Carnival of the NBA, #46 – Made in Japan

A cold dark shadow crept across the land, it’s chilling touch reaching out to everyone. A… void… an absence of a loved presence. Yes indeed children, the NBA season has drawn to a close. But do not fear – there are a few, a few brave souls who continue to strive for all that is good, just, and… basketball.
Like a shining sword cutting through the darkness, here is your Carnival. The Carnival of the NBA (#46)… Made in Japan (well… that’s where I live anyway!).

Golden State of Mind gives us three excellent entries: Report Cards (extensive, and well worth the read – Matt Barnes is one of my favourite players!); an in depth exploration of the Yi issue; Golden State waves goodbye to Jason Richardson.

The guys at Pistons Notebook tell us about the FIBA Americas – a look at who is playing for the US team, and who should start.  Excellent article, and a must read.

20 Second Timeout gave us his impressions of the draft (and the wild spending by Paul Allen).

We’re given a tribute to Derek Fisher in Win or Go Home‘s A Utah Fish No More. One of my all-time favourite players. Guy is all class, and in this day & age, that really means something. WoGH also explores who’s likely to join the Jazz…

Are NBA Players Like Fine Wine? is the question proferred to us by Miami Heat Wired. A look at the Miami Heat’s veterans…

Matt at Blog a Bull wonders if he’ll ever be able to cheer for Yannick Joakim Noah in Your Newest Chicago Bull. Jury’s still out for Matt, but if I was a Bull-fan, I couldn’t (be a fan). Not after I read one comment comparing him to Sanjaya.

At Bullets Forever, we have two articles. One that offers responses from DC bloggers on the Wizard’s draft (So how do your bloggers like the draft), and the second explores the Juan Carlos Navarro situation (and made reference to the Kwame-Brown-for-Caron-Butler trade… which as a Lakers fan still hurts).

“Where to go from here?” is a question I’m sure a lot of front offices and fans are asking at the moment. CelticsBlog.com asks that very question for Boston in Writer’s Blocked.

Clips Nation‘s ClipperSteve got to do an interview with Jared Jordan. Can he make it in the big time? Read this article to find out what the author thinks…

So… what’s Shaq up to? Shaq’s Fat Camp of course! Pyle of List recaps episode 3 on Shaq’s Fat Camp Episode III.

Ego is not a dirty word? Green Bandwagon looks at Egos… percieved slights are just as real as intentional insults (if anyone can get a message through to Shawn Marion, tell him we’ll organise a Lakers cheergirl in a Shawn Marion uniform… but only if it’s in purple & gold!).

Corey Brewer’s a wolf. A Timberwolf. Whilst watching the NCAA final, this guy was the ‘Gator I was most impressed with. I Heart KG explores why he’s a great pick at #7 in the NBA Draft.

Darren Heitner explores Greg Oden’s character development in the very illuminating Greg Oden’s First Endorsement Should Be For Hand Sanitizer at I want to be a Sports Agent.

The guys at HoopsAddict bring us two excellent articles. One from Kinnon Yee explores how the acquisition of the gunner Jason Kapono changes the Toronto Raptors… in the second, Ryan McNeill gives us an excerpt from Filip Bondy’s book “Tip-Off: How The 1984 Draft Changed Basketbal Forever – that looks at the 1984 draft, the Philadelphia 76ers of the time, and ‘shapes’ in The Imperfect Fit.

Red’sArmy.com‘s Matty G Thanks Delonte West for Everything. Even tho’ I’m not a Boston fan, I really like Delonte. You gotta admire the way the guy plays.

MVN Basketball has a host of writers I like to read… Jon Burkett gives us two articles, the aptly-named What the Yi is going on? (written in the NBA Draft University section) and he cheers Hooray for Thadeus Young (within the Passion and Pride – Philadelphia 76ers section).

Another MVN basketball piece from Wolves Watch – Minnesota Timberwolves, (where even tho’ it’s not mentioned – as a Laker fan I get excited when I read KG trade pieces) Too Late To Trade KG? Nope.

Signal To Noise explores the NBA free Agency (neat picture of Ron Van Gundy too)…

NBA Glue presents an article exploring free agency in 3 pieces. The first & second look at NBA Glue‘s Top 10 free agents (I love lists), whereas part 3 explores where are the likely destinations for some of those agents.

Seth of Posting and Toasting (part of the SB Nation group) gives us the absolutely bizarre Stephon Marbury on YouTube… words do not suffice.

Spencer Hawes learns basketball from… YouTube? Sactown Royalty exposes Hawes’ youth.

David Stern makes sure the money keeps rolling in… Sportsbiz explores the extension of NBA digital media rights to it’s broadcasting partners in NBA Extends TV Deals.

TWolvesBlog.com weighs the balance in any trade involving Kevin Garnett in What Have We Become?… I sympathize, I for one would love him to come to the Lakers, but I cannot imagine a world where there’s a Minnesota without KG.

History. The NBA has it by the ton (metric or imperial!)… and none more so than the Boston Celtics. LOY’s PLACE explores the history of the C’s in A Dose of Celtics History Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Lastly, my own (With Malice…) exploration of one of the ailments of the NBA players today, in two parts: When arrogance rules supreme part 1, and part 2.

And that’s the end of issue #46 of the Carnival of the NBA… make sure when you visit the sites that submitted to have a look around. Each & every one a gem…

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Get the goggles, it’s BLOGSIFTING time!

