Yardbarker: Jason Kidd

Grizzlies-Nuggets Deal: Is Mike Conley Heading To The Denver Nuggets?

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:00:40 -0500

Conley Jr. averaged 9.4 PPG, 4.8 APG, 0.8 SPG in 53 games in his rookie year, after injuries, highlighted by a mild chest strain, shortened his season. Here is my proposed trade between Memphis and Denver: www.rawsportsblog.com

TOP 12 REASONS WHY THE US MENS BASKETBALL TEAM WON'T WIN GOLD

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:02:46 -0500

by DMtShooter, Five Tool Tool

12. Critical error of selecting four point guards and just three big men causes complete collapse of morale

11. Kobe's teammates just aren't talented enough

10. Refs in the medal round are from Iraq, Iran and North Korea

9. There's no way that Jason Kidd can defend Angola's Milton Barros one on one

8. Presence of Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski means that most of America will actually be rooting against the team

7. American NBA players curl into the fetal position when confonted with the horrors of zone defense

6. LeBron James and Jay-Z will be distracted by a rap battle with Sarunas Jasikevicius and Mister Sinister

5. Three point and free throw shooting always goes to hell when players have to shoot in metric

4. Can't hope to compete with Spain and Argentine's incredible "Fall Down And Cry Like A Little Girl For A Call" technique

3. USA Select team (Aaron Brooks, Channing Frye, Jeff Green, Devin Harris, Andre Iguodala, Al Jefferson, Jason Kapono, David Lee and JJ Redick) left their confidence shaken in warm-ups

