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High Times: marijuana video will end Stephon Marbury’s NBA careerAugust 16 09  Right now, Stephon Marbury is likely pulling his signature Starbury sneakers out his mouth.Recently, the combo guard smoked weed for viewers of his video blog and admitted to using the drug. Make no mistake about it, this will kill whatever was left of the veteran’s NBA career. Marbury, a free agent with a troubling track record, needed to avoid controversy to land one final contract before calling it a career. Admitting to marijuana use and putting it on-line for millions to see is an obvious mistake and will scare off the few teams that had interest in his services. After all, suppose you’re an NBA GM. Think of the problems that would come from signing puff-puff-pass Marbury: (Marbury indulging.) 1) Commissioner Stern and his lackeys would be all over the former All-Star with drug tests like the French and Lance Armstrong. The Player’s Union could step in, but Marbury would surely draw the watchful eye of league head office.Using marijuana in such a public fashion is a bad decision, but it doesn’t make Marbury a bad person. He still has enough skill to help a team. However, this incident when combined with his past baggage will end his career. This is sad. Like many of you, I grew up reading of Marbury’s exploits as a New York wonder kid and had high hopes for his pro career. After some initial success with Kevin Garnett in Minnesota, things never materialized. Years ago, Marbury put his foot in his mouth by asking the Timberwolves for a trade. Unfortunately, he never learned from his mistake and it will end his NBA career. What do you think of Marbury smoking weed? Let us know in the comment box below. Follow Oly Sandor at HoopsVibe The Blog and Twitter. Photo courtesy of mcdonaldsallamericangames.
No Joe of a signing; getting Smith shows Atlanta Hawks’ growthAugust 15 09  Breaking news mixed with analysis …Their News: `Joe Smith has agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks for the veteran’s minimum, a source told ESPN’s Ric Bucher on Friday.` (ESPN) My Gut Reaction: Economic downturns reveal much about an organization. Good organizations still spend money during tough times, while not-so-good organizations close-up the purse strings, hide at the bottom of the standings and point to the business cycle as an excuse for their inactivity. With this gauge in mind, it appears the Atlanta Hawks have turned the corner. In July, the NBA’s former laughingstock resigned Mike Bibby to a three-year, 18 million dollar pact. This was a key move. Not long ago, the Hawks struggled to keep journeymen and are now retaining talented players at reasonable dollars. Recently, Marvin Williams also re-upped with the club. The North Carolina alum has developed into a solid all-around player and will anchor the three-spot for years to come. Like Bibby, the Hawks got Williams at a fair price of five-years and $37.5 million. This brings us to today‘s news: Joe Smith has signed a one-year deal with Atlanta for the veteran‘s minimum. On-court, Smith provides depth and scoring to the front-court. Off-court, the fourteen-year man brings professionalism and wisdom to an up-and-coming club. However, the interesting part is that Smith picked the Hawks over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yes, you read correctly. ESPN is reporting the former first overall pick preferred Joe Johnson and Josh Smith to LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal. To be fair, Smith’s decision was surely influenced by role. The post would be hard pressed for minutes in forward-heavy Cleveland, but likely gets more playing time in Atlanta. Of course, on the whole, the Cavaliers are still the superior organization. Yet, the Smith signing shows how the Hawks have progressed. Atlanta is no longer the league’s Siberia. This summer proves they are, in fact, a good organization. Got thoughts on Atlanta signing Smith? Follow Oly Sandor`s HoopsVibe Blog and on Twitter. Photo courtesy of KU.
Is Steve Nash the world`s first recycled man?August 15 09  He is a two-time MVP. He has been an All-Star. And he seems destined for the Hall of Fame once he retires from professional basketball.However, Steve Nash’s greatest accomplishment is being the world’s first recycled man. Critically acclaimed scientist Amare Stoudemire worked with Nike to assemble a faster and stronger version of the point guard. Watch Nash’s newest Nike spoof and hit us with your comments in the opinion box below. Follow Oly Sandor on HoopsVibe The Blog and Twitter. Photo courtesy of luzer.
