יום שני, 31 באוקטובר 2011
NBA ?Change the Game?: Allow all 15 on roster to dress
Issue: While NBA teams are allowed to have as many [...]
Video: Vote this cat for Defensive Player of the Year
Many basketball fans do crazy things in the absence of an NBA season. Some burrow into holes and hibernate for the winter, others learn that there are important things in life outside of sports, and a lucky few get to purchase NHL season tickets as if it were a last resort. Everyone has a special way of coping.
I am borderline-insane, so I like to imagine that animals and robots are real basketball players. Up until now, the lockout has mostly given non-human-basketball connoisseurs immobile robot arms and their less impressive peers. Scouts have reached consensus that they are all late second-round picks at best.
Today, though, we have been blessed with an athlete who can change the way we view the game. To your eyes, this cat may look like a normal feline. In my opinion, though, we are looking at a future Defensive Player of the Year. Few players will show this kind of determination and effort in the face of a larger defender. No matter the move, this cat will move laterally with grace and athleticism to stop it. Its fundamentals are flawless.
Forget "The Glove," because "The Paw" is ready to take over.
(Via Buzzfeed and Taco Trey Kerby)
Chris Paul is going to play the Feud
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBasketballJones/~3/M3xLZVSAo4A/
Jerry West on SportsCenter
Jerry West talks about his new book, playing days, time as Lakers GM, Magic Johnson's retirement, lack of relationship with Phil Jackson and Game 7 advice. Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/23047/jerry-west-on-sportscenter
Create-a-Caption: ?I got it, right? It?s gone?? ?Nope, it?s still there?
Come on, LeBron James. You know good and well that Carmelo Anthony wiped the sun dried tomato cream cheese from that bench bagel off his upper lip like five minutes ago. And you definitely know how self-conscious he is about having shmootz on his face in front of all these people at the U.S. Fleet Tracking Basketball Invitational exhibition game in Oklahoma City.
Kevin Durant's mom's here, dude! She's going to be mad if she finds out you're being a jerk. Plus, not lying to your friends is, like, the first thing on the list of True Friendship Factors from "The O'Reilly Factor for Kids." Just be nice and live by Bill O'Reilly's edicts like you're supposed to, OK? Jeez.
Best caption wins a wet-nap, because you've got something right ... no, not there ... to the left ... almost ... yep, you got it. Good luck.
In our last adventure: Goodnight bus. Goodnight moon. Goodnight J.R. Smith jumping over the moon.
Winner, Russell S: J.R. Smith adopts the "Rip Van Winkle" strategy of making it through a one-year contract in China after finding out there's no out clause in his deal. (Hey, it worked during George Karl's defense-related film sessions.)
Runner-up, Solomon Grundy: Billy Hunter's latest lockout survival strategy: Player hibernation.
Second runner-up, IndeedProceed: "What do one-dimensional scorers dream of, when they take their little one-dimensional scoring snooze? Do they dream of never passing to anyone? Or scoring 20+ even when they lose?"
Video: Buy a candy bar, help end the NBA lockout
This satire from Jest really does speak for itself, in a way that is daunting to your typical NBA scribe. Especially when the woman at the end pretty much puts it all in perspective:
I would tell the fake NBA Players Association that next time they want to stick a point guard-sized basketball busker outside of Madison Square Garden that they should probably pick one with better handles.
(Via SB Matt Ryan, and PBT.)
ASK IRA: How many owners think like Arison?
A: He could [...]
Several NBA city mayors, including Kevin Johnson, sign a plea to end the lockout
Mayors in 14 NBA cities have banded together to sign an open letter to "respectfully ask" that the NBA "consider the consequences to our cities should the lockout continue."
Get in line, Your Honorables. We tried that in July.
Snark aside, the Deseret News has pointed out that 14 mayors (including former NBA All-Star and current Sacramento boss Kevin Johnson) have gotten together under The United States Conference of Mayors' letterhead to draft an open letter to NBA commissioner David Stern and NBA Players Association executive director Billy Hunter to ask them to consider the "many [who] own or work at small businesses that depend on NBA games for survival."
No matter how you look at it, our NBA teams are a vital part of the economic and social fabric of our cities.
Unfortunately, lost in the debate over a new NBA collective bargaining agreement has been the perspective of those very residents and the negative impact a cancelled season might have on them, our cities, and our local economies.
We know the issues being discussed between NBA owners and players are complex and need to be addressed to ensure the long-term well-being of the league. We are not interested in taking a side.
Few are, save for the players, agents and owners that will continue to go on making millions once this lockout resolves itself. Anyone who thinks the blame shifts too far in either direction, like so much basketball-related income, is either nuts or has some vested interest that he's still paying off. Like, perhaps, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.
With the Deseret News' Jody Genessy taking notes, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker chimed in:
"(We) wanted to give them some encouragement," Becker said, "to try to get their differences addressed and allow the season to begin and bring the excitement and economic benefits that come to our cities. ...
"This is something that's really an important part of our communities," he added, "and we hope that they'll be thinking of the fans and those of us who participate with them."
That clearly hasn't been and will not be the case, Mayor Becker. Otherwise the NBA wouldn't have pushed its bargaining hand by waiting for the first wave of games and paychecks to be missed, and several star players wouldn't have put on a negotiating killing show earlier this month.