2. Brutal every-other-day schedule will destroy NBA players who are used to their playoffs lasting six months

1. If things start going badly for the home team, they've got a very impressive bench

Analyzing Team USA's 12 Man Roster

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:55:17 -0500

Last Monday, USA Basketball announced the 12 man roster that will comprise the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team. Five of the 12 have participated in the Olympics previously (Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, LeBron James, Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade); the only U.S. team that had more Olympic veterans was the 1996 squad--the so-called "Dream Team II" that welcomed back six players from the first Dream Team, the 1992 U.S. Olympic team that is the only group that truly deserved the "Dream Team" designation. Eight members of the 2008 team played in the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament, which Team USA won with a 10-0 record; here is a list of those eight players, along with some of their statistics from the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament. Carmelo Anthony (21.2 ppg, .613 FG%, .578 3Pt FG%, 5.2 rpg, 1.4 apg in nine games) LeBron James (18.1 ppg, .760 FG%, .622 3Pt FG%, 3.6 rpg, 4.7 apg in 10 games) Kobe Bryant (15.3 ppg, .548 FG%, .459 3Pt FG%, 2.0 rpg, 2.9 apg in 10 games) Michael Redd (14.4 ppg, .530 FG%, .453 3Pt FG%, 1.4 rpg, 1.5 apg in 10 games) Dwight Howard (10.0 ppg, .814 FG%, 5.3 rpg, 18 blocked shots in 10 games) Tayshaun Prince (7.3 ppg, .481 FG%, .357 3Pt FG%, 5.0 rpg, 2.1 apg in nine games) Deron Williams (4.7 ppg, .613 FG%, 5-10 3Pt FG, 1.0 rpg, 4.6 apg in 10 games) Jason Kidd (1.8 ppg, 6-10 FG, 5-8 3Pt FG, 3.3 rpg, 4.6 apg in 10 games) Amare Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups played in 2007 but withdrew their names from the selection process this time around. Tyson Chandler played the fewest minutes on the 2007 team and Mike Miller had the second lowest field goal percentage on the 2007 team. Those four players have been replaced by Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade. In addition to the Olympic and international experience listed above, the current roster has the 2008 NBA MVP (Bryant), four of the five members of the 2008 All-NBA First Team (Bryant, James, Howard and Paul) plus a 2008 All-NBA Second Team selection (Williams) and a 2008 All-NBA Third Team selection (Boozer). Since the debacles for Team USA in 2002, 2004 and 2006, USA Basketball has emphasized that it wants a three year commitment from players so that the team can develop cohesion and chemistry. That is why the fifth member of the 2008 All-NBA First Team, Kevin Garnett, is not on the roster. USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said of Garnett, "We never got any positive feedback of his interest. It was more about 'I've been there, I've done that and it's time for someone else to do it.' I had a number of conversations with his agent just to check the temperature of the water, and there was never any positive response. We would have loved to have had him...but obviously, it wasn't in the cards." The key additions to the 2007 team were Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd; they quickly emerged as team leaders because of their professionalism, work ethic and defensive intensity, three qualities that had been noticeably missing on recent editions of Team USA. U.S. Coach Mike Krzyzewski said, "Kobe is unbelievably committed to representing his country. Last summer playing for our team, the first time he saw his uniform, he got emotional...The first thing he did for us last summer, he was our best perimeter defender--and that's a role he wanted...I think we'll start out with the same thing because he knows he can play that way and expend the energy on defense because of the offensive talent of his teammates...We usually put him on the best perimeter player on the opposing team whether it be a point guard or a wing, and that's how we started the game. And that's how I want to start our practice sessions with that in mind." Bryant sacrificed some of his offensive game to concentrate on defense but still managed to finish third on the team in scoring and fourth in assists.In a December 5, 2007 post, I mentioned some things that Suns General Manager Steve Kerr told me that then-Suns Coach Mike D'Antoni--a Team USA assistant coach--had said about Bryant's role on Team USA:Prior to each game in last summer's FIBA Americas tournament, Bryant asked the coaching staff, "Who do you want me to take out?" In other words, Bryant wanted to know who was the toughest perimeter threat on each team so that he could study his tendencies on film and then completely neutralize him on the court. I said to Kerr, "That sounds like a sniper zeroing in on a target" and Kerr replied, "Yeah--and he was serious." Kerr went on to say that Bryant's "focus" and "bravado" added an essential missing element to the squad and elevated everyone else's play. Kerr noted that the previous Team USA squad had performed reasonably well other than the infamous loss to Greece but that it lacked a certain "swagger," as he termed it, and that Team USA did not have a "player who everyone feared." Kerr literally shook his head in wonderment as he described Bryant's impact on Team USA. Kidd's leadership came in a much subtler form; there is virtually no statistical evidence of it, other than the fact that he ranked second on the team in assists--but make no mistake that he played a very key role on the team. He has never lost a game while wearing a Team USA jersey and he made it clear that he does not intend on ending that streak now. The usual starting lineup of Bryant, Kidd, James, Anthony and Howard generally led the team to such big early leads that players like Redd, Stoudemire and Williams put up a lot of their numbers in de facto garbage time. Though casual fans probably assume that Chris Paul will be the starting point guard, I expect Coach Krzyzewski to use the same starting lineup during the Olympics that he employed during the FIBA Americas tournament; Kidd