The Hypocrisy of Rick PitinoAugust 13 09  I try to avoid personal lives. It’s a no-fly zone. I, like most media, prefer judging an athlete, coach, or entertainer on performance. My reasoning is simple: as a fan, I pay money to watch athletes do things I can’t. For instance, I forked over cold hard cash to watch Shawn Kemp dunk a basketball and Sean Avery (the NHL’s biggest twit) provoke opponents on the ice. I didn’t like that Kemp wasn’t Father of The Year material. And I thought Avery’s ‘sloppy seconds’ comment about a competitor’s girlfriend was tasteless and offside. (All class Sean!) Still, I had no issue buying a ticket to watch Kemp and Avery because they have talent a normal person like me lacks. For this blog, off-court follies mostly take a backseat to on-court skill or the business of hoops. Obviously, the two are often linked. For instance, the Los Angeles Lakers considered Ron Artest’s history before they signed him in July. And organizations surely research an athlete before offering him a lucrative contract. Still, even with a hear-no-evil-see-no-evil approach, I can’t avoid Rick Pitino. I wanted to, but can’t. Pitino -a married man, father of five, and high profile NCAA basketball coach- has been accused of raping a female acquaintance he met six years ago. Pitino maintains the sex was consensual, while the female has been charged with attempting to extort money and other benefits from the sideline boss. Obviously, rape and adultery are wrong. The former is for the legal system, while the latter is for Mrs. Pitino. Instead, I want to focus on something Colin Cowherd addressed on his radio show today: the hypocrisy of Rick Pitino. For years, Pitino has earned a fortune as a public speaker. Companies paid him thousands of dollars to speak to their employees and preach the virtues of discipline, faith, and family. His message was clear: I succeeded at Providence, Kentucky, and Louisville because I behaved morally. You (the audience) can succeed by doing the same. Today, we learned this was a hoax and Pitino, in fact, didn’t buy what he was selling. How can Pitino speak to others about living a certain lifestyle and then do the opposite? Even worse, how can Pitino charge thousands of dollars in speaker fees and ignore his own code? Details surrounding the rape accusation are still emerging. The accuser’s credibility has been undermined by the extortion charge. And infidelity is common; people screw up. But mistakes aren’t the issue, hypocrisy is. Today, Louisville forgave Pitino for his mistake. Hopefully, the coach looks in the mirror and realizes his own hypocritical ways. Got thoughts on Rick Pitino? Let us know in the comment box below. Follow Oly Sandor on HoopsVibe and Twitter. Photo courtesy of bennett42728.
To Rest or Play Hurt: L.A.`s dilemma with Pau Gasol and the European ChampionshipAugust 12 09 I hope the Los Angeles Lakers remember Jorge Garbajosa.After jumping from Europe to the NBA, Garbajosa compromised his career with the Toronto Raptors by coming back prematurely from a broken leg to represent Spain in the European championship. Garbajosa’s leg was never the same. Neither were the Raptors. Without his blue-collar muscle, their win total fell from a franchise best 47 in 2007. And the forward, after receiving a buyout from Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment, returned to Europe, while Toronto has since redone their team. I don’t want to frighten the purple-and-gold by bringing up Garbajosa, which is a worst case scenario. But the Lakers must be concerned with Pau Gasol breaking his finger while training for September’s European championship with the Spanish national side. The All-Star needs surgery and should sit for a minimum of three weeks, which may include the Euro’ (the tournament starts September 7th). Now the Lakers are in a bind. Common sense would dictate Gasol skips the event to get right for the NBA season. Repeating as world champions becomes tough without the four-man healthy. So ownership could ban Gasol from the tournaments, right? After all, the Buss clan are paying him to win Larry O’Brien trophies for ‘Jacko‘, ‘Flea’ and Los Angeles. Representing Spain is not part of the deal. Well, hold on. European and South American players take pride in representing their country. Restricting Gasol from the Euro` or upcoming FIBA World Championship could damage the club’s relationship with their second best player. Consider Gregg Popovich and San Antonio. The future Hall of Fame sideline boss knows he can’t stop stars Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker from suiting up for Argentina or France. In the past, both risked their professional livelihood with the Spurs to play hurt for their country. It’s hard to fault Gasol for having the same strong feelings about representing Spain. Right now, the word is he’ll play through the injury and be ready for the tournament opener against Serbia. Of course, Gasol’s passion for country won’t make it easy for the Lakers to repeat. Should Gasol play or sit the European Championship? Should his country, Spain, or club, the Lakers, take priority? Get at us with thoughts in the comment box below. Follow Oly Sandor on HoopsVibe and Twitter. Photo courtesy of SantiMB.
