Yardbarker: Cleveland Cavaliers

Celtics Advance

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:50:23 -0500

In the "Keep Your Picks" Playoff, the Boston Celtics have defeated the Golden State Warriors 97-82. C Al Jefferson was named MVP of the game. The Celtics will play the winner of the Cavaliers/Clippers game in round three. For complete game stats, check out the NBA DraftNation page.

THE AFTER PARTY

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:18:45 -0500

ESPN Personality Trivia
LeBron Guarantees Gold For Team USA
The Seattle Cavaliers?
From Nooorrrttthh Carrrrolina..Long Wang?

Of Cleveland Browns, Dreams, and Biblical Prophets
Browns Owner, City Disrespected
Why do we keep giving EA money for Madden football?
Iowa and Kirk Ferentz should be in big trouble
CC Sabathia is Back and Better Than Ever

MLB's Big Dippers
Wait! What? Parity is a Bad Thing?!?!
Blue Bomber cheerleader coach resigns after saucy photos appear on Internet
MLS All-Star Game tonight!

LeBron James Guarantees Gold; Not a Good Move

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:50:17 -0500

A quick cut to the chase. Per the Associated Press: James made his guarantee in a Time magazine story that hits newsstands Friday. The Cavaliers superstar is featured on one of the covers of the Olympic preview issue. After comparing the feeling of receiving a gold medal on the podium to opening a prized gift on Christmas morning, James was asked if that meant he would lead the Americans to the title. "Absolutely," James responded. Asked if he guaranteed it, he repeated, "Absolutely." Now we will follow up with some thoughts. One, guarantees are a very dangerous tightrope to walk. If Rasheed Wallace were to guarantee what he was going to have for breakfast the next day, someone would be bound to say something about it. Gilbert Arenas had some lofty expectations during last season's playoffs, and we know what happend there. What James did by guaranteeing a Gold simply laid the gauntlet down to his teammates without their prior knowledge, and anything short of epic prosperity will be ridiculed - and rightfully so. Look, Lebron James is easily my favorite player in the league. I come to his defense in almost every situation, ranging from his mother rushing the floor to getting cheapshots from Brendan Haywood. However, he has an injured ankle and was on the same team that was an epic failure in the 2004 games. Granted, Larry Brown is no longer here to mess with James' playing time, but who is to say that something drastic doesn't happen? To guarantee something before the games even start? I'm all for confidence, and frankly as the favorite to win it all, I do think that the U.S. will win the Gold. But to speak for the rest of your team - a team full of All-Stars and world class players that could have their own opinion - in a matter that would promise something that has a chance to not be delivered is a rough move to make. There are several members of the current team that were there in 2004, and you can bet than they're keeping their thoughts to themselves. If any other member of this team were to "guarantee" anything, there would be some sort of backlash. Alas, I'm fully willing to accept the same for the pride of Cleveland basketball. Feel free to disagree below.

Lebron doesn't pass up a chance to dance with Paris Hilton

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:32:23 -0500

While soccer stud Cristiano Ronaldo resisted the advances of socialite Paris Hilton, Lebron James was impervious to her powers.

R to the motherfuggin E!!! (Rotoworld vs. RotoEvil, Pt. 2)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:09:24 -0500

Roto Evil is: Real and Exotic and Really Entertaining like Russell and Erving, Rising and Elevating a Roto hoops Expert doing Research and Evaluating Rarely making Errors, accurate Ratings Emanating ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Respected and Established like Robinson, Eddie so Recklessly Eccentric, i Refused an ESPY a Rebel for Equality, Ready for my Enemies Reaching Equilibrium via Raw infinite Energy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ you Reckon my Ego is Really Exceeding? i'm Robbin' your Eggos and Rebuking your Eating now you're Rambling Endlessly, a disgraced Rogue Entity for Robertson and Elgin, i'm Representin' Especially ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ your Reality is Erroneous, your Rationale is Erratic your Repetition is Exhausting, my Randomness is Ecstatic you Recycle Excrement, you're Ruining Expectations my winning Record is Excellent, thus Receiving Exaltation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ my References are Esoteric, from Radja to Ekezie thanks to Revelatory Experiences this is Relatively Easy you're a Rude Emasculator a la Reggie Evans your Reach Extends to ten, but mine Roars to Eleven ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i Rotate and Evolve, spreading Roots Externally Rhymes so Exquisite you'll Remember Eternally this is Roto Evil, and if you Respectfully Enjoyed say R to the motherfuckin' E homeboy!