The fans? When has this ever been about the fans?
Here's the full list of mayors included in the letter, which can be downloaded here:
Mayor Gregory A. Ballard, Indianapolis; Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orlando; Mayor Kevin Johnson, Sacramento; Mayor A. C. Wharton�Jr., Memphis; Mayor Vincent Gray, Washington, D.C.; Mayor Michael Nutter, Philadelphia; Mayor Phil Gordon, Phoenix; Mayor Annise D. Parker, Houston; Mayor Mike Rawlings, Dallas; Mayor Anthony Foxx, Charlotte; Mayor David Bing, Detroit; Mayor Ralph Becker, Salt Lake City; Mayor Julian Castro, San Antonio; Mayor Michael Hancock, Denver.
NBA ?Change the Game?: Add a no-foul-out rule
Issue: Among the prime factors in the compilation of a [...]
Michael Beasley?s charity game lost key players, went very poorly
Enigmatic forward Michael Beasley has a not-undeserved reputation as a bit loopy, the sort of guy who's as likely to drop 25 points with ease as he is to check out of a game mentally and allow his team to lose comfortably. There's still hope that he can become a consistent contributor to a winning team, though, so every time he makes a move towards maturity it can be considered a positive.
Beasley's scheduled star-studded charity game was supposed to be one of those steps in the right direction. Instead, it went off this weekend about as poorly as it could have. From Jerry Zgoda for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (via EOB):
Billed as the "Michael Beasley All-Star Classic," the evening instead became something more like "Michael Beasley, Friends and Acquaintances." Organizers promoted the appearance of NBA stars Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, but Beasley's Wolves teammates Wes Johnson, Anthony Randolph, Anthony Tolliver, Wayne Ellington, Lazar Hayward and lone other NBA player Dorell Wright showed in support instead. [...]
Organizers originally priced tickets at between $60 and $300, then changed them to $40 general admission, $100 for VIP reserve and $300 for court seats when it became clear Durant, Love, Wall and No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams wouldn't play.
Net proceeds will go to St. Jude's and three Twin Cities area charities.
Organizers estimated the audience at 1,200 fans, which might have been a bit generous. Those fans watched the six Wolves players, Golden State's Wright, former WNBA player Tamara Moore and a smattering of summer-league players run and shoot until the Beasleys prevailed over the Visitors 179-170.
Given the apparent turnout and changes in price, let's hope the four charities end up with a decent haul. I'm not terribly optimistic, but that's never been a reason to lose hope.
Beasley's heart was in the right place with this charity game, and that's probably enough to put him in the good guy camp for at least a few months. But the fact that the event went so poorly in so many ways -- from exorbitant prices to high-profile no-shows -- doesn't bode well for Beasley's business acumen. Which, while it has little to do with emotional maturity, does suggest that Beasley has a long way to go before people stop treating him like a trusted veteran.
On a more general note, the difficulty of pinning down participants and logistics for the game should serve as a reminder that any ideas for a union-sanctioned professional basketball league depends on far more than just having players on board with the idea. Venues, cost structures, and commitments all take a long time to figure out. The NBA needs its players to survive, but the players need the league's infrastructure to earn the salaries they now believe they deserve. It's more of a give-and-take relationship than either side seems willing to admit.
Jerry West on SportsCenter
Jerry West talks about his new book, playing days, time as Lakers GM, Magic Johnson's retirement, lack of relationship with Phil Jackson and Game 7 advice. Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/23047/jerry-west-on-sportscenter
Michael Jordan Dallas Mavericks Cleveland Cavaliers Miami Heat
Deron Williams is finding Turkish basketball life to be very different
All-Star point guard Deron Williams was one of the first players to sign a contract in Europe to make money during the lockout. Not only that, but he made the decision way back in July, which suggests he's some sort of lockout Tiresias. Or, you know, a guy who read the news.
Williams has been in Turkey playing for Besiktas for some time now. Not surprisingly, he is finding the experience to be very different from that of the NBA. He's blogging about the experience for ESPN.com. Here's a taste (via TBJ):
This is my first year playing international ball, so I'm still just trying to figure everything out with regard to my role. Obviously I've played in the Olympics with the same style of play, but that was still different because all of my teammates were American. They've actually been playing me at the two guard a lot here. Whatever I can do to help the team, I'm willing. I don't have any personal goals or stats I'm looking for over here; I just want to stay in shape, play basketball and have fun. As a team, we just want to win as many games as possible, win the Turkish League and now the Euro Challenge. I don't know how many of those games I'll have a chance to be a part of, but for every game I am here for, those are my goals.
I know that this situation is different for me than it is for everyone else here. When I leave to go back to the NBA, they're all still going to be here. So I'm not trying to come in here and prove anything. It's more about just trying to be part of a team over here, win some games and make my teammates better.
The locker room atmosphere has the same feel as the NBA. All of the guys get along and joke with each other. Pretty much every guy on the team speaks English. There are only one or two guys who don't speak great English, but even they know enough to get by. I'd say English is the "official" language on the team actually. Our coach�Ergin Ataman speaks English most of the time, except for when he's yelling at one of the Turkish players. Then he tends to go into Turkish mode. I'm not really sure what he's saying, but if he's not yelling at me I guess it doesn't matter.
