Introducing: Rudy “Da Boy” Fernández

With the 2008-2009 fast approaching, I thought it best to “let the proverbial cat out of the bag” and name my pick for 08’-09’ Rookie of the Year (ROY) – Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands native - Rodolfo "Rudy" Fernández Farrés of the Portland Trailblazers.

Fernández’ Beijing Olympics heroics in Gold Medal game as well as his Blazers’ pre-season display of aerial artistry, timely shooting, pinpoint passing, and instinctive defensive skills have certainly gotten my juices following for the upcoming regular and fantasy NBA seasons.

A lot is expected of the man that I have christened as “Da Boy.”

The evolution of a trade

It all started with a 6’7’’ Czech guard named Jiri Welsch.

Not a lot of people remember the former Mattoni League MVP who was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers (16th overall) in 2002. Welsch never got an opportunity to play for the 76ers during his rookie season as his rights were immediately shipped to the Golden State Warriors. The following season, Welsch was again traded, this time to the Dallas Mavericks and then subsequently dealt to the Boston Celtics along with Chris Mills, Raef LaFrentz and a 04’ lottery-protected selection for Antoine Walker and Tony Delk (It seems like it happened yesterday).

Still with me?

Now this is where our story truly begins as less than two years later, the Celtics moved poor Welsch (this guy never caught a break) to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a future first-round pick in 2007 that eventually became the 24th selection by virtue of the Cavs 2006 team standings.

In 2006, the Phoenix Suns drafted Kentucky point guard Rajon Rondo and then traded him along with “The Braided One” Brian Grant for the aforementioned Cavaliers selection and cash considerations.

The following year, the Suns used the Cavaliers pick, which the got from the Boston trade to draft Rudy Fernández.

In total, it took a series of trades involving four NBA teams over the course of two seasons and another year of continuous discussions and negotiations on the part of the Portland Trailblazers brain trust (General Manager Kevin Pritchard please stand up!) to pry Rudy away from his mother team of eight years—DKV Joventut of the Spanish ACB League.

It took awhile, but Rudy Fernández is finally in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

What it this “Da Boy” business?

The moniker “Da Boy” was something I had come up with. It was inspired by a conversation that Nate McMillan shared with the media during the Fernández’ press conference last September 22, 2008. McMillan recalled the time wherein the USA coaching staff and Kobe Bryant scouted the Spanish National Team game during one of their games in Beijing Olympics.

The 6’5’’ Rudy Fernández stood out in that contest, which prompted the observing Kobe Bryant to turn to McMillan and say, "He's your kid, huh? He's pretty good."

“Kid,” in my mind, equating youth or “Boy.”

While “Da” (pronounced Da-H) instead of “The” serves as homage to his namesake, the late Filipino actor Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez.

The statistics and other immeasurable intangibles

With the exception of the two games that “Da Boy” missed due to the ankle sprain he suffered last October 8, 2008 against the Golden State Warriors, Fernández has been truly impressive.

In the five games that he has played to date, Rudy has certainly lit up the stat sheet by averaging slightly more than 29 minutes, 12 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4 assists, 0.2 blocks, and an amazing 2.6 steals per contest. His shooting percentages (46% field goal and 100% free throw) are not that bad either with half his 10 field goal attempts coming from long distance (35% three point field goal percentage).

Looking at his game this early in the pre-season, Fernández has lived up to the high praises given by fellow Spaniard and current Toronto Raptors starting point guard Jose Manuel Calderon when he said, "I think he's (Fernández) a great player, he can score and he can do a lot of things. He's not just a scorer; he can do a little bit of everything. He's a great player.”

Sean Meagher of OregonLive.com added, “while Rudy instantly garners your attention with his "flash-and-dash" style of offensive play, it's how he makes the team better that makes him so important. He creates, not only for himself, but more so for his teammates. He creates open shots for guys either cutting to the basket, trailing or standing in the open corner. He has the rare ability to feel things out before they happen, anticipation. Rudy has the ability to squeeze passes into a tight window most players wouldn't even think about. He's got a constant motor that's always running as long as he is on the court. Many of the tools he plays with, aren't taught. And just think about what he will be able to do when he really learns the NBA game and with a year or two of NBA coaching.”

Nice huh?

