Today, the Phoenix Suns traded D.J. Strawberry to the Houston Rockets for Sean Singletary:

“Sean gives us depth at the point guard spot,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr. “We like his instincts and his ability to run a team. He also puts a lot of pressure on the ball defensively. We thank D.J. for his contributions and wish him well.”

My Quick Take: It’s becoming obvious. Phoenix’s ‘Seven Seconds To Shoot’ system is out, replaced by GM Steve Kerr’s vision for a more defensive team.

Consider the evidence. Michael Jordan’s former backcourt mate has dealt track star Shawn Marion for the slower Shaquille O’Neal, replaced coach Mike D’Antoni with blue-collar sideline boss Terry Porter, and signed tough point guard Goran Dragic.

Today, Kerr swapped Strawberry’s athleticism for Singletary’s on the ball, full-court pressure. The 2008 second round pick could get minutes if Dragic isn’t ready to back-up Nash.

Most importantly, this deal shows the Suns are moving away from entertaining, run-and-gun basketball. Look for a more conventional, half-court style next year.

Are the Suns better by emphasizing defence? Get at us in the comment box below and come back to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbtis. Photo courtesy of strebel.

NBA news mixed with analysis:

News: “I would like to share a story with you about something that happened with the Spanish National Team that someone interpreted incorrectly. It happened in the photo session where the Spanish National Team was introduced; one of our sponsors asked us to pose with a “wink” to our participation in Beijing, we made an oriental expression with our eyes. We thought it was something appropriate and that it would always be interpreted as somewhat loving.” (From TSN and El Mundo) 

Analysis: Nobody had a rougher Olympics than Jose Calderon. First, he was photographed with the Spanish National squad making an insulting “oriental expression” (his words, not mine). Instead of offering an unconditional apology, he made things worse by trying to explain the picture.

Toronto has a large and proud Chinese population. Calderon, after inking a lucrative extension with the Raptors this summer and landing the starting point guard spot, may face a backlash from the city’s Chinese community.  

News: “It’s not the moment to be talking about officiating, but I think we would have won under FIBA rules.” (Found this on HoopsHype rumours section. Original source El Mundo.)

Analysis: The Raptors’ table-setter sat out the gold medal game with injury, but still blamed officiating for Spain’s loss to ‘Redeem’ Team USA. Worst of all, he threw out a disclaimer before insinuating the refs contributed to the defeat.

During his three-year run in the NBA, Calderon has handled the press beautifully, sidestepping a potential controversy with former teammate T.J. Ford over the starting point guard spot. Until recently, his conduct on-and-off court had been exceptional.

Something changed at the Olympics, though. During Sunday’s final, Calderon and his teammates protested every call, which led to two fourth quarter technical fouls. Jay Triano, an assistant coach with Calderon’s own Raptors and game analyst with CBC, criticized Spain’s poor sportsmanship on-air.

Hopefully, the Jose that Toronto knows and loves returns –and soon.  

What do you think of Calderon’s photograph and complaints about officiating? Did the refs favour Team USA? Get at us in the comment box below and return to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of noamgalai.

When one is up, the other is down. Of course, we’re referring to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s careers following their 2004 divorce from the L.A. Lakers.

After their break-up, O’Neal was clearly on the up in South Beach. Superman’ and ‘Flash’ (Dwyane Wade) won an NBA Title together. Reality shows, sponsors, and the world loved Kazaam’s charisma. And fair or not, he was deemed the good guy, enjoying a get-out-of-jail-free-pass when poor conditioning set in.

Meanwhile, Bryant was down and out in La-La land. His team never advanced past the first round of the playoffs. Off-court, he couldn’t shake the negative ‘pub’ from various indiscretions. Fair or not, he was dubbed the bad guy, bottoming-out in June of 2007 with a series of bizarre trade demands.

Well, the tables have officially turned.

For the past ten months, Kobe’s career has been on the up. He won the 2007-08 regular season MVP through facilitating for others. He helped his teams advance to the NBA Finals. And he just received a gold medal with ‘Redeem Team’ USA.

His public relations reps made sure ABC/ESPN beamed shots of him hugging his daughter around the world. Most importantly, he has avoided nightmares like … 

And ...   

“NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has been ordered to steer clear of an Atlanta-area woman who took out a restraining order Thursday. 

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks granted Alexis Miller’s request Thursday after reviewing her allegations that the basketball player stalked her, threatened her with bodily harm and made harassing phone calls in which he breathed heavily into the phone before hanging up.” (Atlanta Constitution Journal)

“The wife of Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O’Neal said Thursday that her marriage to the NBA star is on the mend.

During an interview about the launch of her new video-sharing Web site, Shaunie O’Neal told the Associated Press that the couple plans to stop divorce proceedings soon.

Neither one of us could probably answer why we were getting one in the first place, " Shaunie O’Neal said." (Atlanta Constitution Journal)

Okay, O’Neal is clearly down. Nobody knew what to make of his free style rap; right or wrong, it was his decision. And every couple has problems. However, a restraining order is never good, especially when the one being ‘restrained’ is supposedly rebuilding his marriage with his longtime wife.

Like I said, when one is up, the other must be down. Only now Shaq and Kobe have switched places.

Have O’Neal and Bryant switched places? Is it fair? Get at us in the comment box below and return to HoopsVibe the Blog for further NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of The Jeff Selis.

They’ve officially been redeemed. On Saturday/Sunday, Team USA atoned for past international losses by capturing the Olympic gold medal in basketball with a 118-107 win over Spain.

The end result, an American triumph, was never really in doubt (even though Spain were trailing by just four late in the final quarter) ’Victory’ was really guaranteed when veteran superstars Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd committed to ’Stars-and-Stripes’ for the 2007 Americas Tournament and beyond.

Bryant and Kidd joined Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James to give America their best squad since the 1992 Dream Team.

Of course, this produced an anti-climatic ending -like the good guy prevailing in an action flick or the male and female leads embracing at the end of a sappy romantic comedy accompanied by an even sappier Celine Dion tune.

But the process, the Olympic tournament, produced several storylines, each worth further reflection. Here are nine things we learned from basketball in Beijing:

• #1 The Obvious: When their best buy-in, Team USA is still basketball’s top dog. What would the result have been if interior defenders Tim Duncan and/or Kevin Garnett signed on for the program?

• #2 The Not So Obvious: Kobe Bryant can dominate without scoring. Sure, ‘Black Mamba’ chipped-in offensively, but the baddest two-man on the planet contributed by ’Bruce Bowening’ (without the knees, elbows, and undercuts) the other team’s best scorer. 

• #3 Really, Move Over Jason Kidd: In case you missed last season, Chris Paul and Deron Williams once again proved they’re better point guards than Kidd. The youngsters rightfully received the majority of minutes at the one-spot. 

• #4 Chris Bosh Plays Defence: CB4 confused critics by becoming an interior stopper and bringing blue-collar muscle off the bench. Can he play both ends for Toronto next year, though? 

• #5 Flash’s Return: Dwyane Wade has recovered after two years of injury and sub-par play. Look for Flash to continue his renaissance in South Beach –provided he stays healthy, of course. 

• #6 Superstar Pine-Timers: Give Carlos Boozer, Michael Redd, and Tasyhaun Prince credit. This star trio could’ve pouted about their reserve status, but instead stayed ready and positive on the sideline. 

• #7 Spain The Beast: No Jose Calderon. And no escape from questions over an inappropriate photo. No problem. The Spanish once again showed they are an elite squad by qualifying for the gold medal game and hanging with ‘Redeem Team’. 

• #8 Luis Scola Can Play: The Argentine post is an international superstar. He was the best player at last year’s Americas’ Tournament. At Beijing, against Team USA, he hit for 28 points and 11 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. Expect big things in Houston next year. 

• #9 Patrick Mills NBA Bound: Simply put, Team USA had no answer for Mills’ quickness. The ‘Aussie’ reminds me of a young Tony Parker and, depending on his progress in college, could be in an NBA training camp come September of 2009.

Steve Nash keeps making headlines for the right reasons. In June, he joined a group of businessmen trying to bring an MLS expansion team to Vancouver, Canada. In typical Nash fashion, the plan is to eventually make the MLS squad a charitable organization with a share of profits supporting youth soccer.  