Apparently European Basketball is a place where one of the two or three best point guards in the NBA has to play off the ball. If that doesn't prove that there's an adjustment to be made, then I don't know what does.
In all honesty, Williams appears to be approaching his Turkish working vacation in exactly the right way. He knows he's returning to America when the lockout ends, so he's taking pains to play the role of guest and not disrupting any of Besiktas's permanent arrangements. He's trying to help the team win games, but he also knows his employment is largely a business arrangement. Why force his will onto the team when he won't wear the uniform for more than a season (at most)?
With the lockout dragging on, it's likely that more players will head overseas. If that's the case, they should follow Williams' example and respect the basketball culture they're encountering. Turkish basketball isn't going to change forever just because Deron Williams is in the country. Realizing as much is a sign of intelligence and worldliness.
NBA cancels November, 82 game season
The month itself will remain on the standardized calender -- even David Stern's power has limits-- but for the purposes of NBA games, November might as well be the 2011 "Charlies Angels" revamp. For that matter, the chances, however slight, for an 82 game season squeezed into the schedule like sardines in a can are now officially eliminated. Second verse, same as the first. So goes the results of what's ultimately a fruitless week's worth of meetings in New York.
For the Lakers, the following games have been lost:
- Nov. 15 vs. Washington
- Nov. 17 vs. New York
- Nov. 22 @Memphis
- Nov. 23 @Oklahoma City
- Nov. 25 vs. Sacramento
- Nov. 29 vs. Minnesota
Obviously, the juiciest game on the docket is the one in OKC, although a date with the Grizzlies runs a very close second. Frankly, that's a fun, challenging, informative back-to-back down the porcelain. The first showdown against the Amare-'Melo Knicks is also intriguing... and also gone.
The remaining three opponents are fairly pedestrian. Nonetheless, after watching John Wall move at warp speed during the Drew-Goodman rematch, I'd love to see the Lakers' strategy for containing him. DeMarcus Cousins was absolutely destroyed during his rookie year battling Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and, in one contest, Derrick Caracter(!). Will a year of NBA experience under his belt even up the score? Plus, there's that Jimmer fella the kids are so wild about. And Lamar Odom vs. Kevin Love was a fun, seesaw battle last year.
In other words, there's always at least one element worth watching an NBA game, regardless of the matchup.
Instead, we're left to watch press conferences where Stern, Adam Silver, Derek Fisher and Billy Hunter share tedious details of a middle seemingly impossible to meet at.
Are we having fun yet?
Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/23049/nba-cancels-november-82-game-season
Miami Heat (58-24) vs Dallas Mavericks (57-25)
I am [...]
Source: http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/johnson/2011/05/28/miami-heat-58-24-vs-dallas-mavericks-57-25/
Video: Buy a candy bar, help end the NBA lockout
This satire from Jest really does speak for itself, in a way that is daunting to your typical NBA scribe. Especially when the woman at the end pretty much puts it all in perspective:
I would tell the fake NBA Players Association that next time they want to stick a point guard-sized basketball busker outside of Madison Square Garden that they should probably pick one with better handles.
(Via SB Matt Ryan, and PBT.)
League source says an 82-game schedule could still happen
When the NBA canceled the first two weeks of its season, the assumption was that those games were never coming back and the league would adjust its schedule to feature fewer than the normal 82 games. Cancellation is not postponement.
At least one report suggests that this might not be the case. In fact, if the league reaches a deal with the union soon,�it may still play a full schedule. From KC Johnson for the Chicago Tribune:
Another league source said that, despite Stern's cancellation, there still is a possibility an 82-game schedule can be salvaged in a lengthened season that would stretch into July. That is, if progress continues to the point a deal is made this week.
It would be a minor miracle for there to be 82 games, in part because it seems unlikely a deal can be reached that soon. Which, oddly enough, is why I think there's a decent chance it's a negotiating ploy and little more.
The sooner the lockout gets resolved, the more likely it is that ownership will get a deal that favors them considerably (as opposed to one that favors them only a bit). If the league can build critical mass from its fans in favor of a resolution by teasing the possibility of a full season just weeks after it said it couldn't happen, then it'll do it. Eighty-two games is what everyone wants, so why not make everyone think it's a possibility to drive public opinion?
Vatican opposition to morally questionable sponsor could halt Bargnani?s move to Italy
European-born NBA players have had an advantage during the lockout. As American free agents attempt to find jobs overseas, players like Timofey Mozgov and Andrei Kirlenko have signed elsewhere with little problem. They know that world better than most and are more equipped to get a deal quickly with a franchise they know to be welcoming.
Raptors enigma Andrea Bargnani should be one of those players. Recently, he has attempted to work out a deal with Italian club Virtus Roma, which needed to work out a sponsorship deal to finance Bargnani's considerable salary. They finally found one in AshleyMadison.com, a perfectly normal website that helps people schedule extramarital affairs. What could ever be the matter with that?