On my end, if there was any area that Rudy may need to work on, it would be his turnovers (averaging 3 miscues per game in the pre-season) as well as knowing when to put the reigns on his cerebral yet somewhat reckless (yet entertaining) game which has already left him open to injury this early in the season (e.g., ankle sprain).

It’s too early to tell if any of Rudy’s immediate success will carry over to the regular season.

But with talent, opportunity, and confidence.

Anything is possible.

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The Value of a Posey

And so it ends.

The last coveted unrestricted free agent is off the board with the signing of James Posey.

The winner?

Not the 2007-2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics (who were reported to be reluctant in offering Posey his desired full mid-level exemption four-year deal) but the up-and-coming New Orleans Hornets.

At 31, James Posey had every right to go out and look for some security, which he found in the Hornets $25 million offer. I honestly believe that the Celtics should have not scrimped on this one, as Posey is a true “glue guy.” The Cleveland Cavaliers will tell you. So will Miami Heat President Pat Riley.

Posey was the Celtics unsung hero in the NBA Finals a few short weeks ago. An intelligent weak side defensive helper who helped NBA Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett on one end and supplied the C’s with timely three point bombs on the other. In fact, Celtics Captain Paul Pierce felt that Posey contributions were so "invaluable" that his squad wouldn’t lose anything if he were to sit down.

Who can argue with success?

After all, Posey has only won two NBA Championships in the last three years with the Heat in 06’ and the Celtics in 08’

Could Hornets in 09’ be a possibility?

Maybe...

Just don’t question the value of a Posey.

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The seemingly invincible Boston Celtics have shown a weakness

When you really think about it, the playoffs are truly the NBA’s second season.

Seeding really just equates to home court advantage, as all sixteen teams records are the same 0-0.

Some teams see it that way. Others just follow the proverbial script.

Enter the match up between the first seed Boston Celtics and the eighth seed Atlanta Hawks.

The Boston Celtics (66-16) are the NBA’s most prolific team this year—breezing through the regular season and finished as the top dog (along with the highly coveted home court advantage throughout the playoffs). Their match up with the Atlanta Hawks was projected to be a laugher—a sweep. But after the Hawks won all of their home games and clearly diverted from the “script,” the Celtics are in the fight of their lives and “adlibbing” from here on out.

If not for quirky NBA Eastern and Western Conference Playoff format, the Atlanta Hawks (37-45) really don’t have any business being in the NBA Playoffs (especially with a team like the Golden State Warriors that finished with a 48–34 record and still didn’t make the playoffs). But here they are and they are showing that they belong after sending the Celtics to their third loss in a week to even their best-of-seven first round series at three-a-piece.

What are these highflying Hawks doing right?

Well, they are attacking the basket strong on offense. Going for offensive rebounds. And most importantly, they are running.

Running.

The kink in the vaunted Boston Celtics defense has been exposed.

Don’t get me wrong, the Celtics play a great brand of basketball, but I believe that they haven’t been in enough of these situations wherein they play the same team over-and-over again. A team—these eighth seed Atlanta Hawks—that have had some medium of success over them.

I’ve always wondered if the bench of the Celtics would be good enough this year to lend a helping hand to “The Big Three” of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen.

So far, it’s been sketchy.

The Boston Celtics are 27-0 lifetime whenever they have lead 3-2 in a best-of-seven series.

The Atlanta Hawks have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Come game seven, their records will be 0-0.

Can these Hawks become only the fourth team since 1994 to upset a first seed?

Watch.

It could happen.

Just ask Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks.

Addendum:

•Only three eighth seeded teams have managed to win a series versus a first seed: These are the 1994 Denver Nuggets when they finished off the George Karl led Seattle SuperSonics in six games; the underdog New York Knicks that went on to the 1999 NBA Finals after they eliminated the Miami Heat (3-2) in the first round; and most recently, last year’s feel good team—the Golden State Warriors who trumpeted the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in their 2007 First Round Western Conference match up.

•With their win over the 67-15 Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors also became the first eighth seed to beat a first seed in the best-of-seven format.

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Gasol for Gasol: Lakers to move up in the standings with Grizzlies trade

Paul Gasol for Marc Gasol.

