Someone with insider

[AniR300]

http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1765976

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1765285

 

Copy and paste please, Thank you in advance

[Buckeye]

It won't let me copy it, sorry. I don't know why, it wouldn't even let me highlight anything. Maybe ESPN's smarted up.

[JBurque]

Ramp can do it. I don't know how, but he can do it.

 

 

 

 

I think hes a witch

[Ramp]

Are the Miami Heat the team no one wants to face in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs?

 

We know the question itself is an oxymoron. Is there a team in the East not named the Pacers or Pistons that teams don't want to face?

 

The third-seeded Nets are reeling without Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin.

 

The fourth-seed Hornets are missing Jamal Mashburn and sinking fast (4-7 in March).

 

The fifth-seed Bucks are even worse. They've lost five straight and eight of their last 10. How long is it going to be before folks tap the NBA's No. 1 scapegoat, Keith Van Horn, for the Bucks' implosion?

 

The sixth (Heat), seventh (Knicks) and eighth (Cavs) seeds in the East all have losing records. They're not going to scare any team that has its act together.

 

Of course, that's the real issue in the East. Only two teams have their act together, which means seeds three through eight are extremely vulnerable.

 

 

Enter Stan Van Gundy's Heat (sounds like a bad, soft-porn flick). Healthy for the first time all season, the Heat (pardon the pun) is on. Finally. After two seasons mired in injuries and disappointment, the kids in Miami are playing up to potential.

 

The team has won eight of nine and shocked a few playoff teams (Kings, Nets, Hornets) with their up-tempo play. The team is averaging 97 ppg during the stretch. That's pretty impressive considering that the Heat rank 28th in the NBA in scoring (88 ppg) this season.

 

The Heat are getting balanced scoring from, arguably, one of the best starting fives in the East.

 

Lamar Odom is averaging 16.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg and 4.8 apg. Eddie Jones is chipping in 16.1 ppg and 4.1 rpg. Rookie Dwyane Wade is scoring 14.9 ppg and dishing out 4.6 apg. Point guard Rafer Alston is averaging career highs of 14.6 ppg and 5.6 apg.

 

 

Even Caron Butler, who struggled mightily to get his game on track this season after beginning the season on the injured list, is helping out with 12 ppg and 6 rpg. Throw in big men like Brian Grant and Udonis Haslem to crash the boards and the Heat's seven-man rotation hasn't been this solid in a long, long time.

 

There's no question the Heat are on a roll and are a dangerous first-round foe. The question now? How to get out of the deadly sixth seed they're currently sitting in. With the way the playoffs are set up, the red-hot Pistons are virtually locked into the third seed in the East. Detroit is the team that no one wants to play in any round of the playoffs.

 

Van Gundy knows his team is much better off either slipping to seventh (to play a weakened Nets team) or making a late charge and grabbing the fifth seed. The sixth seed is the kiss of death.

 

"I'd prefer to play, like, Palmetto High," the Heat coach said. "But I don't think that's going to happen."

 

"We're trying to win games and we can't say, 'OK, let's manipulate our wins and losses so we can play New Jersey,' because that's dangerous, and New Jersey is still going to be a dangerous team," center Brian Grant said. "It might even be more dangerous because they may not have Jason and guys on that team will step up. Their guards will step up, and you know Kenyon Martin will step up his game even more.

 

"I don't think a team that's in a playoff race should ever look back. We want to look at the teams in front of us."

 

Will the Heat move up, down or are they stuck in the deadly sixth seed in the East?

 

Insider took a look at the schedules and recent trends, and based on the evidence, it looks like the Heat have a chance to nab the fifth playoff spot in the East.

 

Here's how we break it down:

 

5. Miami Heat

Current record: 33-37

Projected record: 40-42

Skinny: The Heat may be one of the hottest teams in the East, but they've been one of the worst teams in the league on the road this season (9-25). Unfortunately for Miami, seven of its last 12 games are on the road. The good news is that those road games include stops in Orlando, Atlanta and Chicago. Those are the keys. If the Heat can win their homes games against Chicago, Boston, Cleveland and New Jersey and those three road games, they have a great shot at passing Milwaukee and grabbing the fifth seed.

 

6. Milwaukee Bucks

Current record: 34-35

Projected record: 39-43

Skinny: Another Cinderella story that looks like it might have a bad ending. If the Bucks slip to a sixth seed, their chances of advancing in the playoffs look pretty dim. The Bucks have been in a funk since the Van Horn trade and face a pretty brutal schedule down the stretch. In that stretch they have to play the Pacers and Cavs twice, Kings, Rockets, Hornets and Nets. None of those teams are good match-ups against the Bucks right now. To finish with this result the Bucks would have to go 5-8 the rest of the way. But given their poor play and their schedule, it's not out of the question.

 

7. Cleveland Cavaliers

Current record: 31-38

Projected record: 38-44

Skinny: The Cavs have been very good since the All-Star break and will catch a few breaks in their schedule down the stretch. They have tough games down the stretch on the road at San Antonio, Dallas, Milwaukee, Memphis, Miami and New York, but all of their home games look winnable. If they can just take care of their home court and squeak out one road victory (maybe against the Sixers or Knicks) they'll be in good shape. The Cavs currently own the tie breaker with the Knicks, so if they finish tied for seventh with the Knicks, they get a huge break by having to face the Nets instead of the Pacers in Round One.