Oh, right, Virtus Roma's facilities are right next to Vatican City, so the Catholic Church may have some sway over the decision. The Italian outlet Sportando reported the story in poorly translated English (via SLAM Online):
The deal to bring back to Italy and Virtus Roma, Andrea Bargnani is done. But the owner of the Italian team, Claudio Toti, did not say YES yet. The biggest problem is ethic. In a country where Vatican has big influence in any aspect of life (politics included), having as sponsor AshleyMadison.com, a website who promotes infidelity, is not easy. And Vatican City is also next to Virtus Roma facilities (the arena where the team is playing is also the main gym of the club).
As Noel Biderman said to La Stampa "It is good if the Church would not enter in the business world". Biderman, founder of the website AshleyMadison.com, who has been working for sports agency Interpeformances, explained also to Toronto Star why he is trying to bring Andrea Bargnani to Virtus Roma. "This pursuit came about for two reasons ? I have some good personal connections in Italy having worked for one of Europe's largest sports agencies (which is based there) and secondly, we have recently launched Ashley Madison into Italy ? its 16th country," Biderman said in an email.
Italy has a complicated relationship with sexual impropriety -- just ask Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who flaunts his love of women three times his juniors and would probably use AshleyMadison.com if his substantial fortune didn't render it irrelevant. Nevertheless, the Vatican has influence over these kinds of decisions, and if it has�a problem with the arrangement then Toti may well cancel it. Don't ask why he thought this idea was a good one in the first place. Presumably he likes families to come to the team's games.
If Toti does nix it, then Virtus Roma will need to find another sponsor, preferably one that will bring about no controversy whatsoever. Are there any companies in Italy that make chastity belts?
Video: Here?s Patty Mills doing some kind of joke dance, maybe?
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBasketballJones/~3/Yox_62z9_aQ/
Wednesday Chat Transcript
Our schedule got a little wonky Wednesday, pushing our chat into the afternoon. But that didn't stop the questions! We talk Kobe's knee, Lamar Odom trade scenarios, and (sigh) the lockout. All that and more, for those clicking the link to the transcript.
Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/22999/chat-alert-1-pm-pt
Poll: How many games constitute a legitimate NBA season?
This season, that, at least according to David Stern’s latest pronouncement, will not be an issue this time around, amid the NBA lockout.
But how few are too few?
For [...]
יום ראשון, 30 באוקטובר 2011
NBA lockout: Will a deal come out of Friday's meeting?
Source: http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2011/10/nba-lockout-will-both-sides-reach-a-deal.html
ASK IRA: How many owners think like Arison?
A: He could [...]
Chris Andersen encourages children to solve Rubik?s Cubes
With the NBA lockout now in its fourth month, it's more important than ever for out-of-work players to find constructive ways to fill their time. After all, idle hands are the devil's workshop, tools or playthings, depending on your chosen translation of Scripture/preferred description of prehensile multifingered extremities.
Some players choose to keep their hands busy by playing in high-scoring exhibition contests. Others prefer filming commercials in which they dunk over cars. Denver Nuggets forward/center/iconoclast Chris Andersen, though? This weekend, his hands were full with encouraging Colorado schoolchildren to fill their hands with Rubik's Cubes.
From Kristina Iodice's advance story in the (Colorado Springs) Gazette:
Those who want to see real puzzle solving can check out a contest that's all about Rubik's Cubes and the kids who solve them ? without peeling off stickers.
Students from 14 schools across the Front Range will test their Rubik's Cube skills Saturday morning at the state's first "You CAN Do The Rubik's Cube" competition at the Colorado Springs City Auditorium.
The competition features a little star power. Denver Nuggets player Chris "Birdman" Andersen will offer commentary during the tournament and will present awards to the winners. Andersen is a Rubik's Cube fan and he supports an in-school program designed to foster students' science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills.
I appreciate the diligence of Iodice's reporting, but I'm sure we all already knew that Chris Andersen is a Rubik's Cube fan, because it is very obvious that he is committed to problem-solving.
When faced with the hypothetical problem of being stuck on a desert island and having to identify only one item he could bring with him, he solved that problem. When faced with the all-too-real problem of children having to meet an insufficiently boss Santa Claus, he solved that problem. And when faced with the realest problem ever ? the problem of having undecorated throat skin ? well, you know.
So, as the greatest tactical mind the NBA has ever seen, it is no surprise that Chris Andersen is a very big fan of Rubik's Cubes. Nor is it a surprise that, according to the parent of a student who participated in the event, which was part of the second annual Colorado Springs Cool Science Festival, Birdman "signed t-shirts, hats, jackets and Rubik's Cubes for all the competitors" and "did a great job rooting the kids on and joking along the way." After all, if he doesn't encourage the next generation of Cube-heads, who will?
Jerry West on SportsCenter
Jerry West talks about his new book, playing days, time as Lakers GM, Magic Johnson's retirement, lack of relationship with Phil Jackson and Game 7 advice. Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/23047/jerry-west-on-sportscenter
NBA lockout: Story lines Lakers miss in mid-November
Jordan Crawford (who?) feels he is ?better than [Michael Jordan]?