Marc, the younger of the Gasol brothers was the 48th overall pick in the 2007 draft. And though he is not yet playing in the NBA (Marc is playing for Akasvayu Girona in Spain.) The younger Gasol is four years younger and an inch taller (at 7-1, 280 lbs.) than his more famous All-Star sibling.

Even Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson found this aspect of the Pau Gasol trade amusing when he said, "that's something you haven't seen before."

But seriously.

The acquisition of 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year Pau Gasol (career averages of 18.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 476 career games with Vancouver and Memphis) by the Los Angeles Lakers tonight clearly gives their front line a shot in the arm upon the return of 20-year-old center Andrew Bynum (who injured his left knee last January 13 against...guess who? The Memphis Grizzlies).

This would give the Lakers a starting five of Fisher/Farmar at point, Kobe at the two, Odom at shooting forward, Gasol at power forward, and Bynum manning the middle.

Wow.

It's like a big "thank you" prize by the Grizzlies.

"I'm sorry we injured your center. Here is our All-Star."

But I exaggerate.

The Grizzlies, amidst another losing season currently pegged at 13-33, wanted to clear cap space. Move their disgruntled forward. And it just so happened that the Lakers had the largest expiring contract currently in the league by the name of Kwame Brown.

Throw in fillers like rookie Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the rights to Marc Gasol, cash considerations, and two first-round draft picks (in 2008 and 2010) and Voia! You get Pau Gasol and a 2010 second-round selection.

Kobe Bryant is sure to love L.A. now more than ever after this deal.

"I have to take my hat off to (owner Jerry) Buss and Mitch for going forward with this," Bryant said. "Now it's up to us to go out there and work hard."

Bryant added.

"Now it's time to walk the walk."

Walk the walk. Much like the Boston Celtics this season, the Lakers have no excuse to lose.

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My first NBA game at Madison Square Garden

January 21, 2008.

Thirteen games on deck in the NBA calendar.

But for me, none more important than the one here in New York City.

My first game at Madison Square Garden.

The 13-27 New York Knicks versus the 32-6 Boston Celtics.

Their records predict the most likely outcome. But then again, the Knicks had won 4 of their last 5 (against Detroit, Washington, New Jersey, and the equally hapless Miami respectively).

Maybe the Knicks could make a game out of it? Well, there was that hope.

But I was there to cheer on the Celtics anyway.

Even sported my Mitchell & Ness Larry Bird road jersey.

Truly, there is no such thing as a live experience.

Especially from my great seat. My vantage point.

Some of the highlights:

• With Kanye West's single, "Stronger" being used as the Knicks starting lineup theme music, he is probably raking in the Benjamin's during every home game at MSG.

• Malik Rose comes out into center court prior to the start of the Knicks and Celtics match up to pay tribute to Dr. King on his birthday. He also appeared on the Jumbo Tron. I assumed that was the extent of his participation that afternoon. Any you know what? I was right! These public appearances and pep talks. At least Malik his earning his paycheck.

• Kendrick Perkins was practically pitching a tent or setting up his apartment in the paint during the first quarter scoring on six straight field goals and finishing with 15. Perkins 15 – Knicks 23 after one. He ended up having a career scoring night with 24.

• The Eddy Curry line: Curry is certainly massive but not as tall as Kevin “KG” Garnett who towered above everyone on the court. Eddy takes up a lot of real estate and there was a point in the game when I thought he was going to land on all of the flat screen monitors in the reporters’ row. Scary moment!

• Knicks Head Coach (for how much longer? He was thoroughly booed during the introductions.) Isiah Thomas was right on the money when he described the Boston Celtics after the game: Thomas said, "Shit, they got Kevin Garnett." In the contest, KG was awesome. Poetry in motion. From his footwork to his post moves—it seemed like he was running rings around whoever Isiah put on him: Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, David Lee, Jared Jeffries, and Renaldo Balkman (who guarded KG in the two minutes that he did get to play in the game). Later on, I found out that Garnett finished with his 18th double-double of the season with 20 markers, 13 caroms, and 7 dimes.

• As for Walter “Ray-Ray” Allen, he started slow but finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds (I saw him sneak in a steal a couple from KG). Ray hit two threes and an acrobatic lay-up which I really enjoyed. I’m really hoping that he eventually becomes the all-time leader in the former category.