Malice in the Palace (Original Version) starring Ron Artest

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:52:44 -0500

In the wake of the WNBA version of Malice in the Palace, here's revisiting the original :

Team USA News

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:29:45 -0500

The hype is in full effect for Team America. Redemption, revenge, whatever you want to call it, Team USA is in the mood to dominate. And they're not just going to spank you. LeBron's holding a ball gag and a paddle and Kobe may have just thrown away the piece of paper with the safe-word... [continued]

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Options are Dwindling Edition

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:51:04 -0500

Options are dwindling for both teams and free agents as teams continue to make moves. Here is what is going on around the league today: Josh Childress has indeed left the Hawks to play in Greece. The Journal Constitution is reporting that Childress has agreed to a a three-year, fully guaranteed contract worth far more than the $20 million originally proposed. It will remain to be seen how this affects NBA free agency in the future. Any player not getting what they want can flaunt a European contract at their team and will have to be taken seriously. But, there are still many players who want to be in the NBA even if they are making far less than they could in Europe. Josh Smith, the Hawks' other big free agent, was wined and dined by the Sixers and then they signed Brand. Then, he was wined and dined by the Clippers before they got Camby. Now, the only team under the cap that could offer him more than the MLE is the Grizzlies but they are in cost cutting mode. So, it seems that Josh Smith is stuck with the Hawks unless they can work a sign and trade with someone. Sources say that the Hawks are offering Smith a six-year deal worth $60 million. The Journal Constitution is reporting that this isn't true, however and that the Hawks have never offered anything near that. The San Antonio Spurs re-signed 36 year old Kurt Thomas on Tuesday. Thomas joined the Spurs last season in the trade that sent Brent Barry and Francisco Elson. In a rather fishy move, Barry was released by the Sonics and went back to the Spurs to join new teammate Kurt Thomas. Thomas' return could put in question the return of Robert Horry and Michael Finley's to the Spurs. When the Nets acquired Keyon Dooling, Marcus Williams vowed to fight for his job as the Nets' point guard. He may be fighting for his job, but not with the Nets as they traded him to the Warriors for a future first-round pick. The Warriors are going to give Williams a chance to start along side of Monta Ellis, who is more of a shooting guard than a point. First Camby was traded to the Clippers for a second round pick and now Williams traded for a first round pick. Must be nice to be under the cap and able to pick up players for peanuts (and draft picks). The Warriors pick has plenty of strings attached, though. The pick is lottery protected for 2011. If it goes to 2012, the pick is protected 1-11. It's protected 1-10 for 2013. If they still haven't received the pick by 2013, the Nets get second-round picks in 2013 and 2015. ESPN reports that Detroit has offered to trade Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince twice this off season already. The first time was to try to pry Carmelo Anthony away from Denver. The second offer was to Houston for Tracy McGrady. Both offers were rejected. With the rumors that Detroit is considering making a bid for Artest they could be making a 3rd attempt to trade Billups and Prince. There seems to be some smoke here and there may be some fire behind it. It would be interesting to see the crowd react to Ron Ron being introduced to the Palace crowd for the first time as a Piston. Talk about mixed emotions. Personally I wouldn't want Artest for anything. The guy has been a cancer and a distraction everywhere he has gone. Ryan Gomes is such a classy person. The Star Tribune reports that Gomes is participating in the Wolves' summer promotional caravan. He doesn't have a deal with the Wolves but is on their promotional tour. "I made a commitment at the end of the season to do this," Gomes said from Mankato. "They (the team) asked me if I'd like to do this and I'm a community guy, so I said yes. I don't know where I'm going to be yet. I made a commitment and stuck with it." Gomes is looking for the full MLE but chances of getting it are dwindling. It seems unlikely that the Wolves wouldn't match anything less. I would really like to have him back in Celtics Green but all the Celtics could offer is half the MLE and unless Danny has incriminating pictures of McHale, the Wolves would probably match any offer we could afford to give. At this point in his career, he is looking for some security and possibly accepting the qualifying offer and then seeing what he can get as an unrestricted free agent next season