Years ago there existed a cute American band called The Knack, which had a hit with the single "My Sharona." Not long after its single shot to the top of the charts, The Knack's lead singer and principal songwriter Doug Fieger gushed to the press that his band had "the craft, the excitement, feeling and love that The Beatles brought to rock and roll." The American record-buying public, already a little tired of the ubiquity of "My Sharona" on the FM dial, promptly tuned out Fieger's band in part as response to his clumsy self-comparison to The Beatles.
[Related: Michael Jordan trash-talked Bill Clinton on the golf course]
What does this have to do with the NBA, on one of the more important days in the league's history? Well, Washington Wizards guard Jordan Crawford was recently asked by the Washington Post's Michael Lee to expound upon a personal Twitter description that Crawford wrote regarding his mission to be "The Greatest."
"I don't tell nobody, but I feel like I can be better than Michael Jordan," Crawford said, without the slightest hint of sarcasm. "When I'm done playing, I don't want people to say, Michael Jordan is the best player. I want that to be me. That's how I am. That's how I was built."
Um, what? You realize people will look at you sideways and think you're crazy for saying that, right?
"Yeah, I know that, I definitely know that. But I'm not settling for anything less," Crawford said. "I feel like I'm better than him, anyway. My mom is going to say I'm better than him."
Lee goes on to report that Crawford delivered these lines without his tongue placed firmly in a cheek, and with his poker face on. To Lee, Crawford was "serious." We don't doubt the man.
Of course, this is where we also get to shoot fish in a barrel.
Crawford is best known for throwing down on LeBron James in a pickup game while in between his sophomore and junior year at Xavier, a dunk made all the more infamous because Nike decided it was in James' best interest to attempt to confiscate the tapes of the flush. Crawford enjoyed a solid career at Xavier before being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2010 and moving on to the Wizards late last season.
[Related: LeBron James woos new players for Heat on Twitter]
Following the trade, Crawford turned into just about the worst chucker (16.3 points on 16.3 shots per game) we've seen in 14 years of covering the NBA online. He made Jamal Crawford look like, well, Michael Jordan.
So for Jordan Crawford to overstep Jamal Crawford and turn into Michael Jordan? Or something better than Michael Jordan? That's a bit of a reach. We won't insult your intelligence by going too far into detail, but Crawford did average 17.6 points on 39 percent shooting for every 36 minutes he played last year. Jordan managed 26 points on 51 percent shooting per 36 minutes at the same age.
![Jordan Crawford (who?) feels he is ?better than [Michael Jordan]?](http://mit.zenfs.com/207/2011/10/Fieger.jpg "Fieger")
This brings us back to The Knack. Fieger, who passed away last year, wasn't wrong in his praise for his band. Not because they rivaled The Beatles in any significant way, but because this is what you say. This is what you're supposed to feel, whether you're heading a chamber music outfit, a power pop trio, or a long-haired heavy metal group.
The Knack's guitarist, Berton Averre, tried to explain his bandleader's fawning:
"Asking a new band if they're trying to copy the Beatles is like asking a rookie outfielder if he's trying to be Babe Ruth. Obviously, the answer's gonna be yes."
Crawford? He probably doesn't share as humble a perspective, but what do you want the kid to say? Do you prefer he doesn't gun for the top, on record? Do we not want his mother to think of him as the greatest thing to hit the hardwood since, well, Him?
Anyone who takes pot shots at Crawford today is just having fun with the guy, and that's more than fine. Actually, that's necessary. I mean, better than Jordan?
Beyond that, though? Dream big, Jordan Crawford. And let the history fall where it may.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
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Poll: How many games constitute a legitimate NBA season?
This season, that, at least according to David Stern’s latest pronouncement, will not be an issue this time around, amid the NBA lockout.
But how few are too few?
For [...]
Arron Afflalo philosophical on the lockout
A few days ago, I interviewed Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo as part of the "L.A. in my Game" series. (The discussion will be posted later this week.) While I had the Bruin standout on the phone, I asked for his take on recent comments from former NHL/Dallas Stars forward Bill Guerin, who recently advised NBA players to suck it up, take a deal and get back on the court ASAP. His perspective is certainly meaningful, having experienced the 2005 NHL lockout firsthand. At the time, Guerin was a hardliner for the players, even if it meant losing the entire season. Looking back on it now, Guerin regrets that stance, and feels NBA players will eventually feel the same. When I told Afflalo of these comments, his reaction was strident, but also quite philosophical. On one hand, he didn't sound like a guy, to use the parlance made popular by JaVale McGee, "ready to fold." As he noted, "If there's something to be fought for that's worth a year lockout, then fight for it. Every side has their bottom line and there are some things that are worth it." Afflalo, who attended the recent Players Meeting at the Beverly Hilton, definitely struck me as a guy willing to soldier up for the right cause.
On the other hand, the larger risks mentioned by Guerin were hardly lost on him. Beyond literally the money lost and likely never recovered, Afflalo was clearly thinking about the long-term fall out. The damage inflicted on the players. On the owners. On the NBA itself.
This was especially evident when I followed up about how to draw the line between holding your ground for the best offer and putting the season in jeopardy?
"In all honesty, and it's hard to do, but it takes responsibility on both parties. Obviously, I'm a player and I can only take responsibility from the players' standpoint, but it just takes responsibility from both parties and understanding of that. Until you have a complete understanding that it's not worth it, that sometimes winning a fight will result in a loss. You have to know that. And if you get caught up in the moment and you don't recognize that, regardless of whether you win your battle or not, player or owner, you're gonna do damage.