Ok, put on your protective goggles & get ready to sift the blog (man… that just sounds dirty!)…

1. ShakedownSports presents us with the Rivershark’s Mr Trash in Finally, A Mascot With A Social Conscience.
2. I get my fix of Shaq’s Fat Camp (iii) at Pyle of List (Shaq’s Fat Camp is not available in Japan).
3. Miss Gossip interviews Greg Oden at Fanhouse… awesome interview.
4. The Depths of Michael Vick’s Mind… yay Kissing Suzy Kolber!
5. Guys who just can’t get it right… Nightmare Clients at I Want to be a Sports Agent.
6. Where are they going? Rumors and Rants tells us where NBA Free Agents are headed in Rumor Round Up.
7. Winning the Turnover Battle lets us know Where the Sports-movie Tomboys are…

Fantastic stuff… you keep up the writing, I’ll keep the protective goggles & waterproof gear ready.

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Worth a note that the 16th will see the publication of the 46th issue of the Carnival of the NBA… HERE at With Malice…! 

Salvation or Damnation… what’s the off-season hold for YOU?

 

Hope. It springs eternal (apparently)… And just prior to the NBA Draft, it’s something that oh-so-many basketball fans cling to like a piece of drift-wood in an ocean of mediocrity. It’s just prior to the NBA draft where the deals will get done… where the movers ‘n’ shakers of the upper echelons of NBA-dom will consign their fans to realising their hopes, or squash ’em like bugs.

At the same time, I both love and hate this time of year. I love it, because maybe, just maybe we get the deal done that will make us a force to be reckoned with this year. I hate it, because there’s every chance that no trades will happen… or worse… we trade for crap & we get worse! I speak about this for all fans… for just prior to the draft, and the next season beginning, we are all in the same frame of mind… just to different degrees. This season, pretty much only fans of San Antonio can sit back and be relaxed, for the rest of us… uncertainty retains a grip on us. Certainly all Eastern Conference teams’ fans have to be wondering “is the divide that great?” after San Antonio’s demolition of Cleveland… supposedly the best the East had to offer. Once-proud franchise Boston are getting rebutted by star-after-star-after-star… In the West, 67 win team Dallas have to be pondering their future. What’s it going to take to improve? For despite the win/loss ratio, Dallas were sorely out-played, out-coached & out-thought by the Golden State Warriors in the first round. Phoenix too… everything seems to be conspiring against them even getting to the Finals. And whilst they were one injudicious decision away from probably making the Finals, when the trade-talk’s flying (like it is now), they have to be wondering. Then the Lakers… man… not quite in the Boston situation, but still a case of ‘how-the-mighty-have-fallen’. Mis-managed and drama-ridden… Even as I type, the Lakers are trying to get Kevin Garnett (a player who matches Kobe for work ethic) – and yet the word we get from Rick Bucher (my, does he seem more and more like a chattel of Kobe’s at the moment?) is that even that may not satiate Kobe. What does he want? The Second Coming? At the end of the 2002 finals, a three-peat complete, who would’ve foreseen where they find themselves now? Perhaps the only two fan-groups out there not beside themselves with mixes of trepidation/longing/hope are those of Portland & Seattle. The twin pillars of salvation, Greg Oden & Kevin Durant beckon… most folks I know who support those two teams are salivating at the prospect of who-goes-where. Even so, once they’re there – the pressure will mount, expectations will be raised, and in a year, they’ll probably be back with the rest of us… oscillating between joyful anticipation, and agitation. The pendulum swings…

Finals? Bah… Bring on the Off-season!!!

Ok… I know the NBA finals are going to be exciting now. I get that. Lebron “Luke-the-force-is-with-you” James vs the San Antonio “Deathstar” Spurs (who really thinks the good guys are going to win this time?) – great viewing.

But the off-season this year is looking so… interesting! First, the draft. How karmic was it that Boston & Memphis did not get a top 3 choice after two of the most obvious tanking performances I’ve seen by a professional sports team?!! I heard that in the morning on my way to work, and could not stop smiling all day!

We got Portland getting the first pick – and are almost certain to take Greg Oden & take a big step in the turn-around of the franchise once known as the ‘Jail Blazers’. The only alumni left from that group is Zach Randolph, and trade rumours surround him galore. Sure, the rebuilding of Rip City started before now – and the addition of Brandon Roy/LaMarcus Aldridge last year was a coup – but with Greg Oden in the mix, the sights will be set much, much higher. And deservedly so. Exciting times ahead for Portland.

With the losses (all surprisedly so?) of Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix, we can expect at least some retooling to occur within those rosters.

With Flip Saunders expecting to stay with the Pistons , that will probably ensure that fairly significant changes will occur to the roster. Rasheed Wallace has probably received his last technical in a Detroit uniform, Chris Webber’s probably due to retire, and the changes that occur might mean that Chauncey Billups departs too – via free agency.

Even with Mark Cuban declaring unconditional support for Dirk, I’d expect changes in Dallas. Dirk’ll stay, but Jason Terry is destined for somewhere else, Devin Harris deserves to have the ball. The Warriors exposed the deficiencies the Mavericks have at close to the basket – Dirk is simply more touch than brawn, and Eric Dampier’s ever-growing-contract is an elephant for the team to carry. Jerry Stackhouse is a free agent, and it will depend on the offers he gets. But bottom line: Dallas need a big guy, who can provide muscle… and not just talk about it like Dampier.

Phoenix are interesting. But for a hit by Robert Horry…

then maybe the Spurs aren’t in the finals.