• Rajon Rondo hit a buzzer-beater to end the half and Boston led by as much as 20 at one point. I was really hoping that the Knicks would make a game out of it and not lose by 45 again like they did up in Boston last November 29 (104-59; It was the Knicks third-worst loss in team history and their second-worst scoring performance of the shot-clock era). Now it wasn’t because I am a Knicks fan. But like one fan said behind me, “We didn’t pay to see you ref!” If the game ended up well out of hand (and eventually it did with the Celtics winning by 16), KG, Pierce, and Allen would have sat out the fourth—with these tickets, that’s not even an option.

• At one point in the game, $60 million dollar man Jared Jeffries (5-year $30 million dollar deal for him; $30 million dollar luxury tax hit for the Knicks—Go Isiah!) seems to have a clear path to the basket for a dunk or lay-up (his choice) after a botched Allen-to-Garnett alley oop play. He flubbed it. BAD! Which resulted in a Garnett dunk on the ensuing play. Jeffries heard it from the crowd. But he was not alone as there were several other occasions wherein the Garden faithful made their displeasure known to the Knicks. Going back to Jeffries, he played 24 minutes and missed all five of his shot attempts. Come to think about it, all he seemed to do on the court is foul and receive the inbounds pass, pivot, and give the leather to a guard.

• I’m a basketball guy. Not a football guy. So when Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, R.W. McQuarters and Plaxico Burress showed up on the Jumbo Tron during breaks in the game, the Garden’s atmosphere certainly changed. I’m pretty sure the Knicks wish they had that kind of support.

• Towards the end of the third quarter, I caught a glimpse of Knicks’ John Starks making his way to the exits. I was a fan of his back in his Knicks days and it was certainly nice to see him. It was also great to see 73 year-old Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn who did the game for the C’s.
• Nate Robinson’s break away dunk looks a lot better live than it did in the Jumbo Tron replays. It didn’t even make it to ESPN’s SportsCenter’s top 10 plays of the day.

• Defensive play of the afternoon? Midway through the third quarter, Quentin Richardson takes out Paul Pierce in the span of 2 ½ minutes via disqualification resulting from double technicals. Pierce has 10 points and 7 dimes which Richardson had a big fat zero after his name in the box scores. ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan has more on that matter.

• Offensive play of the afternoon? After the Knicks kept on going consistently to their two-man game/isolation plays for either the perimeter player (Usually Jamal Crawford) or post players (Either Eddy Curry of Zach Randolph who almost always went to his left). Talk about no imagination! However, there was one particular play wherein all the aforementioned players were on the right side of the court. Randolph had position some 13 feet from the basket and flashed to the three-point area wherein he received the ball from Crawford (who was also hovering around the three point area), pivoted, and lobed the ball to a cutting Curry. Now that was there the whole game. Why didn’t Isiah and the Knicks go to it more often?

• With the win, Boston Celtics Head Coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers is officially the Eastern Conference’s head coach for the All-Star game in New Orleans next month.

• It just occurred to me. At 13-28 (41 games), the Knicks have now reached the midway point of their NBA schedule.

• Funny moment: While watching ESPN SportsCenter the next day, there was footage of Kevin Garnett celebrating as he was heading to the Celtics bench after a time out. KG handed out high-fives and low-fives to coaches and teammates. By the time he reached the end of the line, he realized that he had someone’s gold watch in his right hand as its strap had broken off. It belonged to one of the Celtics assistant coaches.

• Finally, Memorable moment: My Hon and I are seen amongst the crowd in the Jumbo Tron during a break in the fourth quarter.


That was my adventure on this cold January day.

Thanks Hon for making this happen.

Dreams do come true.

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Kidd moves past Isiah Thomas for 5th Place on the all-time assist ladder

Noted. With the Boston Celtics (30-4) win against the New Jersey Nets (18-18) last night, they have matched their best start ever.

But their was other action aside from the Celtics win yesterday.

The Associated Press shared that Jason Kidd's assist on a Vincent Lamar Carter jumper with 8:07 remaining in the third was the 9,062 of his career, moving him past Isiah Thomas into fifth place on the all-time list with 9,065. Kidd now needs 823 assists to surpass the great Oscar Robertson.

The Celtics are also one of two teams that Kidd has yet to record a triple-double against. He missed it by a hair last night by one assist (Kidd's stat line: 11 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists).