"You have to ask yourself, is that damage worth it. Is that damage worth that win?"
Afflalo's thoughts reminded me of a great scene in "White Men Can't Jump" where Gloria Clemente (Rosie Perez) explains to Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) her set of rules about what defines a win or a loss:
"Sometimes when you win, you really lose, and sometimes when you lose, you really win, and sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie, and sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose . . . Winning or losing is all one organic globule, from which one extracts what one needs."
Afflalo and Gloria Clemente are both driving at the age-old question of winning the battle but losing the war, a scenario threatening�the players and the owners during the lockout. Each side has a list of demands and goals, and�both are expected and entitled to zealously pursue them.
But with each item on the checklist, it must always be considered whether the prize is absolutely worth the price.
Is what's being fought for worth risking the long-term health of the Association, the best interests of which both sides claim to have in mind? Ultimately, as the future fortunes of the NBA go, so go the spoils for players and owners.
In my humble opinion, both sides are flirting badly with a battle where, in the best-case scenario, they tie. In the worst-case scenario, which also doubles as "most likely," they both actually lose. There is a battle and a war at stake for either side. Win the war, even if it means sacrificing the battle.
David Stern has the flu, won?t attend today?s labor meetings
NBA commissioner David Stern has been the primary figure in every collective bargaining negotiation of this lockout. It's difficult to conceive of anything happening without his presence. How would the sides discuss anything if he weren't even there to control everything?
Thursday, we will find out. As announced by deputy commish Adam Silver at a press conference, Stern will miss Thursday's meetings with flu-like symptoms. Which probably means he went crazy Wednesday night at a dozen or so New York bars. You wouldn't think it, but Stern is a real party animal.
Stern's flu is now the second-most famous instance in NBA history, right behind Michael Jordan's legendary 38-point�"Flu Game" in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals against the Jazz. Chances are that Stern won't return to negotiations Thursday afternoon and solve every problem on the table, but we can all hope for his MJ equivalent.
Or, who knows, maybe Stern just wanted a day off from the daily drudgery of meeting with the players' union and telling certain owners that their demands are too restrictive even as negotiation ploys. Sometimes, a man just needs to kick back, stay at home, and watch reruns of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." That Maloof sister is crazy!
Video: Here?s Patty Mills doing some kind of joke dance, maybe?
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Deron Williams is finding Turkish basketball life to be very different
All-Star point guard Deron Williams was one of the first players to sign a contract in Europe to make money during the lockout. Not only that, but he made the decision way back in July, which suggests he's some sort of lockout Tiresias. Or, you know, a guy who read the news.
Williams has been in Turkey playing for Besiktas for some time now. Not surprisingly, he is finding the experience to be very different from that of the NBA. He's blogging about the experience for ESPN.com. Here's a taste (via TBJ):
This is my first year playing international ball, so I'm still just trying to figure everything out with regard to my role. Obviously I've played in the Olympics with the same style of play, but that was still different because all of my teammates were American. They've actually been playing me at the two guard a lot here. Whatever I can do to help the team, I'm willing. I don't have any personal goals or stats I'm looking for over here; I just want to stay in shape, play basketball and have fun. As a team, we just want to win as many games as possible, win the Turkish League and now the Euro Challenge. I don't know how many of those games I'll have a chance to be a part of, but for every game I am here for, those are my goals.
I know that this situation is different for me than it is for everyone else here. When I leave to go back to the NBA, they're all still going to be here. So I'm not trying to come in here and prove anything. It's more about just trying to be part of a team over here, win some games and make my teammates better.
The locker room atmosphere has the same feel as the NBA. All of the guys get along and joke with each other. Pretty much every guy on the team speaks English. There are only one or two guys who don't speak great English, but even they know enough to get by. I'd say English is the "official" language on the team actually. Our coach�Ergin Ataman speaks English most of the time, except for when he's yelling at one of the Turkish players. Then he tends to go into Turkish mode. I'm not really sure what he's saying, but if he's not yelling at me I guess it doesn't matter.
Apparently European Basketball is a place where one of the two or three best point guards in the NBA has to play off the ball. If that doesn't prove that there's an adjustment to be made, then I don't know what does.
In all honesty, Williams appears to be approaching his Turkish working vacation in exactly the right way. He knows he's returning to America when the lockout ends, so he's taking pains to play the role of guest and not disrupting any of Besiktas's permanent arrangements. He's trying to help the team win games, but he also knows his employment is largely a business arrangement. Why force his will onto the team when he won't wear the uniform for more than a season (at most)?
With the lockout dragging on, it's likely that more players will head overseas. If that's the case, they should follow Williams' example and respect the basketball culture they're encountering. Turkish basketball isn't going to change forever just because Deron Williams is in the country. Realizing as much is a sign of intelligence and worldliness.
C-a-C Past Lives: You should not be using that at a press conference, Kobe Bryant
Gotta get�back in time ... Welcome to another edition of�Create-a-Caption Past Lives. Utterly befuddled as to what this is? Then go�take a peek at the first episode to get the lay of the land, ya maroon!