Not surprisingly, this isn’t Kid Canada’s only off-court assist. The Globe and Mail’s David Hutton reports that Nash is urging the Ontario government to continue funding drug treatment for high school pal Simon Ibell, who suffers from Hunter syndrome, an enzyme disorder that affects a small number of Canadians each year. Ibell’s disorder can be treated through the drug Elaprase, which is covered by provincial health programs in Alberta and British Columbia. However, Ontario does not cover the drug, even though it’s recognized by Health Canada.

"To date, four people have been funded to receive the treatment in Canada. Although Elaprase is not a cure for Hunter syndrome, a progressive disease, it has been shown to improve some outcomes in patients, such as lengthening walking distance.

At a cost of about $400,000 a year, the intravenous medicine is unaffordable for most patients without government funding. Mr. Ibell, who lives in Toronto, receives the drug on a trial basis, but he says that will run out soon.

"This is how universal health care is supposed to work," Mr. Ibell said in an interview. "Once the trial is up, the plug gets pulled unless the government steps up." (The Globe and Mail, David Hutton)

Ibell and I attended the University of Victoria at the same time. I didn’t know him personally (the college days are, well, foggy), but do remember his energy managing the school’s always-competitive basketball team.

Ibell seemed like a good guy then. And clearly remains a giving person, working as a fundraiser for the Right To Play organization. His situation shows universal health care is unfortunately subjective –even when the patient needs, and deserves, coverage.

Click here to sign the Steve Nash led petition for Ibell to receive continued funding and click here to learn about Hunter syndrome. Photo courtesy of skewb.

• ESPN’s truehoop praises Philly for hosting a bloggers-only conference call. 76ers’ GM Ed Stefanski said my invite got lost in snail mail. No hard feelings Ed; must have been the international mail thing to ’Van City’. 

• Get a sneak peak at the Celtics versus Lakers on EA’s NBA 2K9 courtesy of The Score’s Branded. Gamers will be in love. 

• The most underrated on-line basketball magazine, Hoops Addict, lists the most underrated NBA players. 

• An oldie, but a goodie. And I’m not describing classic Chaka Khan tunes. The Globe and Mail’s Michael Grange writes on Team Canada veteran and European star Rowan Barrett. 

• Former NBA coach Eric Musselman recaps USA-Australia. Yes, the one-time Golden State and Sacramento sideline boss blogs. And he has skills. 

• The boys at Celticsblog.com have the Darius Miles signing on lock. 

• SacTown Royalty has video of Bobby Jackson discussing the prodigal son’s return to the Kings. Could we be seeing another Coach Jackson in the NBA? 

• Detroit Bad Boys wonders if Theo Ratliff really had other offers. 

• Brew Hoop has the latest on Andrew Bogut’s injury.  

• After a busy summer, the Clippers have finally arrived. And Clippers blog breaks down rotation options.
  

• HoopsVibe’s international man CYE has fresh sneaker stuff despite being on a trip through the outback of Greece (he was probably putting in work on the sister of Ronny Seikly’s wife). Anyway, check out the Nike Foamposite One in Varsity Purple. And keep an eye out for his outstanding features all over the site.
  

• Keeping it in the ’fam’, big John Nguyen sparked some great discussion with Death To Combo Guards. I agree with his take and not because he’s a co-worker. All things being equal, a true table-setter usually trumps a ’tweener’.
  

I was born, raised, and still live near Seattle in Vancouver, Canada. So I have a bias for nearly everything Pacific Northwest.

For example, I believe former Seahawk Brian Bosworth did solid work in Stone Cold. I love Sir Mix-A-Lot and not just during throwback hour on the FM dial or at weddings. And I’ll have words for anyone who thinks Gary Payton isn’t an all-time top-ten point guard.

I recognize this mindset can be presumptuous. Take last week’s post when I argued that former Sonic Shawn Kemp is the greatest big man dunker ever. Of course, readers could kybosh the ‘Reign Man’ by voting for Dwight Howard or Darryl Dawkins.

Other dunkers, from the modern era, may have been overlooked. What about Atlanta’s Josh Smith? Or Phoenix Sun Amare Stoudemire? One e-mailer thought Kenyon Martin, despite the injuries, still warranted consideration.