only ended up playing 15.9 mpg because Team USA won so many blowouts but I think that it is important to start the game with a group that has played together before in FIBA competition. This is not some All-Star exhibition in which Team USA can rotate who starts. Paul may end up playing more minutes than Kidd, particularly if Team USA builds big leads, but I would be surprised if Coach Krzyzewski changes his starting lineup. The main early criticism of the 2008 roster is the supposed lack of big men but I disagree with that assessment. Chandler hardly played at all in the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament and although Stoudemire rebounded well he was not much of a defensive presence (six blocked shots in 10 games). Boozer and Bosh should be more than able to replace them, so this team is deeper and more versatile up front than the 2007 squad. Furthermore, the most effective style of play for Team USA in FIBA events is to go small, play pressure defense, force turnovers and score in the open court. Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James can easily play power forward in such a lineup, so on this team they are essentially "bigs" also. As for the perimeter players, Billups and Miller were two of the least productive members of the 2007 team, so it is difficult to believe that there will be any drop off by replacing them with Paul and Wade. Thus, the 2008 team should be even better than the 2007 squad, though it is also true that the competition at the Olympics will be much tougher than the competition at the FIBA Americas tournament. Anthony will almost certainly be Team USA's leading scorer. He feeds off of the open court scoring opportunities provided by the pressure defense of Bryant, Kidd and James and he is also a tough cover in the half court for most FIBA forwards. If anything, Anthony plays even worse defense in FIBA competition than he does in the NBA but he is such an efficient scorer--and the other four starters defend so well--that his offensive output outweighs his defensive liabilities (which was not the case in the 2004 Olympics, when Bryant and Kidd were not on the team and James did not defend nearly as well as he does now). Some quotes from Anthony and Wade give an indication of why they failed to lead the 2004 and 2006 teams to gold medals. Anthony said that he joined the 2004 team expecting to have "some of the best workouts in the summertime with the best players in the world" and he assumed "the USA is supposed to win everything." Wade candidly admitted that being an Olympian had never been a dream of his, adding, "I didn't have a clue what I was getting into...Now, we respect the game so much. We respect the team basketball that they play internationally so much." You don't have to read too far between the lines to understand that in 2004 Anthony and Wade underestimated the competition that they faced and did not realize how much hard work and intensity would be necessary to win the gold medal. Now, they know better and the team has a much better leadership structure--with Bryant and Kidd on board no one will be taking any shortcuts in practice or at the defensive end of the court (well, Anthony probably will still take some shortcuts there but the team can survive that as long as he keeps shooting over .600 from the field). The prevailing myth about Team USA's failure to win gold medals in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 FIBA World Championship is that a lack of outside shooters proved to be fatal. However, as I demonstrated in a September 4, 2007 post titled The Real Story Behind Team USA's Losses in Previous FIBA Events, what really killed those teams was poor defense, particularly regarding the short three point shot (20'6" as opposed to 23'9" in the NBA) that FIBA teams love to launch. It is absolutely vital that Team USA shut down the three point shooters on opposing teams and that they do so without leaving the lane open to cutters; shooting well from the three point line would certainly be a nice bonus but perimeter defense will be the linchpin of Team USA's success. Good perimeter defense will fuel transition offense that will result in open three pointers and fast break dunks; the gaudy field goal percentage posted by Team USA in 2007 was largely the result of great defense leading to high percentage scoring opportunities in transition. OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK FInal AL All-Star Game Voting Update has Tight Races - The Biz of Baseball DC and Virginia Lotteries Team with Nationals For Scratch-It - The Biz of Baseball Aw, Tapioca! Kozy Shack the Official Pudding of the Mets - The Biz of Baseball MLB.com Releases 3-D Enhancements to Gameday - The Biz of Baseball Take in an Orioles Game, Win $50,000 or $100,000 - The Biz of Baseball SEE IT: Red Sox/AAA Ford Fusions to Run Sat. and Sun. at New Hampshire Motor Speedway - The Biz of Baseball Deadline Pushed Back to July 31st for Cubs/Wrigley Field Sale - The Biz of Baseball Dunkin?' 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Up 111% from 2006 - The Biz of Hockey 15,000 General Admission Tickets for London NFL Game Sell Out in 30 min. - The Biz of Football Papa Replaces Gumbel as NFL Network's Play-by-Play Announcer - The Biz of Football NFL Network May Partner Up With ESPN - The Biz of Football NFL Players Help Hometown Tornado Victims - The Biz of Football Recently Retired Strahan Joins Fox NFL Pregame Show - The Biz of Football Anheuser-Busch to Sponsor New Meadowlands Stadium - The Biz of Football TNT Lands Full Slate of Sponsors For "Wide Open Coverage" Telecasts - Maury Brown's Biz of Sports David Friedman is a weekly contributor to the Business of Sports Network. To read more of his basketball articles, just take a 20 Second Timeout. His general sports commentary can be found at Best Ever Sports Talk, where "Smokin' Joe Frazier Fires Off One Liners in Guest Appearance on Friday Night Fights," "Old School Video: Hagler Versus Hearns, The War," "Why Steroid Users Should be Banned for Life" and "Tiger's High Stakes Gamble Pays Off—For Now" are among the subjects that have been recently discussed.