Hey: Let's get serious, young Kobe Bryant. An official public appearance is no place for that.
I mean, listen, whatever you do in the privacy of your own home is your business. I'm cool, man. I'm not here to be the Fun Police and harsh out your good times. But it's double-dumb and very irresponsible to bust it out in front of your brand new sponsors! What, do you think they're going to be happy to see you holding onto that ... that thing and giggling like a schoolkid? This is not the professional image you want to project, Kobe. I'll be honest; I'm not even mad. I'm just very, very disappointed.
Now give me the didgeridoo -- seriously, no one wants to hear it -- and let's see if we can't get this trip to Australia back on track.
Best caption wins a video named "Didgeridoo FAIL," obviously, because this is Internet. Good luck.
In our last adventure: I know you think you're pretty slick, Carmelo Anthony, what with your laser-light-show-Nas-rapping-shoe-release parties, but you are not doing a very good job of hiding whatever it is you're saying about LeBron James. Also, he is literally inches away from you, so he heard it all.
Basically, the next time you see him in the lunchroom, it is going to be awkward. Just be ready for that.
Winner, Jason: 'Melo: "I am not bloated. I am Bartles and you are James."
NOTE: This wins because WHAT EVEN IS IT? Bartles and Jaymes references in 2K11? Is there a rich vein of "Carmelo and LeBron as alternate reality/wine-cooler-based tag team" fan fiction that you guys have been hiding from me? Also, how are you hiding it? Wait, where do you guys get your fanfic? Are you not using FanFiction.net? Where are you guys going? So many questions! In conclusion, what even is this, except a winner. Thank you for playing
Runner-up, Kyler R.: 'Melo: "Say it, don't spray it, bro."
Second runner-up, Jrob: Nope. No rings there, either.
NBA cancels remaining November games, will not play a full 82-game season
NEW YORK ? After a promising seven-and-a-half-hour Thursday negotiating session that stirred optimism in some quarters that the end of the four-month-old NBA lockout was near, labor talks between the NBA's owners and the National Basketball Player's Association (NBPA) again broke off Friday afternoon without a completed deal.
After approximately six hours of discussions, the sides again failed to reach agreement on several key issues, most notably the division of basketball-related income (BRI). Shortly after talks ceased, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that NBA games scheduled through Nov. 30 would be canceled, and that losing the full month of November meant the end of any hope that the league would play a full 82-game slate.
"It's not practical, possible or prudent to have a full season now," Stern told reporters. "We held out that joint hope together, but in light of the breakdown of talks, there will not be a full NBA season under any circumstances. And I say that with apologies to the municipalities in which we play our games, to the workers who earn their living in our buildings and from businesses around the buildings."
No negotiating sessions are yet scheduled; how long the NBA's hibernation will continue remains an open question.
"I'm not really in a position to say or assume when and how this broke off and when we'll meet again, but we're here," said Los Angeles Lakers point guard and union president Derek Fisher. "We've always been here."
That's it. That's the news. The news, the weather and the traffic. Definitely the business and, in a sense, the obituaries. Everything but the sports.
After months of back-and-forth negotiations marked by several sharp shifts in stances, "particularly in the last two weeks," NPBA Executive Director Billy Hunter said one thing has remained constant ? the fact that the league keeps moving the goal posts.
"Remember, a week ago, we were at a 'take it or leave it' [point] at 50/50," Hunter said, referring to the league's proposal of a BRI division in which the NBA and the NBPA would each get 50 percent of revenues. "So we talked about parking the [BRI] number and then talking about the system. And they refused."
The league has couched the 50/50 proposal as a fair deal, and on its face, it sounds like one ? you take half, I take half. But as a number of writers, including SB Nation's Andrew Sharp, have noted, a 50/50 deal would actually represent a significant concession for players ? about a 12 percent reduction in their slice of the pie ? on top of the myriad "system issues" concessions in areas like contract length and guaranteed salaries that ownership had previously demanded.
Under the present system, players take in 57 percent of BRI. The union had previously brought its offer down to a 53 percent share; on Friday, Fisher and Hunter said the players would be willing to knock that down to 52.5 percent. According to Hunter, the league then indicated that their offer was actually to give players 47 percent of BRI, "but they would be willing to go to 50," a significant step backward representing hundreds of millions of dollars in sacrificed revenue. (Stern later called the 50-to-47-then-back-to-50 shift that Hunter described "an utter misrepresentation," claiming that the league said "we were at 47, but I wanted to reiterate that today our offer was 50.")
"So we've talked for two days about the system, but what we're saying is that it appears that the more we give on the system, we're kind of, maybe, painting ourselves into a corner, because we've told them that we don't want a hard cap," Hunter continued. "... And you get there [on the hard cap discussion], and then all of a sudden, they say, 'Well, we also have to have our number [on BRI].' And we say, 'Well, wait a minute. You're not negotiating in good faith. We trusted you one more time, and one more time ...' It's sort of like the serpent and the frog. You've bitten us."
Eventually, Hunter said, ownership reiterated its previous stance.
"They got to the place where it was, again, 50/50, take it or leave it ? that's what it came down to in the end, if we're going to take the covers off this thing," he said. "... So we said, 'Well, today we're leaving it, like we left it last week. We're going to leave it right here.'"