could be his best move. As hard as Gomes works, his value should only improve. Mark Bartelstein has said that several teams, including the Celtics have inquired about his client, Devean George. In his interview on WEEI, Danny said that he hasn't had any talks with George. So, either Bartelstein is floating rumors to try to get other teams to make an offer before another team snaps him up or Danny is not wanting to tip his hand. I remember Danny being interviewed on WEEI another time as the trade deadline approached when he said that the Celtics had nothing in the works and nothing even close. Four hours later, the Celtics traded for Wally Szczerbiak. So, you can't trust what an agent says or what Danny tells you for that matter. The News Herald reports that Bartelstein is also in talks with the Cavs concerning George. Now that the Celtics have signed House and Allen, Danny says that he is taking some time off. He may make another deal, or he may roll the dice with the team we have. The Celtics lost Pollard, PJ Brown, Cassell and Posey. The Celtics have 2 promising rookies who could fill in the blanks. Gabe Pruitt should be able to fill in at the Point along with House. Tony, if healthy, can replace Posey's defense. Giddens and Walker may get a chance to prove themselves. Danny may go with what we have now and then save space to pick up someone if there is a need later on. The Charlotte Observer reports that negotiations with Emeka Okafor are at an impasse. He has one more year left and if they don't agree on an extension, he can walk after next season as an unrestricted free agent. Rather than let him walk for nothing next season, the Bobcats may try to arrange a sign and trade. Some possibilities for a sign and trade swap are Shawn Marion, Anderson Varejao, Andris Biedrins, Al Harrington, and Luol Deng. Delonte West is still unsigned. The News Herald reports that the Cavs want to sign him but that they aren't close to an agreement at this point. Other teams are interested but have been scared off by his restricted tag, figuring that since the Cavs do want him, they will just match any offer made. Daniel Gibson signed a 5 year contract with the Cavs that starts at $3.7 million and West is looking for more since he is the starting PG and Gibson is the back up. Of course, if they can't reach an agreement, Delonte could just accept the Cavs' qualifying offer of $2.76 million, play out the year, and the become an unrestricted free agent next year. That could be good or bad for him. If he has a great year, he will demand even more money next season. If he continues to be nagged with little injuries and struggles, then as a restricted free agent, he may not get as much as he would now. It's a gamble that may or may not pay off. The Express News is reporting that it appears that Robert Horry's days with the Spurs are over. Big Shot Bob has won 7 rings in his 16 seasons in the league. He has said that he wants to play another season in the league but the Spurs don't seem inclined to bring him back. Unless he gets an offer from another team, he may be forced to retire. Could Big Shot Bob be the next aging veteran to come on board the Celtics? Danny loves these guys who seem to be on their last legs but who have tremendous experience and can help a team in little ways. Horry fits the profile. The Portland Trail Blazers signed first-round pick Nicolas Batum on Tuesday. Batum was actually drafted by Houston with the 25th overall pick and then traded to the Blazers for two draft picks. This brings the team's roster to 14 players. They still have not made a decision on whether to sign Petteri Koponen. They don't feel he is ready for the NBA this season, but if they don't sign him now, he will likely sign a long term contract in Europe. If they sign him, he could spend some time in the D-League and accelerate his development. The Clippers signed Golden State forward Kelenna Azubuike (8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) to a three-year, $9.3 million offer sheet last week and the Warriors have until Friday to match the offer, but according to sources they won't match it because they signed forward Maurice Evans to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. We are about to enter into the quiet (read completely dead) part of the season for Celtics fans. Danny is going to take some time off. He lost one free agent and brought back 2 others. He still has to deal with the Celtics 2 draft picks and possibly pick up another free agent or even make a minor trade. But keep in mind, it wasn't until the end of August that Danny signed Posey last season and so he may wait until the dust settles to make another move. Reports are that Bill Walker is working hard to come back from the knee surgery and depending on how he looks, Danny may not make another move. If ready to contribute, Walker could be the back up at the 3 that the Celtics still need. I like the kid and think he could prove to be the steal of the draft.

