Phillip Morris of The Cleveland Plain Dealer: “I was willing to ignore LeBron James’ fetish for Yankee ball caps and pinstripe jerseys. There’s no accounting for taste. Besides, baseball is like religion. It’s personal. Why question loyalties? But after Sunday’s display, when the Dallas Cowboys came to town, I have to ask: Does Cavaliers superstar James really hate Cleveland that much? Does the anointed one really think we’re all a bunch of losers? If not, why does No. 23 go out of his way to show his disdain for professional sports teams in Cleveland that don’t involve rims and orange balls?”
Cavalier Attitude: “And if fans want to really go down that road, then don’t forget that James openly backs The Ohio State University and its football team, including showing up on the team’s sidelines back in its ‘06 matchup against Texas down in Austin. Just as he has voiced his support of the Yanks and ‘Boys, he’s done the same in expressing his affinity for the Buckeyes. Why? Because the Buckeyes – unlike the other teams in the entire freaking state – have a history of winning. And not just winning winning, but winning championships. So if you want to read into it, then realize this: LeBron James supports winners. Hey, don’t blame him if the city of Cleveland didn’t provide it for him while he was growing up, and above all, don’t connect that with his allegiance to the Cavaliers organization.”
Sean Meagher of The Oregonian: More video of Greg Oden singing some NSync karaoke style
The Contra Costa Times: “The opportunity is there for team president Donnie Walsh to jettison Zach Randolph’s unwanted hefty contract from the New York Knicks’ payroll for some coveted salary-cap relief for 2010, but, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, the cost appears to be a precious first-round pick. And Walsh doesn’t appear to be desperate enough to jump at a deal in which the Memphis Grizzlies would take on Randolph’s three years and $48 million remaining on his contract while giving up a future first-rounder. The Grizzlies, according to sources, have already agreed to send center Darko Milicic — the shot-blocking presence Walsh is looking to get — and versatile swingman Marko Jaric to New York in the deal. They are now playing the waiting game with Walsh, who has made it clear he has no plans to make a knee-jerk decision.”
ShamSports: “And for all his versatility and skill as an offensive player, Zach has never had the sense or awareness to fit into an offense efficiently – Randolph is a career .465 shooter starting his offense from increasingly near the three point line, and with an intense aversion to passing. Bear in mind, this is a man once berated for selfishness by former teammate, Nick Van Exel. And Nick Van Exel knows a thing or two about selfishness. The problem is exacerbated when looking at Memphis’s other big men. Out of Hamed Haddadi, Hakim Warrick, Darrell Arthur, Marc Gasol and Antoine Walker, who represents a good pairing for Zach? Who is the weakside shotblocker to counteract Zach’s complete failure in that area? There’s a bit there, mainly coming from Gasol, but there’s not much. Additionally, if Marc Gasol is to start at centre – and it looks like he has to – then how do you pair him and Randolph on offense? Pairing Randolph with a man who plays within 3 feet of the rim at all times (Eddy Curry) went painfully badly last season, so how much different will it be with Gasol? How does Zach fit?”
3 Shades of Blue: “Ah yes, the money. Z-Bo’s contract is the same as Pau’s was, even expires at the same time (I think). Granted Z is tougher and meaner than Pau, no question, but I’m not sure how he fits the 3YP. Proposed deal makes SOME basketball sense, little financial sense (unless they hold out for the draft pick), and almost NO “chemistry” sense. . . . to me, anyway. So . . . Why are we doing this again?”
[Note: Gasol makes roughly $500,000 more than Randolph. Both of their contracts expire in 2010/2011]
Jamal Crawford: “I noticed a couple of questions on there were, Is Eddy Curry in shape? The answer to that is, I haven’t seen him, but everything I’m hearing is that he’s working really hard this summer. People are really down on Eddy, but the Eddy they saw last season isn’t really Eddy. Yea, last year was a down year for him and he would be the first to tell you that…he puts more pressure on himself then anyone else could. I know he cares because after a lot of losses we would say, “If we could just get a couple of wins in a row…” It really bothered him… Our fans are hard on him because you guys see what he can be, how dominant at times he is, and when you guys don’t see that all the time you wanna strangle him!”
HOOPSWORLD: Which player would you want as your franchise cornerstone, Chris Paul or Dwyane Wade?
Sekou K Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Having chronicled this team for the past four years and seen them grow from a 13-win outfit to the 37-win crew that finished this past season in that Game 7 loss in Boston, I’m automatically giving the Hawks some credit for just natural progression. Nothing in their makeup suggests they’re going to go backwards. Nothing about their core group and the work ethic of that group leads me to believe that they’re about level off and stop growing and maturing as individual talents, and in turn as a group. But in the absence of any empirical evidence that they’ll simply be better because that’s what teams do when they are allowed to grow together without significant interruption, I’m doing what I always suggest folks shouldn’t when it comes to expectations.”
DENVER STIFFS: The Nuggets off-season wish list…
Mike Baldwin of The Oklahoman: “One theory years ago was Oklahoma City could never support a professional team because was there wouldn’t be enough big-money sponsors, big-money season ticket holders or enough people overall to fill up a 19,000-seat arena 41 times a year at pro ticket prices. Support for the Hornets their two seasons in OKC quickly dispelled that notion. Now the Thunder’s season ticket sales are off the charts.”
Basketbawful: Part II of the Tao of Ron Artest
Baron Davis: “When I got the news about Monta’s injury it made me think about my own college injuries and the road back to being healthy. I hope my little bro gets back on the court soon but my advice homie: BE PATIENT. The Warriors training staff is going to give him great support and if anyone can come back stronger it’s him. Monta has the ultimate confidence and work ethic. But the most important thing is patience. I don’t like to see when guys try to play hurt cause in the end they’re the only ones who get judged by it. Fans and reporters sometimes don’t mention that the guy’s hurt. Sometimes they don’t know. But everyone is waiting for you to be back to the level you were. As long as you listen to your body, are open and honest with the trainers, and you keep your goals in mind, then it’s possible to come back even stronger than before.”
L. Jon Wertheim of CNNSI.com: “WHEN A hundred or so well-connected, well-heeled Barack Obama supporters attended a Silicon Valley fund-raiser for the candidate at the home of Symantec CEO John Thompson and his wife, Sandi, in June 2007, they were a bit shocked by the figure greeting them at the door. There was the smiling face of Los Angeles Clippers point guard Baron Davis, who later emceed the event and did everything that night but serve the hors d’oeuvres. When it came time to introduce the candidate himself, it was Davis who did the honors, not the hosts, who are minority owners of Davis’s former team, the Golden State Warriors. Before handing the microphone over to Obama, Davis bellowed, “Without further ado, the next president of the United States!” and presented to the candidate a Warriors jersey with OBAMA 08 on the back. “That,” says Davis, “was definitely one of the highlights of my life.”"
RaptorBlog: “Theoretically, some super-rich owner of foreign team in a league with no salary cap might make a ridiculous offer to an NBA superstar and lure him away from the best basketball league in the world. As NBA commissioner, I would try to work in a “franchise tag” into the next Collective Bargaining Agreement when the current one expires after the 2010-11 season. This tag would enable every NBA team to name one player on its roster who could earn a salary greater than the established cap which applies to every other player in the league. This player’s salary would not count against the team’s salary cap and would not be used in luxury tax calculations.”