The Great Summer Fall-off: Why Charlotte, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Phoenix will struggle in 2010August 11 09  At the beginning of every week, HoopsVibe the Blog drops a list for fans to weigh-in on. We call it Listed ... The NBA is a 24/7, 365 days a year business. Downtime is for the weak. Holidays are meaningless. After all, ten teams are scheduled to suit up on Jesus’ birthday, so why would summer provide rest and relaxation? Club executives are always competing over players, picks, and cap space. Of course, in every competition winners and losers emerge. This summer, the line between teams that got better and worse widened. The great divide is money. Even with a soft salary cap, the NBA is becoming like European football or Major League Baseball. There are a few have clubs. And there are many have-not clubs. In this edition of ‘Listed’, we’re exploring teams that fell off this summer due to a lack of finances. As always, read the post and hit me with thoughts in the comment section. Charlotte ... One step forward. Two steps back. After barely missing their first-ever playoff spot, the Bobcats have stalled. Emeka Okafor was recently dealt to New Orleans for Tyson Chandler. These two have comparable talent, but Okafor has a multi-year contract, while Chandler can exercise his option next summer and walk as a free agent. There is uncertainty at centre and point guard isn’t any clearer. Ray Felton’s future is murky; as a restricted free agent he’s currently locked in a contract dispute with the club. Good teams have stability at the one and five-spots, so draw your own conclusions about the Bobcats. Clearly, owner Bob Johnson’s shaky finances influenced the Okafor-Chandler deal and are now impacting negotiations with Felton. Unfortunately, Charlotte, after dealing with George Shinn, won’t embrace a team that doesn’t invest in players or the community. Milwaukee ... A small market saddled with bad contracts. Unfortunately, this forced the Bucks to part with assets. Richard Jefferson, their best all around player, was dealt for expiring contracts. Ramon Sessions, a dynamic point guard, will sign elsewhere as a restricted free agent. And Charlie Villanueva will take his twittering to Detroit. Well, Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd better produce in 2010. Philadelphia ... The 76ers are a little gun shy after Elton Brand’s max contract. To be fair, reports indicate Brand will make a full recovery, yet when healthy he struggled to fit with his run-heavy teammates last year. This brings us to the summer of 2009. Not keeping Andre Miller is understandable. Not getting anything for him in a sign-and-trade is entirely different, especially with no fall-back option (Sorry, Louis Williams is a scoring guard). Off-court, things are unsettled. Comcast, who own the club, have never clarified their long-term intentions, but can’t be happy with lagging attendance in basketball-mad Philadelphia. Phoenix ... The Suns lack direction. On the one hand, they’ve publicly stated their goal is to win now, so Steve Nash and Grant Hill were re-signed. And that much-discussed Amare Stoudemire deal never materialized. On the other hand, moves were made to create financial flexibility for the future. Shaquille O’Neal was dealt for Sasha Pavlovic and Ben Wallace (which became cap space), while Matt Barnes wasn’t re-signed. This lack of focus stems from Robert Sarver’s shrinking fortune. The ‘enthusiastic’ owner was heavily leveraged in banking and real estate before the economic downturn and must now find additional investors. Only then can the team move forward. What team has fallen off the most in the summer of 2009? Charlotte? Phoenix? Philadelphia? Milwaukee? Or somebody else. Let us know in the comment box. Follow Oly Sandor’s work on HoopsVibe The Blog or Twitter. Photo courtesy of One/Million.
Will Denver stumble without Linas Kleiza and Dahntay Jones?August 10 09  Breaking NBA news mixed with analysis ... Their News: “Denver Nuggets restricted free-agent forward Linas Kleiza has agreed to a two-year, $12.2 million contract with Greek team Olympiakos, his agent Bill Duffy told Yahoo! Sports on Monday.” (Yahoo Sports) My Quick Gut Reaction: Could Denver fall off in 2010? Last year, the Nuggets’ role players helped the club establish a blue-collar identity, rattle off fifty wins, and compete with the world champion Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Yet, some of those blending parts have changed. Sure, Chris ‘Birdman’ Anderson was given a long-term pact. However, Denver didn’t match Indiana’s paltry offer to physical two-guard Dahntay Jones and Anthony Carter, who can’t agree on term with management, remains unsigned. Today, Kleiza bolted to Greece for Mid Level Exception money. On the surface, Jones, Carter, and Kleiza seem replaceable. But this trio accepted their roles last year, which, along with the acquisition of Chauncey Billups, created chemistry. For instance, starting Jones allowed Coach George Karl to use J.R. Smith as the sixth-man, a role he’s suited for. Without Jones, Smith becomes the starter. This is a risk. The young pro is a terrific talent, but has shown poor judgement on-and-off court. Too often, he treats the offense like an all you can shoot smorgasbord and recently drew the ire of the league for allegedly making gang references in his twitter posts. Starting Jones was Karl’s way of holding Smith accountable. Hopefully, Smith, a promising player and decent enough person, makes the most of the increase in minutes. Kleiza, a solid scorer and long range gunner, would have been an option to replace Smith as the sixth-man. Denver’s inactivity this summer becomes even more of an issue when compared to Dallas and San Antonio’s activity. After all, ‘Team Cuban’ has added Drew Gooden and Shawn Marion, while the Spurs have landed Richard Jefferson. After a strong 2009, the Nuggets, because of a disappointing summer, could take a step back next season. Got thoughts on Denver? Get at us in the comment box below and follow Oly Sandor on at HoopsVibe The Blog and on Twitter. Photo courtesy of Katinas.