Team USA

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:20:01 -0500

Staying on basketball for a little bit more, I wanted to take a look at the U.S. Olympic squad. Before I get into it, let me just say that it's hard for me to handle my country losing at anything. Maybe it's because I spent the first 9 years of my life in a real "Red White and Blue" part of Texas, and have grandfathers that fought on Destroyers in WWII, or maybe I'm just a sore loser. Either the case, if there's one team I root for that I don't accept losing from, it's the United States Men's Basketball team. I know how talented the rest world has become at playing basketball, but this is a sport that is still dominated by Americans at the highest level (NBA). Since 2000 the team has taken a step back mainly due to a lack of participation from most of the elite American ball players. In 2004 we sent what I would've considered our 2nd and 3rd teams to the Olympic Games in Greece. The team's starting line up consisted of Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, and Tim Duncan. Sounds like a good enough squad, but far from our nation's best. The first team should've consisted of a 4 year younger Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, and a still dominate Shaq at center. Now I understand that Garnett, Shaq, and Kidd already have Gold medals from past Olympics, but it's not like Manu Ginobili will miss a single international competition even though he's already won Olympic Gold. This year's team does have some of the same faces that failed miserably 4 years ago, but with good reason. In the last 4 years LeBron has become a figurehead in the league, Carmelo has led the league in scoring, and although Dewayne Wade has struggled to stay healthy, he's still the most talented young 2-guard in the world. I like Carlos Boozer, but he replaces a guy I like a lot more, Amare Stoudemire. He'll be the only guy missing from what should be a once again dominate American squad. Boozer and Stoudemire both were on the 2004 team, but Boozer has gotten older, smarter, and has been an All-NBA selection (2nd and 3rd team) in each year since '04. Another guy who's grown a lot in the last 3 years is Dwight Howard. The starter at center for the U.S. is young and has pride for his country that should keep him coming back for Gold until he retires. We know what starters Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant will bring to the table, but it's going to be interesting to see these young guns who have truly come into their own play against elite international competition (Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Howard, Melo, and James). I believe one key to sure victory is Michael Redd; no country in this world will come close to defeating this team if he hits his 3's. With the All-World skill that the 3 U.S. point guards (Kidd, Paul, Williams) have for driving into the paint and dishing out to an open shooter, Redd will get many chances every game to make big shots. And if he hits a majority of them, the games will be over after the 3rd quarter. Oh I guess I forgot to mention, not only do expect victory, but I expect domination. I grew up on the Dream Team; destroying every country they faced 3 Olympics in a row (1992-2000). I still think we're that talented, and will always be more talented, so I don't accept any country coming within 10 pts of this squad, or any other squad we put together from now on. LeBron, Melo, Paul, Williams, Howard, Bosh, and Stoudemire seem to have a lot more pride for their country's basketball heritage than older players (i.e., Shaq, Garnett, McGrady). Like me, the young men in the previous sentence grew up watching the first NBA players participate and dominate in '92, so hopefully they want what I want, to see this country return to that form. The only concern I have is with head coach Mike Krzyzewski's decision to not take Tyson Chandler to Beijing. Chandler played very well last summer for team USA during Olympic qualifying, and without the help of one of the key's to his success, Chris Paul. CP3 was left off last summer's roster by coach K, and Paul made it quite clear that he was irked by the decision. But sure enough, after an MVP caliber season, we'll finally get to see the most talented young PG in Red White and Blue. We already know that Kidd will start, and Paul will come off the bench, I just think he would be better off coming off that bench with a teammate. Chandler is a good defender and rebounder, but becomes a scorer when Paul is on the court. A 7'1" scoring threat sounds pretty good to me. I think Deron Williams could have been left off to make room for Chandler. Williams will be a good asset in China, but Chandler could've been a force. The roster may look similar to the one Larry Brown put together 4 years ago, but things should run a lot smoother.

Steve Nash And Claudio Reyna Celebrity Soccer Game

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:29:01 -0500

Steve Nash and Claudio Reyna put together a celebrity soccer game at Sara D. Roosevelt park in New York City. The match brought out some big names and a huge crowd in the name of charity. Fans climbed fences, trees, and light post to watch Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, Leandro Barbosa, and Raja Bell join [...]

Boston Celtics vs. Team USA - Who would win?