These players are amazing. I’m not sure if they’re at Kemp, Howard, or Dawkins’ level, though. Still, emails and comments forced me to push aside my love for Italy’s greatest import and open things up to you, the reader.

Below is a case and youtube clip for each player. Read each case, watch each clip, and get at us with votes on whether Martin, Smith, or Stoudemire can be considered in the conversation of greatest big man dunker ever.

Candidate #1: Kenyon Martin.

Nickname: K-Mart.

Best asset: Martin has power and aggression. He is known for attacking the rim, often catching seemingly impossible lob-passes.

Candidate #2: Josh Smith.

Nickname: J-Smoove or The Guilty Pleasure.

Best asset: High-flying athleticism. Smith, whatever his nickname is, soars through the air and defines playing above the rim.

Candidate #3: Amare Stoudemire.

Nickname: STAT.

Best asset: Athleticism, grace, and power. The Suns’ superstar has every characteristic of a great dunker.

My Call: Stoudemire is the best of the modern era. He deserves mention with all-time greats like Kemp, Howard, and Dawkins. 

Who is the best dunker: Martin, Smith, or Stoudemire? Are any as good as Kemp, Howard or Dawkins? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts and return to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of Keith Allison.

I call them Dream Team killers. After all, Argentina is the only country to have beaten Team USA more than once since NBA players received permission to suit up in international competition.

They’ve done it twice. Argentina beat a dysfunctional American side at the 2002 World Championship in Indiana and, two years later, at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Will there be a third time? On Friday, Argentina and Team USA will meet in the semi-finals of the medal round. The winner advances to the gold medal game. The loser plays for bronze.

To quote De La Soul ’Stakes Is High’ for both sides. Argentina wants to re-establish her spot on the basketball stage after some poor finishes in international play. And Team USA wants redemption. Below is your semi-finals preview:

Keys to Argentina winning: 

• Pray. And pray hard. Perhaps, my man and the greatest soccer player since Pele, Diego Maradona can send his country on group mass.  Not trying to demean the former world champs, but this American side is virtually unbeatable when making shots. Argentina must play immaculate basketball, while Team USA must have an off-day.

• Manu Ginobili must be perfect. Yes, perfect. The swing has to hit everything, get lockdown specialist Kobe Bryant in foul trouble, and irritate the Americans. 

• Avoid foul trouble. The Argentines only go six deep because they are without valuable rotations players like Walter Hermann and Pepe Sanchez. 

• Luis Scola must deliver. The MVP of the 2007 Tournament of Americas’ has to post even better numbers than his impressive Olympic averages of 18 points and seven rebounds.

Keys to Team USA winning: 

• Team USA can’t lose their cool against agitators like Ginobili or Andres Nocioni. Argentina’s feistiness distracts opponents and they’ll feed off a flustered American side. 

• Embrace the momentum. The Americans beat Argentina at the Tournament of the Americas and at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. So Team USA should use whatever psychological advantage they can muster from past victories. 

• Continue making shots against Argentina’s man-to-man defence. Team USA has faced a steady diet of zones; they need to punish the South Americans for daring to play a straight man-to-man defence.  

• Attack, attack, attack. America must go to the basket and draw fouls. Argentina is small and, again, has a depleted rotation of six players. Take advantage and make them play reserves. 

Friday’s game is bright and early at 10:15 eastern, 7:15 pacific. Chances are, third time won’t be a charm for the undermanned Argentines. Those Dream Team Killer days are likely over.

Argentina or Team USA? Who wins Friday’s semi-finals? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts and return to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbits. Photo courtesy of Mr. Wright.

Today’s NBA news mixed with some quick analysis ...

News: “Seeking help at center, the Heat scheduled a Wednesday visit with Jamaal Magloire, 30, his agent said. Magloire, who is 6-11, has averaged 8.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his career but played in just 31 games last season, joining Dallas after New Jersey cut him in February.” (Miami Herald)

Quick Analysis: Miami, with 64 million dollars in committed salary for 2008-09, can’t afford a real center. Enter Magloire. The former defensive stud and All-Star has fallen on hard times of late, so he’d come cheap. If he sticks in South Beach, expect a center-by-committee approach with Magloire, Joel Anthony, Mark Blount, and Udonis Haslem. This platoon won’t turn the Heat into 2008-09 contenders, but it will keep them competitive while the club sees how Michael Beasley and Shawn Marion fit next to Dwyane Wade.

