Celtics' Allen Ellipses 17,000 Career Points

Toronto - With the first of his two three point shots in their overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors yesterday, Boston Celtics guard Walter Ray Allen passed 17,000 points for his career and finished with the night with 17,004.

Ray Allen also has the distinction of being the only active player with more than 1900 three point shot conversions (1929) and he is fast catching up with the NBA's All-Time leader in that statistical category--Reggie Miller (2560)

Only 632 more threes to go!

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NBA Gems (This early into the NBA 07'-08' Season)

The Scintillating Six:

1) Brendan Haywood (Wizards) - With the exit of his arch rival (Etan Thomas) due to open heart surgery, the center spot of the Washington Wizards belongs solely to Haywood and he hasn't disappointed by coming up with the first three game double-double of his career. Brendan is currently averaging 10 markers, 13.7 boards, and 3 rejections per game.

2) John Salmons (Kings)- With Mike Bibby out with an injured thumb and Ron Artest serving a seven game suspension, someone had to step up. Enter John Salmons and his 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Now I know why he turned down that deal with the Raptors to sign with the Kings last year :)

3) Kelenna Azubuike (Warriors) - Hard surname to spell but his game is everywhere with 20 points and 1.7 3's per game. Golden State coach Don Nelson loves Azubuike's work ethic and this bodes well for Kelenna, especially when Stephen Jackson returns from his seven game suspension (that was imposed by the NBA following his guilty plea to a felony charge of criminal recklessness for firing a gun into the air outside an Indianapolis club).

4) Carlos Delfino (Raptors) - Finally free of the Motor City's overcrowded backcourt, this native of Santa Fe, Argentina is making Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo an early candidate for GM of the Year with averages of 7.7 points, 5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2 steals, and 1.7 3 pointers made per contest.

5) Ronnie Brewer (Jazz) - A first-round pick of the Utah Jazz a season ago (he went 14th), Brewer has supplanted Gordan Giricek as the team's starting SG to the tune of 16 points and 2.8 steals through four games.

6) Al Horford (Hawks) - Taken with the 3rd pick in the 07' Draft that featured Oden and Durant. Florida's Al Horford needs to early shake off foul trouble (4 fouls in less than 4 minutes into the second half of their opening night game against the Dallas Mavericks) and make the most of his minutes on the floor while Atlanta Hawks center--Zaza Pachulia--is out (until mid-November with a sprained knee).

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The Greatest Dwyane Wade Rookie Card Ever?

Not since the draft of Michael Jordan--which produced future hall of famers: Charles Wade Barkley, Chris Mullin, and Hakem Olajuwon--has there been an NBA draft class with so much talent. The 2003 draft class has already paid dividends with such notable stars and names as LeBron James, Darko Milicic, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Chris Kaman, Kirk Hinrich, T.J. Ford, David West, 05'-06' Most Improved Player Boris Diaw, Leandro "The Brazilian Blur" Barbosa, Josh Howard, Kyle Korver, and Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr.

With these developing talents and the full support of media and mass marketing, these players have become household names with the likes of LeBron, Melo, and Dwyane leading the way.

Getting Down to Business

According to Beckett Basketball Magazine, the card on the top of every Wade collector's wish list is the 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection #74 Dwyane Wade (JSY AU RC) (Pictured above). I have seen this card's value range from 3000 USD to 6000 USD on eBay, and that is already supposed to be a good deal as if you were to open these very, very pricey Exquisite Collection packs, you will be very, very, poor before you would be able to pull anything substantial--and realistically speaking, it may not be the Dwyane Wade card which you were hopping for.

That's what everyone wants.

But what about this?

2003-2004 Dwyane Wade Fleer Authentix Jersey Authentix Autograph (AJADW) numbered to 100. Unlike the Exquisite Collection which patch features your typical red, black, white, or combination of the three swatches; this particular card distinguishing quality is a Nike Swoosh Logo from the manufacturer's patch on each NBA jersey during that time. This would make it a relative 1 of 1 since Nike gave way to Reebok as the official outfitter of the NBA a year later.

Now which one would be more valuable?

A card that is atrociously expensive to begin with or one that: a) has a patch of a manufacturer that was the official apparel endorser of the NBA in 2003-2004, b) the patch has most of the Nike Logo on it (I've only seen two so far and the other card only features the tip of the tail of the Nike Swoosh), c)this is one of the last basketball card sets that Fleer produced prior to filing for bankruptcy in 2005, and d) its autographed.

Can you say, the greatest ever?

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Dwyane Wade back sooner than expected?