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:10:29 -0500

With the conclusion of the NBA Finals this June and the 2008 Summer Olympics looming on the horizon, we here at WhatIfSports have had basketball on the brain. We weren't alone in this mindset, however, as internet bloggers over at BrewHoop.com also began to theorize about the great basketball queries of today- namely, who would win between the 2008 Men's Olympic Basketball Team and the 07-08 Boston Celtics Championship squad. This competition was made even more intriguing by our recent calculations which determined the 07-08 Celtics to be the 3rd greatest NBA Championship team of all time. (Article Available on Askmen.com next month.) Being devoted sportsfans ourselves, we decided to once again call on our super computer to create a real life solution for this fantasy problem, and the results were much like you would expect. Using 1,000 separate simulations of a seven-game "NBA Championship"-esque series, we determined the most common result to be a Team USA victory in five games. This outcome occurred 85% of the time, with an average 14 point margin of victory. Our game summaries also revealed that LeBron James (40%) and Kobe Bryant (35%) were the most frequent recipients of Player of the Game honors with superstars Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, and surprisingly Rajon Rondo also being mentioned many times. Click below to see projected boxscores, play-by-play descriptions, and stats for each game in the series.

Derrick Rose is a less creative Steve Francis with Jason Kidd's acceleration and defensive anticipation

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:32:44 -0500

1. Overview : Derrick Rose is similar to Steve Francis in build, style and athleticism. He has an explosive vertical and first step, combined with excellent strength, size and body control that enables him to get to the basket and finish. Also, though not quite built like a truck like Jason Kidd, Rose is a big kid who can truly fly up and down the court. Rose's athleticism enables him to sneak in for rebounds and take them down to the other end and finish, all at once. Derrick Rose's sole season at Memphis indicated that Rose's first instinct is to drive and score, rather than pass, and that he needs the ball to be effective. 2. Player specifics : Derrick Rose has an excellent dribble drive. He can crossover, hesitate, and he has that finishing power dribble that he takes before he takes off for the rim. When he is at the rim, he can contort, draw contact, and do whatever he has to to finish. I've noticed that as explosive and big as Rose is, he does not get enough separation to finish with a dunk in traffic. This usually indicates that there is wasted and telegraphed movement at the point of attack, and in Rose's case, his angle of attack in the halfcourt is slightly wider than optimal (too much East-West movement). Also, there is a longer than optimal lapse between stationary position and the attack, and gives the defense time to set up. Players like Steve Francis and Allen Iverson had almost no wasted movement when they made their move, even as college players. Derrick Rose must also work hard on his jumpshot. His mechanics are a little too tight, and slows down his release. Also, although he is compared to Jason Kidd, he has not shown much yet in terms of being a pure passer. He almost always looks for the shot first, and has not yet shown the ability to demoralize defenses with his passing. In transition is where Rose is at his best. He can really get up and down the court, and although he wastes motion in the halfcourt, he doesn't in transition. With defenders not set, Rose will finish with power almost everytime he gets his chance. What makes Derrick Rose so dangerous is his ability to ignite breaks by getting defensive rebounds or forcing turnovers, and this is where he reminds people of a young Jason Kidd. With his strength, size and quickness, Rose really has a chance to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. For career outlook and team fit, go to original article

Kobe/LeBron, Deron/CP3 on the same team?? Thoughts and hopes for this 2008 team...