Though he did agree that progress had been made on multiple fronts, including contract length and a guarantee that players' current contracts would be honored in full, Stern predictably had a different take on how matters dissolved.
"There were two or three open items left on the system issues, on which, as I said, we made good progress, and then we turned to the subject of how to divide basketball-related income," Stern said. "I summarized the positions of the parties previously, and said that the NBA owners were willing to go to 50 percent on the percentage split of BRI. In effect, a 50/50 split. Billy Hunter said that he was not willing to go a penny below 52, that he had been getting many calls from agents, and he closed up his book and walked out of the room. And that's where we are."
Stern repeated the "Billy left the room" beat several times during the press conference, driving home a talking point very specifically intended to guide fans to the conclusion that the players are to blame for the continuation of the lockout. Asked by Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald whether the league had reached its "bottom line" in negotations, Stern said, "I don't know ? we always agree to meet. We made an offer, and that was our offer, and because that offer was less than 52 percent, Billy Hunter said, 'That's it,' and he left. And I'm not going to project future negotiations or even negotiate with Billy through you in the media."
The likelihood, of course, is that this all gets worse before it gets any better.
While Fisher was using phrases like "We didn't want to rush through this today" and "We're hopeful that soon enough, we can get back at this and close this out," Hunter was saying there was no way the NBPA would agree to a 50/50 deal as it's been proposed, which makes the sides sound much further away from a deal than they were when they broke Thursday night. For his part, Stern said that additional cancellations and the lost game revenues that come with them will spur the league to "recalculate how bad the damage is," which could mean that 50/50 is the best offer the players are likely to see for some time.
"We've lost approaching $200 million in the loss of the preseason; we're going to lose several hundred million dollars more" with the November cancellations, Stern said. "So the NBA's next offer will reflect the extraordinary losses that are starting to pile up now. You can assume that our offer will change to reflect the changed economic circumstances."
The offer may change, but if the comments made by the principal negotiators on Friday evening offer any insight, the acrimony likely won't. If it doesn't, the cancellations could continue, the season could be further truncated, and players and owners alike could feel quite a squeeze.
When games are lost, "I would say both sides are very badly damaged," Stern said. "The amount of dollars lost to the owners is extraordinary, and the amount of dollars lost to players under individual contracts is also extraordinary. There will be two severe sets of losses. But that's what happens in a labor dispute when there's a shutdown."
There's a third set of losses, too, of course. That one didn't really get addressed too much today. Four months in, with the he-said-he-said abounding and the season continuing to shrink, it seems like it might not get much attention any time soon.
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Mark Jackson isn?t planning on working many hours as a head coach
New Warriors head coach Mark Jackson has much to prove. As someone who's never held a coaching job at any level, he needs to earn the respects of his players and colleagues. Despite his reputation as a player, he needs to prove he can lead. In other words, he needs to show that he cares more about coaching than anything else he's done in basketball. He has to make it clear that he's going to take advantage of an opportunity most coaches spend their lifetimes working towards.
NBA coaches spend a ton of time pouring over game tape and preparing their teams as best they can. It makes sense that a rookie coach would need to work around the clock to catch up. Jackson, though, is planning on taking a different approach. From Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com, who spoke with Jackson (via PBT):
--Jackson said he's not big on long practices. He'd rather go shorter than longer when it comes to team workouts.
"If you're efficient and put quality work in, we can move on," Jackson said. "Ultimately, it's a long season. We will go over this stuff, well go over it in detail and then we'll be out of here. I'm not a guy who wants to keep players here three or four hours just to say we're here."
--Jackson said he's not the kind of coach who will be working 16-hour days, laboring over game tapes and spending an inordinate amount of time mulling the nuances of his job.
Jackson called coaches and coaching staffs that are said to be in the office before sunrise and out of the office after the sun goes down are guilty of "false hustle."
Jackson certainly has a point that working overly long hours can be�counterproductive, especially if the coach gets chronically tired and has trouble with the personal aspects of leading an NBA team. There is a legitimate point to be made there.
Still, claiming that any coaches that work 16-hour days are dealing in "false hustle" is an insult to basketball obsessives like Tom Thibodeau whose teams are legitimately better prepared than others almost every time they take the court. Jackson's comments here suggest that he may actually have a poor idea of what it takes to cut it as a high-level coach in today's NBA. At the very least, it makes little sense for him to be so dismissive of potential work hours when he's never had the job before.
The approach is indicative of Jackson's larger sense of what it means to be an NBA coach. From his multi-year interview process (during which he refused to put himself up for assistant jobs) to interviews like this one, Jackson seems to consider the job a right rather than a�privilege. Given the track record of most coaches, he could use a healthy dose of humility.
Jamal Crawford is so hot right now
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Video: Stan Van Gundy criticizes his own yardwork skills
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Quentin Richardson says his back is doing well after June surgery
The Forum: Identity Crisis?
Last week, Mike Brown said he doesn't believe the Lakers need a change in identity to compete for a title this season. What exactly does that mean, and is he right? We debate the topic with 710 ESPN's Dave Miller on the newest edition of The Forum.