The other team?

The New Jersey Nets.

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Sitting out on purpose? Say it isn't true J-Kidd

How does one measure greatness?

In this day and age, 91 triple-doubles could be a good place to start.

Sure there is Oscar's 181. Magic's 138. But Jason Frederick Kidd, point guard for New Jersey Nets is the only active player in the top three with 91 (the top five for that matter).

Night in and night out, he has a chance to add to his greatness with possibly another triple-double performance. NBA.com's John Schuhmann put it best when he mentions that Kidd averages one triple-double "every 10.6 games." He added that Kidd has also "recorded a triple-double in 14 consecutive seasons (each year he has been in the league), which is an NBA record, and against 28 of the 30 teams in the league." Schuhmann ends by mentioning that the Nets floor leader, at the age of 34, hasn't missed a beat as the "past three seasons have been three of his five biggest triple-double campaigns (with a) personal best (of) 12 (coming) in the 2006-07."

In April 8, 2006. I saw my first NBA game. The Nets versus the Cavaliers at East Rutherford. Thought the Nets eventually lost that game in the fourth quarter, Kidd was amazing in 41 minutes as he scored 11 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists. I was rooting for a "TD" (triple-double) all the way.

Then came last night's infamous "DNP-Migraine."

I've always known Jason Kidd to be a warrior and an extremely fast healer. He is the fastest player I know to ever come back from not only a screw being placed in his left ankle, but also from microfracture knee surgery on his left knee without any of those lingering effects suffered by some of his contemporaries such as former teammate and current Denver Nugget's forward Kenyon Martin, Phoenix Suns center Amare Stoudemire and the Portland Trailblazers forward Darius Miles.

So a migraine keeping Kidd out of a game? And against the New York Knicks at that! An opponent whom he has had a history of success.

This is certainly far, far, far away from Scottie Pippen-esque territory.

Yahoo Sports Adrian Wojnarowski added:

"There was no migraine headache holding Jason Kidd out of the New Jersey Nets' loss to the New York Knicks Wednesday night, but a superstar sending a message to a floundering franchise that he's irate with management and teammates, several league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

As the Nets flew back to New Jersey late Tuesday from a victory over Cleveland, sources said Kidd already had decided he would be sitting out against the Knicks in the Meadowlands. Kidd didn't tell Nets officials until Wednesday afternoon, but several people inside and outside the organization were made aware of the meaning behind his sick day.

Kidd's agent, Jeff Schwartz, isn't believed to have formally demanded a trade, but Wednesday's bold act could be the precursor to starting that process. Two sources said Kidd has been a constant text messaging partner with LeBron James since playing with him this summer on Team USA and that the Cavaliers are his preferred destination.

"They've been communicating about the (trade) options that could get them together in Cleveland," one Eastern Conference official said.

As one Nets official confessed, Kidd's absence due to a purported migraine was "very suspicious." No one wanted to believe he would sit out a game in protest, but that's how bad it has become between Kidd and the longtime laughingstock that he delivered credibility to. He has no history of migraines with the Nets, and with the way he traditionally has loved to destroy the Knicks, the timing of a walkout left Nets officials deeply disturbed.

In an act of defiance that has been building for most of this season, Kidd, 34, has grown irritated over his belief that the franchise no longer is chasing greatness while his chance for a championship closes. He called out his teammates two weeks ago in Utah, just days after his bid for a contract extension was spurned by team president Rod Thorn. Right now, the Nets are 9-10 and going nowhere.

Thorn has praised Kidd for a "football player's" mentality when it comes to playing hurt, but the point guard privately is wondering how much more he wants to sacrifice his body for a team mired in mediocrity. So far this season, Kidd has played brilliantly for the Nets, second to Steve Nash with 10.4 assists. He performed with cracked ribs and a bad back a year ago, pushing the Nets past the Toronto Raptors in the opening round of the playoffs by averaging a triple-double.

Yet Kidd has been frustrated with some of his teammates' inability to stay on the floor and play through pain, especially Vince Carter. These days, everything about the Nets bothers Kidd. Everyone had to wonder Wednesday night: Could this have been the beginning of the end for Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets?"

Looking at the positive, if J-Kidd does get traded, an inspired Jason Kidd is always dangerous.