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:30:53 -0500

Over the past two or three days, the team for the USA Men's Basketball team had been discussed and reported. I am looking forward to how this team will work out together. They have until august to get ready. The fact that LeBron AND Kobe will be on the same team is ?????... I cant wait to see how they will mesh together as a team, knowing that both are the "star" players of their teams respectively... But i wonder if one will try to outshine the other. Watching the Olympics four yrs ago as a 14 yr old... and seeing how horrible the team played together, makes me excited and ready to watch for this new team to redeem this country's basketball talent. I kinda feel confident, knowing that compared to 2004's team... this team has more depth.. and the players are similar... and know each other.. In 2004, the team seemed to be as if the coach just jumbled and added players together... based on ability.. and not on chemistry they might have with each other to work together effectively.. I want to also see how Deron Williams and CP3 will handle playing together... seeing how these two are always compared and poked and researched on who is better... D Williams has a better jumps shot outside of the arc, while CP3 mostly goes to the paint and to the glass... and is excellent at finding his teammates. Will Melo be able to leave his immature ways behind and help his team win a gold medal?. Can Tayshaun be the same guy he was on the Pistons?? Will Jason Kidd play the same way he did with the Mavs? Hopefully not, but i think his experience with the USA Olympic Team will give him confidence. Will Kobe be able to redeem himself from the embarrassing performance in the Finals? Im looking forward to Dwyane Wade redeeming himself too, from that terrible, terrible 07-08 season he had. I just wonder if his injuries will affect his play in August?? The only problem would be how we only have a couple strong big men on the team. The team is mostly composed of PG's, SF's and PF's.. and a only ONE center which is Dwight Howard... will that hurt the team?? There are many things to look forward to and many questions to be asked about this team. Will these guys playing together as s team. Leave past rivalries behind? And leave individual plans aside? Until the first game is over, ill see what i think... Hopefully, the USA can be represented as a top competitor in basketball, and come home withe a Gold medal.. just like they did 8 yrs ago...