AP Sports Writer Cliff Brunt broke the news today that the Miami Heat's All-Star guard, Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. has been cleared to play after the left knee and left shoulder surgeries he had six months ago.

Brunt wrote:

"conditioning is not to the level that he needs it to be for the kind of game we need from him, but this is a big step for us," Riley said. "We're not going to have any kind of watch. I think when he decides to play is the day you'll know about it."

This is certainly good news.

Not only for the Miami Heat faithful, but for Fantasy NBA owners such as myself.

The clock is ticking and D.Wade is coming!

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With Wesley cut, how many players born in the 1970’s are still playing in the NBA?

With veteran guard David Wesley being waived by the New Jersey Nets this past Thursday, this question came to my mind.

How many players born in the 1970’s are still playing in the NBA?

It is a question that would probably have the utmost relevance to those born in that decade (present company included). How many of our generation are left? I mean, it happened to the players born in the 1960’s as only the Rockets’ Dikembe Mutombo (1966) (who is playing in his 14th and final season in the NBA), journeyman guard Darrell Armstrong of the Nets (1968), and Clippers point guard Sam “I Am” Cassell (1969) remain of that fabled age group.

NBA players born in the 1970’s (170 of 450 players) are now the minority (37.77%) as the rest of their contemporaries birth years ends with 8-0. And lets not even get to the 90’s, who are on the verge of knocking on the NBA’s door in the next two to three years.

Next question: Who is the youngest player in the NBA? Answer: Kevin Durant (9/29/88) who leads four players born in 1988 (with the other three being 76ers’ guard Thaddeus Young (June), injured Kings center Spencer Hawes (April), and fellow Yardbarker Greg Oden (January)).

Below is a breakdown of the players who meet this criterion in the Atlantic Division:

Darrell Armstrong 6/22/68 Nets
David Wesley 11/14/70 Nets (Waived)
Kevin Ollie 12/27/72 76ers
Jason Kidd 3/23/73 Nets
Malik Rose 11/23/74 Knicks
Scot Pollard 2/12/75 Celtics
Maceo Baston 5/29/75 Raptors
Anthony Parker 6/19/75 Raptors
Walter Ray Allen 7/20/75 Celtics
Jerome James 11/17/75 Knicks
Andre Miller 3/19/76 76ers
Calvin Booth 5/7/76 76ers
Kevin Garnett 5/19/76 Celtics
Rasho Nesterovic 5/30/76 Raptors
James Posey 1/13/77 Celtics
Vincent Lamar Carter 1/26/77 Nets
Stephon Marbury 2/20/77 Knicks
Paul Pierce 10/13/77 Celtics
Jorge Garbajosa 12/19/77 Raptors
Brian Scalabrine 3/18/78 Celtics
Eddie House 5/14/78 Celtics
Jamal Magloire 5/21/78 Nets
Malik Allen 6/27/78 Nets
Juan Dixon 10/9/78 Raptors
Jason Collins 12/2/78 Nets
Fred Jones 3/11/79 Knicks

The other divisions will follow in the next few days.

Adam Morrison Tears ACL

It was learned today that Charlotte Bobcats Guard/Forward Adam Morrison is tentatively scheduled to undergo knee surgery on Nov. 10, 2007. Fondly called "The Great Mustachio" by a number of fans, Morrison is out for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in a pre-season game against the Los Angeles Lakers last October 21, 2007.

Earlier statements seemed to point to Morrison possibly returning sometime this season as the gravity of his injury was not immediately disclosed. Unfortunately, with the his impending ACL surgery and subsequent rehabilitation, we most likely have seen the last of Morrison until next year.

Here is to your speedy recovery!

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Gilbertology: Arenas talks about trade rumors and fantasy basketball

A prolific talker and scorer for the Washington Wizards, Gilbert Arenas, Jr. never fails to come up with new material that makes me smile. In his latest post, Arenas talks about the possibility of being traded West to Tinsel Town.


Arenas wrote:

"Nothing against getting traded, but that would be a dumb thing on the part of the team who is accepting me because, don’t they know I’m a free agent? What that means is, if you lose somebody who you really want and you come get me back and I leave too … TA-DAH! That means you have nothing.

So take my name out of it because whoever gets me, there ain’t a guarantee that I’m staying.

Y’all go ahead and take my name out. To all of my friends back home who want me to become a Laker: If you have NBA LIVE 08 you can fantasy draft me, because otherwise I don’t think that’s happening any time soon."

"TA-DAH! That means you have nothing."

These words sum up "unrestricted free agency."

Does it shock you that Gil put it that way?

Maybe not.

After all, would you expect any less from Mr. Arenas...

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