Why Kurt Rambis left Kobe Bryant and L.A. for Al Jefferson and MinnesotaAugust 09 09  Breaking news mixed with analysis … Their News: “The Minnesota Timberwolves and Kurt Rambis have reached terms on a deal that will install Rambis as the Wolves’ new head coach. Long considered a potential heir apparent to Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, Rambis was lured away from Jackson’s staff by a four-year deal believed to be worth in excess of $8 million.” (Marc Stein, ESPN) My Gut Reaction: Kurt Rambis was in a no-win situation with the Los Angeles Lakers. Suppose he succeeds Phil Jackson. And suppose the purple-and-gold win a championship or two. Rambis, the club’s long-time assistant, would never receive full credit. Critics would argue he was riding ‘The Zen‘. Suppose he succeeds Jackson, except the purple-and-gold stumble, never winning a championship. Rambis would be the fall-guy; the lovable role player and wonderful assistant coach, who should never have slid into the big chair. These scenarios are presumptuous. There was no guarantee Rambis would even replace Jackson. Sure, he looked like the natural successor, but the Lakers could just have easily turned to Brian Shaw. Of course, Kobe Bryant would have input. ‘Black Mamba’ is still tight with New Orleans’ Byron Scott and he also would have interest in re-convincing Mike Krzyewski to leave Duke for the pro game. Nothing was set in Los Angeles, so Rambis leaving was understandable. Still, why swap a no-win situation with the Lakers for what seems like a no-win situation with the dysfunctional Minnesota Timberwolves? Head coaching jobs are rare. For instance, Rambis, as interim sideline boss, led the Lakers to a 24-13 regular season record, before the club lost in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. That was ten years ago in 1998-99. Rambis had to wait ten years to land another head coaching gig. Perhaps, it makes sense for Rambis to swap Los Angeles’ championship glitter for Minnesota’s cold. Should Rambis have left Los Angeles for Minnesota? Get at us in the comment box below and follow Oly Sandor on at HoopsVibe The Blog and on Twitter. Photo courtesy of welovedonny.
Can Chicago, Houston, and Miami compete with Cleveland and New York for LeBron James?August 08 09  Breaking NBA news mixed with analysis... Their News: " My Gut Reaction: No surprise here. As expected, LeBron James won’t accept Cleveland’s recent offer of a three-year extension or exercise an option to stay with the club for the 2010-11 season. Instead, all signs point to The King hitting free agency next summer. A few thoughts on these developments: First, James could still re-up with the Cavaliers. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, majority owner Dan Gilbert can offer the reigning MVP more money and term. And Gilbert’s new minority partners, a group of Chinese investors, specialize in connecting American brands, like James, with the world’s largest market. And Cleveland will be competitive for years to come. Second, James could still sign with the Knicks, though. The Five Burroughs’ dream of signing the three-man appeared dead, but regains a flicker of hope with this announcement. However, New York has little shot at James unless they sign Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade, which could be tricky with the declining salary cap and economy. Third, Cleveland and New York will have competition. Chad Ford of ESPN believes several teams will possess the cap space to pursue two top free agents next summer.
It’s unlikely a combination of Bosh, James, and/or Wade signs with Minnesota or Sacramento. Oklahoma City is committed to their youth, while The Don (as in cheapskate owner Donald Sterling) won’t pony up a pair of max contracts. And New Jersey remains a question mark because of arena issues. On-paper, the Bulls, Rockets, and Heat have the cap space, resources and market appeal to ink a pair of these stars. They also have attractive intagibles. Wade grew up in Chicago, while Houston is close to Bosh’s home of Dallas. Of course, Miami has the weather, South Beach, and lifestyle. Currently, these franchises are the main threats to thwart Cleveland and New York’s plans for July of 2010. Let us know your thoughts on LeBron James’ recent statements in the coment box below. Follow Oly Sandor at HoopsVibe The Blog and on Twitter. Photo courtesy of stickyewares.
Suspension overshadows Kevin Durant, Rashard Lewis, and Mo Williams’ Nike rapAugust 08 09  On Thursday, Rashard Lewis was suspended by the NBA for 10 games because he tested positive for an over-the-counter supplement that elevated his testosterone above legal limits.This is unfortunate. Lewis, a decent enough guy, certainly used poor judgement experimenting with supplements to lose weight, but wasn’t taking steroids like so many star baseball players. There was no clear or cream courtesy of BALCO. And there was no mysterious cousin importing pills from Puerto Rico. Lewis just made a poor decision and needs to research what substances he puts in his body. For his indiscretion, the swingman will miss roughly the first month of the season. Even worse, the suspension overshadowed the Nike inspired debut of Lewis’ rap career with fellow stars Kevin Durant and Mo Williams. Watch the clip and tell us who has the most skills on the microphone: Durant, Lewis, or Williams? Follow Oly Sandor at HoopsVibe The Blog and on Twitter. Photo courtesy of lubright.
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