Olympic Team Announced: Fantasy Impact

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:51:36 -0500

Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets Deron Williams, Utah Jazz Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks Tayshaun Prince, Detroit Pistons I listed them in alphabetical order by first name, so let's start with Carlos the Jackal. Boozer was not part of the team in 2006, but did take part in the 2004 Olympic disaster. Four years ago, Boozer was a spry 22 year old, and actually bounced back from the Olympics by playing 34 minutes for the second straight year and increasing his scoring by more than 2 points. But - oh wait! - that was the year he left the Cavaliers and LeBron James for the Alaskan Wilderness Look-A-Like that is Utah. Boozer did play a career high tying 81 games last season, and had a career high number of points per game. He doesn't rely on quickness like fellow Olympians Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Kobe Bryant, so his game shouldn't suffer too much from playing a few extra games over the summer. And it's not like the Jazz have any choice but to keep feeding him the ball in the post. It's not like they have LeBron James or anything. Carmelo Anthony has rolled with the men's national teams through two world-level competitions and both times, his numbers have dropped in the follow year. After the Olympics in 2004, Melo played 2 less minutes per game and his numbers dipped slightly. After the Worlds in '06, though, Melo played an additional minute and a half per game, increasing his scoring by almost 2.5 points, while grabbing an extra rebound+, and also getting an extra assist. Of course, that was also the year that the Nuggets got Allen Iverson, and their scoring as a team increased by 5 points per game. But, I think whatever data we use, it's safe to say that Carmelo will have his usual fantasy production in 08-09. Chris Bosh's numbers were almost exactly the same from 05-06 to 06-07, so I'm not worried about his fantasy production this coming season. What I am worried about is that his blocks went down from 1.3 to 1.0 from 06-07 to 07-08 which means that an already porous interior defense is going to be that much more wide open in the middle. Chris Paul is already this season's consensus #1 fantasy pick. I'm not one to want to be punched in the face, but I'm sure if Chris Paul spent as much time getting a chub looking at pictures of Patrick as the other way around, he would not be a #1 fantasy pick. And he'd probably have to skip the Olympics. Paul did suffer some injuries after the 2006 World Championships and only played in 64 games. That said, he did finish with a GMTR Player Rater score that was 27% higher than whatever kind of knowledge was in 2nd place. The difference between 2nd and 3rd place was only 12.5% just to give you an idea of the size of Chris Paul's massive game. Deron Williams is another young guy who upped his game after the summer of 2006. The extra 7 minutes of playing time probably didn't hurt. Williams will be a late 3rd/early 4th round pick. Dwyane Wade is the first real question mark here. After the 2004 Olympics, he went from 61 to 77 games. But if I recall, he didn't play a whole lot over there in Athens. After playing 75 games in 05-06, he only got to 51 in 06-07, suggesting perhaps that the extra play might have taken a toll. Yes, it was a bit of a fluke play in which he was injured, but this time he'll be playing during the summer on a surgically repaired knee. I know I'll be staying away from Wade come fantasy draft time this year. Dwight Howard won't even be 23 until December of this year. After the 2006 games, he improved almost everything about his game except free throw shooting and turnovers. Hopefully he can learn some more lessons from the Olympics this year and come away an even better basketball player. I don't think he's going to suddenly figure out how to shoot free throws in China, though. If the extra games this summer are going to take their toll on anyone, it will be Jason Kidd. The last time Kidd played in the Olympics was eight years ago, and at that time, it didn't have an appreciably impact his stats. With Chris Paul and Deron Williams on the team, the US will probably keep Kidd's minutes fairly low, using him in crunch time situations and for resting the other Point Guards. That said, he is 35 years old now, so any activity as intense as the Olympics will definitely drain the batteries a bit. Is it enough to move Kidd out of the Top 50 fantasy players? Probably not… but it's certainly a reason not to take him any higher that #47 position he ended the season at on the GMTR Player Rater. Kobe Bryant is the one player I feel should be on the floor all the time for the US. Well, Kobe and Chris Paul and LeBron James. Kobe will turn 30 this year, and I feel like if he plays as much as he should in the Olympics, it will have an effect on his game. Add in that the Lakers should have both Pau Gasol and a healthy Andrew Bynum in 08-09, and you've got a recipe for Kobe as no higher than the 3rd best fantasy player next season. I will definitely be tempted to look at guys like LeBron and Garnett ahead of Kobe next year, but we'll have to see how many minutes he's playing in Beijing first. LeBron James needs to dominate the Olympics and take over like he does in the playoffs. Really, if it takes the Celtics to stop him in the NBA, what country can come up with that kind of defense? LeBron will be a Top 5 fantasy pick next season unless he gets injured. And even then… As far as Wikipedia knows, Michael Redd has not played on a men's national basketball team. I don't see him doing a lot of the heavy lifting on this Team USA, though. He'll have some good games at The Games because he can pull the trigger on the three as fast as anyone not named Ray Allen. He'll be good to stretch defenses, and as long as he doesn't take so many shots that he gets Repetitive Stress Disorder, he will be able to bomb threes and make a lot of free throws just like the Michael Redd we all know and are okay with. I was surprised when I checked just now to see Tayshaun Prince all the way down at #110 on the GMTR Player Rater. I thought he was better than that. But he played about 4 minutes less in 07-08 than he had in the previous season, and his numbers were down across the board. I was also surprised to see him on the Olympic roster instead of another legit center. But I'm sure the people picking the team know more than I do about international basketball, as well as who was actually available for the team. I don't see Prince being called on to play heavy minutes for Team USA, so keeping up his level of play at 32-33 minutes a game for the Pistons shouldn't be a problem. That's not to say that his stats won't go down, because Detroit might drop him to 30-31 minutes a game and let the younger Pistons play a little more. But his play for Team USA will probably only have an effect when it gets to the end of the season, right when you need to win some playoff games. And Prince had his minutes dropped at the end of the after the Pistons had clinched their spot in the playoffs. There may well be some more rest time like that at the end of the 08-09 season for Prince. So, to summarize, the question marks for next season are: Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, and Kobe Bryant. And you might want to stay away from Tayshaun Prince unless you draft someone you think will be stepping up at the end of the season when Prince is tapering off.

Team USA Announced

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:52:20 -0500

The 12 man roster for the 2008 Beijing Olympics was announced today. Players selected for the 2008 Senior Men's National team include: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz) Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors) Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks) Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons) Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks) Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) Although Paul Pierce was in the 24 player pool from which the Olympic team was chosen, he wasn't chosen for the team. It could be due to concerns over the knee injury he suffered in the playoffs. Pierce missed the FIBA championships due to an elbow injury and that may also have played a role in his being left out. According to the Globe, Team USA is interested in having Celtics guard Rajon Rondo and center Kendrick Perkins on a young select team that could play against USA in Las Vegas during training in July to help them prepare them for the Olympics. By participating, Rondo and Perkins could put themselves in position to play for USA in the future. Hopefully Perk's shoulder will be well enough for him to take them up on the offer.