News: “In what should be the final move of a hectic summer, the Sixers are expected to add veteran center Theo Ratliff. According to a source familiar with the situation, the 6-foot-10 Ratliff has accepted a one-year contract for the veterans’ minimum of $1.4 million. Ratliff, 35, had offers for more money but would prefer playing for the Sixers, the source said.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Quick Analysis: Nothing like the return of the old school, especially when it makes sense on a couple of levels. First, by bringing back Ratliff, the 76ers are getting an experienced ‘vet’ to provide bench relief after Jason Smith’s injury. Second, he’ll mentor young stopper Sam Dalembert, who has a similar frame to Ratliff. Currently, no word on Ty Hill, Matt Geiger, or George Lynch making a comeback with Philly, though!

News: "This is like my dream come true," said the 22 year old Slovenian point guard, who is daydreaming a night after a 14 hour trip to Phoenix. "I can’t believe I’m on the same team with him," Dragic said. "I’m really blessed. This is my next step. I must practice hard in hopes I can replace Steve Nash in the future." (The Arizona Republic)

Quick Analysis: The student is an obvious fan of his master. And, if all goes according to plan in Phoenix, the student will eventually replace his master. Dragic and Steve Nash are the Suns’ understudy and veteran duo at point guard.

Dragic has all the tools: size, intelligence, skill, and a pass-first mentality.The club will benefit long-term by grooming Nash’s successor. In the short-term, Grant Hill, Leandro Barbosa, and Boris Diaw can split back-up table-setter minutes if Dragic isn’t ready to step-in.

(Dragic in Europe. Is he Phoenix’s next great point guard or an overhyped Euro?) 

What are your thoughts on Magloire, Ratliff, and Dragic? Get at us in the comment box below and come back to HoopsVibe The Blog for another round of News and Analysis and more NBA tidbits. Errors, either grammitacl or factual, are due to the time and the author’s need for a second cup of coffee. Photo courtesy of blink4ever:

Forget August 5^th. Forget the exhibition game, where Australia challenged America by controlling tempo through zone defences and methodical half-court sets.

Two weeks later. Same teams. Different result. On Wednesday morning, Team USA advanced to the semi-finals of the medal round, using momentum from a late second quarter run to beat a feisty Australian side 116-85.

Here are my quick notes from the game:

• The Boomers confused Stars & Stripes in the first half by implementing various zone defences. Once again, by slowing tempo, the ‘Aussies’ kept close before a Deron Williams three-pointer closed the first half and pushed America’s lead to twelve going into the break. 

• Team USA then outscored Australia 34-18 in the third frame. The ‘Redeemers’ opened things up by hitting outside shots and going inside with NBA post Andrew Bogut injured. 

• Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James kept Team USA’s stat guy busy. Bryant made 4-of-7 three-pointers and 9-of-15 overall for a game high 23 points, while Anthony and James combined for 31 points and 16 rebounds. 

• Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade made major contributions off-the-bench. Both were productive in 16 minutes of playing time. Bosh scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds, and set the tone on defence, while Wade scored eight and collected eight rebounds. 

• Team USA continued to platoon all three point-guards. However, Williams was easily the best. Of course, he sank that clutch three-pointer near the end of the second quarter, but also scored 10 points, grabbed three rebounds, and dished out three assists in just over a half of playing time. 

• America is unbeatable when making shots. They connected on 43-of-76 attempts overall, which included an impressive 12-of-29 three-pointers. Their free throw shooting (58% on 18-of-31 attempts) was less impressive. 

• Despite the loss, the future is bright for Australia. Patrick Mills led the way against Team USA with 20 points on a collection of drives and jump shots. Best of all, he wasn’t intimidated by the American stars. The Mills, Bogut, and Brad Newley trio will hit their prime just in time for the 2012 London Olympics.