He would also have the opportunity in the future to get a triple-double against his "former" squad--the New Jersey Nets--one of the only two teams that Kidd has yet to record a triple-double against (the other, the Boston Celtics).

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What if LeBron James was a member of Celtic Pride

I saw this picture today and I just couldn't resist.

It was taken sometime during the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers match up last night at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Instead of being clad in wine and gold...how about green and white for LBJ?

Pretty neat starting five huh?

Tsk! Tsk! The fantasy implications that would have had...

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Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell calls for some good old NBA toughness

After the Toronto Raptors lost to the Boston Celtics in overtime yesterday, Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell had this to say, "the thing we talked to (Raptors Guard-Forward) Anthony (Parker) and all our guys about – if you're going to grab me, there's some things that I can do." Mitchell then added, "the officials do a great job, but they're not going to see everything ... So you've got to learn how to protect yourself."

He didn't say it, but everyone knew what he meant.

The NBA needs to get tough.

Gone are the days wherein "little" John Stockton of the Utah Jazz would go down low and set a pick for his teammates--only to casually expedite a well placed elbow to the mid-section (or even lower, depending on their height) of his opponent (True story...or so former Detroit Piston, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Laker, and Dallas Maverick Dennis Rodman claims in his book, "Bad As I Wanna Be).

Today, players are clamoring about San Antonio Spurs forward Bruce Bowen's inability to provide offensive opponents amply space to land after they launch a shot. Call it defense. Call it foul play. Call it "No Form." Call it Distracting. Despite what anyone says, it is effective. Albeit in more ways than one--just ask Ray Allen (when he was with the Sonics), he missed some games due to a sprained an ankle brought about by Bowen's defense.

The Star's Dave Feschuk shares a classic "low blow" story as told by former Minnesota Timberwolf and current Toronto Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell:

"On the night in question Karl Malone, the Utah Jazz legend, was setting illegal screens that too often ended with Malone's elbow in the face of Terry Porter, Mitchell's Minnesota Timberwolves teammate. Pleas to the referees went unheeded and soon enough, Porter's fist was planted in the Mailman's sub-drawstring.

"Terry didn't hit him hard ... You ain't got to hit `em hard. All you've got to do is graze `em ... Just tap `em. Just ring the little bells," said Mitchell. "And Karl Malone just dropped. He was screaming, `Ahh! He hit me in the balls! He hit me in the balls!'

"The next pick Karl Malone set ... he kept those arms in. I'm telling you, there's things you can do.""

Feschuk ends by saying that, "today's players certainly get criticized by their predecessors for being too soft, although below-the-belt assaults aren't foreign to the era. Bruce Bowen, the Spurs defensive specialist, kneed Steve Nash in the groin during last spring's playoffs. A couple of post-seasons ago Reggie Evans, then a Nugget, now a Sixers forward, allegedly grabbed a handful of Chris Kaman's privates. (Some observers lamented that Evans wasn't suspended, although, as Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni joked at the time, Evans did get all ball)."

We all know what would be considered "soft" defense.

Now, only time will tell if the Toronto Raptors and the rest of the NBA can show just enough of that classic toughness.

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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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Making Cap sense out of the NBA Cap

The dollar-for-dollar NBA Luxury Tax is a term that I am very sure NBA team owners dread. To my understanding, "the Cap" is simply this: when the amount of the NBA Salary Cap is determined sometime during the off-season (a complicated process based on player salaries and team revenues from ticket sales, apparel, merchandise, etc.), team are mandated to spend a certain amount to run their respective franchises. But should their spendings exceed the cap budget, they will be penalized with a dollar-for-dollar fine that will be collected and distributed to the 29 other NBA teams.

For example, The New York Knicks, who are Luxury Tax alumni, used their mid-level exemption (see below) last year in order to sign Washington Wizards guard-forward Jared Jeffries to a 5-year, $30 million dollar deal despite being over the cap. How were they affected? Well, instead of spending $30 million, they actually spent $60 million with half that amount going into the luxury tax pool.


Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman, a Miami Heat insider, broke down the specifics of cap space and excemptions recently in his blog:


"...you can either use cap space or exceptions during the same free-agency period. You cannot use cap space and then spend an exception. It's one or the other, which is why if you're within mid-level space, you might as well use the exception, bypass space, and try to re-sign your own free agents with Bird rights."