Gift wrapped for Brooklyn: The 2008-2009 New Jersey Nets

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:14:49 -0500

I have always been resistant to change. Even if I knew it was coming a mile away. Last February, I got the opportunity to see the Nets at their best for what turned out to be their last time together against a major opponent. And with the trade deadline looming, there were already some notable changes on their roster as the Nets shipped forward/center Jason Collins to Memphis for underachieving forward Stromile Swift. A few days later, team captain Jason Kidd followed suit when New Jersey sent him back to the very team that drafted him (Dallas Mavericks) for Devin Harris and other players. Change was coming. I just didn't know how fast. Nets Team President Rod Thorn and the rest of the Nets brain trust have been very busy this off-season. Having traded away their franchise's second all-time leading scorer—Richard Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for China's Yi Jianlian and underachieving forward Bobby Simmons. The Nets also did very well for themselves in the 2008 NBA Draft after they bagged Stanford's 7'0'' center Brook Lopez at #10, 6'10'' forward Ryan Anderson at #21, and arguably the steal of the draft at #40—Memphis scoring guard-forward Chris "CDR" Douglas-Roberts. Rod Thorn didn't stop there as he also allowed forward Bostjan "Boki" Nachbar to sign with a Russian team and sent guard Marcus Williams to the Golden State Warriors for a future lottery-protected 1st round pick. With that said, the only Nets left from last season's roster are Darrell Armstrong, Josh Boone, Nenad Krstic, Sean Williams, Vincent Lamar Carter and his $61.8 million dollar extension. Of those five players, only Boone, Williams, and Carter are certain to make the final roster. The New Jersey Nets have certainly positioned themselves well for the unrestricted free agent boon of 2010 that will feature the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr., Steve Nash, Joe Johnson, Walter Ray Allen, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Manu Ginobili, Tracy McGrady, and for what it's worth, Shaquille O'Neal. This list can further increase if players who hold Early Termination Options (ETO) in their existing contracts decide to exercise them. They are Amare Stoudemire, Michael Redd, Tyson Chandler, Richard Jefferson, Yao Ming, and Dirk Nowitzki. If the Nets don't land LeBron James in 2010. They are not short on alternatives from the wealth of talent on that list. Kudos to the Nets brain trust on their foresight. Brooklyn may not only be getting a team two years from now. But a solid contender. Addendum: - DeSagana Diop and the Dallas Mavericks agreed on a five-year, $31 million deal (the team's full midlevel exception) last July 9, 2008. It will be Diop's second stint with the Mavericks after being a part of the Jason Kidd-Devin Harris deal six months earlier - What exactly did the Nets get in the Marcus Williams deal? Fred Kerber of nypost.com shares that "if the Warriors are in the playoffs in 2011, the Nets get their first round pick. So it's lottery-protected in 2011. He adds "if the Nets are still waiting for the pick in 2012, they get G. State's first rounder, as long as it's not 1-through 11. If they're still waiting in 2013, they get the first rounder as long as it's not 1-through-10. But 2013 is the cutoff. If they haven't gotten the pick by then they get two second rounders, in 2013 and 2015." Sounds as shady as Marcus Camby being dealt for a 2nd round pick, if you know what I mean. - Lastly, at the age of 40, guard Darrell Armstrong won't be back with the Nets for the upcoming 2008-2009 NBA season.

Olympic Hype Could Be Fool's Gold For Team USA

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:23:54 -0500

If you've read anything about Team USA's training camp in Las Vegas this week, you'd think it's a forgone conclusion the Americans will win gold at the Beijing Olympics (see screenshot from today's ESPN.com). But as I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of holes in this year's U.S. squad – particularly its lack of size (Dwight Howard is the lone center) and health (not only is Dwyane Wade coming off injury, but LeBron James went down in Tuesday's practice). For the rest of this entry, head over to http://www.wcbias.com/2008/07/olympic-hype-could-be-fools-gold.html

Olympic Hype Could Be Fool's Gold For Team USA

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:23:16 -0500

LeBron James: better than Jordan

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:36:18 -0500

I grew up idolizing MJ, watching all those highlight reel dunks, big shots, championships, yada yada yada. However, I found this lebronjames asia site and i saw a bunch of links for his dunks and big plays and wow! i gotta say my view on the best player of all time has shifted! go lebron!

