quickly yesterday after an ESPN report, that Tracy McGrady might sign with the Chicago Bulls for next season. McGrady was one of the ‘Big Three’ that we discussed were on the verge of either signing or retiring this summer. The Bulls have definite interest, provided McGrady is healthy and is willing to come off the bench as a role player. Now although ESPN is basically talking like it’s a done deal. Those are two pretty big “if’s”. Actually i’d say they are gigantic.

The Bulls are prepared to sign Tracy McGrady if he proves to be sufficiently healthy in a workout Monday and can convince the team he is willing to accept a bench role, one source familiar with Chicago’s thinking said Sunday.

“Nothing is done until it’s done, but I expect the Bulls to sign McGrady later this week,” the source said.

Another unknown is what kind of contract McGrady can command from the Bulls. But McGrady has said money and years are not priorities after earning nearly $23 million last season with Houston and New York.

Although he has expressed interest in snagging one of the spots on Miami’s bench in support of the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh triumvirate and he auditioned for the Los Angeles Clippers last week, Chicago is undeniably where McGrady has been hoping to wind up.

McGrady made his desires evident in several recent messages on his Twitter feed, including his pronouncements Saturday that he has “unfinished business” with the Bulls and that it “could be fate this time round” with Chicago after drawing serious interest from the Bulls in the 1997 draft and again during free agency in 2000. {via}

Instead of asking if he’s healthy, the more appropriate question from the Bulls should probably be: ‘Is T-Mac broken beyond repair?’. Why? Because the man has never been healthy. From constant back problems, to knee and ankle injuries, Tracy McGrady has been the Mr. Glass of the NBA All-Stars for many years now. He’s one of the least durable players around.

Granted he no longer plays the slashing, high flying style of game of his younger years, but I still wouldn’t put too much faith in McGrady playing a full 75+ games in a season if I were the Bulls. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be effective in limited minutes helping to spread the floor with his jumpshot. Which brings us to the second question the Bulls are asking. Is McGrady willing to accept a roster spot coming off the bench? My guess is, McGrady will say all the right things leading up to, and at the time of signing, but for a player who could score buckets with the best of them all-time in the NBA, he will likely not be truly happy without at least 25-30 minutes a night.

But who knows, McGrady could surprise us all. He may have finally gotten the time off to rest his body he’s needed to get right. He also may realize he’s closing in on retirement and be willing to accept a lesser role for a team that desparately needs bench production and depth.

Is McGrady the answer the Bulls have been looking for?

UNC’s John Henson’s Monster Slam Highlights NC Pro-Am’s Top 5 Plays [Video]

July 26, 2010 – Allen Moll

The Greater North Carolina Pro-Am is annually one of the top stops on the competitive AAU circuit each Summer. Elite top tier high school recruits, current college players, and professional players alike put their skill to the test against each other, in hopes of either improving their stock in front of some of the nation’s best coaches or just adding another dimension to their game. of course the overall common goal of the perennial event is to raise money for local HS and college mentoring as well as help to profit several local charitable organizations in the Tarheel State.

In previous years it was future and upcoming stars like Duke players Kyle Singler and Mason Plumlee, Kentucky phenomenon and #1 NBA Draft pick John Wall, and a number of select NBA veterans like Jerry Stackhouse that stole the spotlight during the event. This year the stars of tomorrow were on display as Duke commit Kyrie Irving, North Carolina’s John Henson and Harrison Barnes, as well as NC State commit CJ Leslie that took control over the event this year. Last year, the event officially gained noteriety when John Wall dunked all over Jerry Stackhouse.

Check out the Top 5 Plays of this year’s NC Greater Pro-Am featuring a beefed up John Henson from UNC:

Source: Hoopmixtape.com