"The (Larry) Bird Rights" that Winderman is referring too is the ability for an NBA franchise to exceed the NBA's mandated salary cap in order to resign their own free agents. The Boston Celtics and the Legendary Larry Bird, were the first to exercise such an option.

*Whew*

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Employee #8 takes his game over to the Twin Cities

Yahoo! Sports reported that the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves have consummated a five-player deal highlighted by Antoine Walker leaving his conditioning problems and moving out West in exchange for one-time Heat player Ricky Davis and center Mark Blount (who both came from the Boston Celtics in a trade deadline deal almost two years ago).

The Boston Globe wrote:

"The Celtics sent Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed, and two conditional second-round picks to the Timberwolves on January 27, 2006 in exchange for Michael Olowokandi, Wally Szczerbiak, Dwayne Jones of the development league, and a conditional first-round pick likely to be exercised in 2008."

While for these same two players (Davis and Blount), the Heat got the aforementioned Antoine Walker, third-string center Michael Doleac, forward Wayne Simien (who I know is there, but never really seen play) and a conditional first-round draft pick.

Gosh, it's either the Mutt and Jeff combo of Ricky Davis and Mark Blount isn't worth that much anymore (Davis is projected to be the Heat's third scoring option, while Blount should provide help to the trio of Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, and Udonis Haslem) or this is just another fine move by Timberwolves General Manager (Wikipedia.org lists him as Assistant GM) Kevin McHale to dump salary because I don't think the T-Wolves fans would love the idea of trouping to the Target Center to watch the "spectacular" veteran tandem of Antoine Walker and Juwan Howard fill up the box scores every night.

Certainly, the University of Florida's Corey Wayne Brewer, who the Timberwolves drafted this year, would be more entertaining to watch in their frontcourt.

I mean, come on! They did, once-upon-a-time have the talented Kevin Garnett...

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Move over Bill Walton and Ron Mercer...Boston’s New Employee Number 5 is Kevin Garnett

Longtime Minnesota Timberwolves insider Steve Aschburner brings up a very good point in his article (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/steve_aschburner/10/08/garnett.london/index.html) on newly acquired power-forward Kevin Garnett.

In the 12-years that KG has been with the T-Wolves, how many teammates has he played with?

“… someone call the Elias Sports Bureau -- that Garnett had more teammates come and go, during his 12 seasons in Minnesota, than any other one-, two- or even three-team star in the NBA in that span. From Terry Porter, Sam Mitchell, Doug West and Stephon Marbury near the start, through Tom Gugliotta, Terrell Brandon, Malik Sealy and Wally Szczerbiak in the middle, to Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell, Ricky Davis and Randy Foye near the end, Garnett stayed, giving the franchise its face through three or four Wolves generations. Actually, mutations might be a better word, given the often grisly results.”

Now that would be a noteworthy stat or just the work of someone who has too much time on their hands.

But interesting nonetheless…

I wonder if the Elias Sports Bureau does keep such a statistic. Hmmm….

The New Big Three Loves Rondo

From what the Celtics veterans: Kevin Garnett, Walter Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce have been saying, the sky's the limit for sophomore point guard Rajon Rondo.

Here is an except of Garnett's comments from Steve Bulpett's article in bostonherald.com (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1036344):

"I didn't know how good of a defender he was. I just thought of him as an average defender, knowing what little I did from last year."

"He's come in and he's a very, very hard worker. You know I respect that right off the bat. He comes in and gets his nose dirty. He plays really, really hard. I love him. He's unselfish. I'm trying to get him acclimated with Ray and Paul and myself."

"If Rondo's not good, it'd only be because he doesn't want to be good. The sky's the limit for that kid."

Pierce added:

"You can tell he really worked on a lot of aspects of his game this summer. His confidence is a lot higher. There's times where he's taking his shot. We encouraged him to take it last year, and now he's stepping up and taking the shots that are there. He just seems more comfortable. I think he's really building on the end of the season and what he did last year."

Wow huh? And to think that Ray Allen has even taken Rondo under his wing. I forsee an increase in points, rebounds, assists, and steals for the 21-year old Yarbarker Blogger!

Have a great season Rajon!