Team USA Roster Announced

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:15:33 -0500

Here's the roster: Guards: Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Jason Kidd and Michael Redd Forwards: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Tayshaun Prince and Carlos Boozer Centers: Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh I like the team, but I think I'd replace Jason Kidd with a player who can actually shoot the ball. Michael Redd and Carmelo Anthony are the only consistent shooters on the roster; the rest of the perimeter guys are streak shooters. If you're wondering why Amare Stoudemire isn't on the team, he withdrew from consideration over concerns about pushing his body too hard. My guess is that the Olympics are the perfect distraction for Kobe, who is probably losing sleep at night thinking about the Lakers' loss in the Finals. There's nothing to take your mind off of that quite like flying to China and taking your game to the world stage. If I'm Pat Riley, I don't know how excited I am about seeing my injury-prone franchise player on this team.

James, Bryant to lead US team

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:54:37 -0500

CHICAGO (AP) - LeBron James will get another shot at Olympic gold, and this time, he'll have reigning MVP Kobe Bryant. James and Bryant, making his first Olympic appearance, will lead a U.S. team that hopes to capture the gold medal in Beijing in August after a third-place showing in Athens four years ago. They'll have plenty of help. Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Jason Kidd were among the 12 players placed on the team Monday. They were joined by Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Deron Williams. The team was selected without a tryout. It will have a minicamp this week in Las Vegas and reconvene there July 20-25 to train and play an exhibition against Canada before heading overseas. The Americans open Olympic play against China on Aug. 10. Although the Americans captured the gold at the Sydney Games in 2000, they no longer dominate international play as they once did. The talent gap has narrowed and many top NBA players have chosen to not play for the national team in recent years. Now, the U.S. will field a team that appears loaded. Then again, the Americans went 5-3 in Athens and lost for the first time since NBA players started competing in 1992 even though they had James, Anthony, Wade and Tim Duncan. That group got routed by Puerto Rico before losing to Lithuania and Argentina, but this one is confident it will take the gold. Bryant just won his first MVP and led the Los Angeles Lakers to the finals. James averaged 30.0 points — just enough to beat Bryant for the scoring title. Those two along with Anthony, Kidd and Dwight Howard started for a team that went unbeaten in the Olympic qualifying tournament last year. Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire withdrew from Olympic consideration, apparently concerned about pushing his body too hard after knee surgery in 2005 and 2006. So did Detroit's Chauncey Billups, who would have had a tough time making the team given the depth in the backcourt. Wade cemented his spot after Colangelo watched him work out in Chicago recently. He has had chronic soreness in his left knee since surgery in 2007, and his season ended in March. Wade started working out in Chicago in May, and James and Paul joined him to help sharpen his game. Colangelo paid a visit and left convinced the 6-foot-4 guard was healthy

Wade, Paul, Howard, Prince,Redd are headed to Beijing!!!

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:51:20 -0500

On some last moment plans,Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Hornets point guard Chris Paul, Magic center Dwight Howard, Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince and Bucks guard Michael Redd are heading to Beijing to play in the Olympics. Olympic and NBA sources say that the five are on the 12-man roster and the full roster will be annouceed monday. Dwyane Wade told The Associated Press last month "It would mean everything to me", "It's what we talked about after getting the bronze, right after getting that medal, and I really want to be part of the team that puts the USA back on top."

Jason Kidd Says Barkley is Staying on the Wagon

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:52:37 -0500

On a conference call for the celeb-am golf tourney in Lake Tahoe next month, Jason Kidd said that Chuck is staying debt free, and is confident that he won't gamble at the golf event in Tahoe. Barkley is a 500-1 underdog to win the tournament.

U.S. basketball roster for Olympics to be released Monday!!!

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:18:23 -0500

Olympic team coach Mike Krzyzewski said that the 12-man roster for this summer's Beijing Games will be released Monday. The deadline to submit the roster is July 1st. The Dallas Morning News has reported that Jason Kidd has already been asked to particapate in the games. In July, the team will head to Vegas to start their training. Also, the USA Men's Basketball Team will play an exhibition game vs. Canada before the Beijing Games on Aug. 10. I'll keep you guys in touch when the roster is annouced. Sorry about the Articel, it somehow got posted twice!!!