Team USA Olympic Outlook: Three Weeks Remaining

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:34:47 -0500

The newest additions to the Olympic party are Croatia (after defeating Germany), Greece (after defeating Puerto Rico), and Germany (after defeating Puerto Rico in the bronze-medal game. And congrats to Dirk for his first ever Olympic experience). Greece, who is undoubtedly the best team of the three, has been placed along with Germany in Group B to battle the Americans. In other words, Group B just became pretty tough.Aside from Angola, that makes five competitive teams in Group B, including the two favorites to win it all (USA and Spain). Greece can be an absolute force (some think they have the best chance of winning outside of the USA, Spain, and Argentina. I do not agree.), Germany is pretty solid, and China, though completely overrated, is still strong. After playing each team in their group once, the top four teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. Here is how I anticipate the final standings will pan out...[continued]

Bigger Than You or I, Kobe or LeBron

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:33:24 -0500

It's no coincidence that most of the MSM has turned into a hype machine for Team USA and that's because these upcoming Olympic Games are the most important we've ever known, in terms of basketball. The Americans had their creation and their domination, and their ultimate tragic fall at the hands of hubris. We've heard it all: "Foreign teams train for months!", "We didn't even send our best players!", "Larry Brown suxorz!", "Why didn't we send any shooters?", etc., etc. What's done is done, and while the USA should not have lost in 2004 (and 2006, really), they did. There's no rewriting that, no matter what happens in August. But what Team USA does have a shot at is responding...[continued]

6 Teams Josh Childress Should See Before Greece

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:15:30 -0500

J-Chill must really want to get out of Atlanta with that 3 year $20 million he's got on the table with Olympiakos in Greece. Right now, it's either a sign-and-trade or Greece for him, but there are other teams that could really use him, especially on the east coast. Philadelphia 76ers If Childress wants a sign-and-trade, Philly is a good place for both teams, especially when he visited them already. With him and Louis Williams, an undersized shooting guard, both restricted free agents, both teams trade a solid guard off the bench for another, only the Sixers get size. It also gives the Hawks an opportunity to truly go small when Lou comes off the bench. Cleveland Cavaliers Last season, Sasha Pavlovic didn't live up to the hype after going to the Finals in 2007. Five years removed from Serbia and 4 years since joining the Cavs, maybe he needs a fresh start with a new team. Childress would be an upgrade in terms of scoring, relieving part of the load on LeBron James and Pavlovic would add size to the Hawks. Detroit Pistons Detroit's looking to shake things up with the roster, and with Rodney Stuckey's play carrying from the playoffs over to the summer league, Chauncey Billups or Richard Hamilton might be on the trading block. Atlanta also needs a good, veteran big man to come off the bench for them. Trade Childress and Mike Bibby for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess and Detroit starts the rebuilding process. Indiana Pacers Marquis Daniels might be a good fit for Atlanta. He went undrafted out of college and averaged near 16 PPG in the playoffs his rookie year in Dallas. Daniels' contract, in its last year, is probably around Childress' price range and is near what Olympiakos is offering. It wouldn't be a bad choice for the rebuilding Pacers. Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks are reloading after getting a new coach in Scott Skiles, but he's already made Charlie Villanueva unhappy before he even coached. The Hawks landing Villanueva is a long shot and they're probably not even interested, but highflyer Desmond Mason is a good possibility. Mason would add experience to the Hawks, something they lack. Childress can back-up Michael Redd and is a great compliment for a team with young talent in Andrew Bogut and Ramon Sessions and a veteran in his prime in Richard Jefferson. Charlotte Bobcats The Bobcats signed Matt Carroll to a 5-year extension last season, but Childress is better. Carroll could add better 3-point shooting for the Hawks with his near 44% from beyond the arc, #9 in the NBA. Adding Childress behind Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor might be the move they need to get to their first playoff series in franchise history. The Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards could also use him, but don't have much.f anything, to offer. Otherwise, there's still opportunities for him in the NBA.