 

8. New York Knicks

Current record: 33-38

Projected record: 38-44

Skinny: The Knicks missed some golden opportunities after the break to position themselves better for the playoffs. With 11 games remaining, they have some work to do. The problem for New York is it has some tough road match-ups against the Pistons, Nets, Pacers and Hornets and some hard home games versus the Grizzlies, Blazers and Cavs. Assuming they beat the teams they should beat down the stretch, the Knicks are going to have to come up with three wins against those seven teams to get out of the eighth seed.

 

9. Boston Celtics

Current record: 31-40

Projected record: 37-45

Skinny: Danny Ainge gets his wish . . . sort of. The Celtics are one of those teams that has no shot of winning in the playoffs and will be better off getting a nice lottery pick. The way things work right now the Celtics would draft 15th if they made the playoffs and 10th or 11th if they just missed the playoffs. Those five draft positions mean quite a lot. The problem in Boston is that the Celtics have been playing much better lately and have a fairly easy schedule down the stretch. If they can grab a road win at New Jersey and Washington and a home win against the Blazers down the stretch, they could end up bumping the Cavs or Knicks for the eighth seed.

 

10. Philadelphia 76ers

Current record: 29-42

Projected record: 34-48

Skinny: A shocking win against the Mavs notwithstanding, with Allen Iverson and Glenn Robinson out, they aren't going to be dropping 107 points every night. Their schedule isn't too bad for the rest of the way, but even .500 ball for the Sixers won't get them to the promised land this year.

 

11. Toronto Raptors

Current record: 30-39

Projected record: 33-49

Skinny: The Raptors have been clicking since Jalen Rose returned, but a tough schedule down the stretch is really going to haunt them. Their road games in the last 13 are against the Grizzlies, Rockets, Knicks, Pacers, Cavs, Pistons and Bucks. I don't see them winning any of those. They also have tough home games against the Grizzlies, Bucks, Pacers and Pistons. Now you know why we have them going 3-10 down the stretch.

 

Around the League

 

# Chemistry problems in New Orleans: It's one thing to have chemistry problems on the court, but what's going on in New Orleans right now hasn't surfaced in the NBA since the days that Penny Hardaway was in Orlando.

 

Hornets players are upset with Jamal Mashburn, who has been injured for most of the season. The first tiff took place at the start of the season when players publicly grumbled about Mashburn choosing to rehab in Miami instead of with the team. Mashburn, upon hearing the complaints, flew to New Orleans and had a team meeting with the players.

 

He thought that everything was solved, but after a recent bone bruise injury, the grumbling resurfaced. When the Hornets asked Mashburn to stay with the team to rehab, Mash was miffed.

 

"I guess a lot of people are upset over the way I chose to handle my rehab, but I thought it was a closed or non-issue. Obviously it wasn't," Mashburn told the Times Picayune. "When I got hurt this time, the first question that was asked is where I'm going to do rehab at? It wasn't, 'How are you feeling?' or 'I'm sorry to hear that.' "

 

"That's in his mind, that's not in our mind," vice president Bob Bass said. "We're looking at a short-term injury this time, so we wanted him to be around the team on all the trips and all of that. I don't know what he's thinking. I don't know what he feels about the organization. I can't look into a guy's head or heart. But there is no question we wanted him around the team."

 

Mashburn's public feud with his teammates and management has led to increased speculation that the Hornets will try to trade him this summer. Mash has just two years and $20 million left on his contract after this year with an early termination option after next season. Last season Mash turned in the best performance of his career and was rewarded with a spot on the All-Star team. However, Mash has a history of injury woes that may scare off teams.

 

Mash believes the Hornets are making a mistake if they trade him.

 

"In all honesty, I'd like to finish things that I start," Mashburn said. "I would like to be back here, but I don't know what the future holds.

 

"I know for sure they're not going to win a championship without me. I think everybody on this team is smart enough to know that. We'll see how it plays out. I've taken a lot of heat in some places I played, and this is mild. Many people may say I'm the problem, but I've come across a lot of people who want to see me playing."

 

# Chiriaev in the draft: Ivan Chiriaev, the 7-foot-1 Russian playing high school ball in Canada, declared for the NBA draft on Monday. Insider was the first to write about Chiriaev last summer as he prepared to play ball at St. Thomas Aquinas. Chiriaev played point guard for the team this season and averaged nine assists a game in addition to double digits in points and rebounds.

 

His press conference, however, didn't go over so hot after he claimed that "the NBA wants and needs Ivan Chiriaev."

 

The last thing the NBA needs is another 18-year-old declaring for the draft, and several GMs rolled their eyes when they heard the quote. However, several NBA scouts told Insider that Chiriaev is the real deal and has the handle and shooting touch of a player a foot shorter. Others aren't as convinced because of the lack of competition Chiriaev faced in Canada.

 

He scoffed at the claims.

 

"Dirk Nowitzki at my age played in Germany in a league which was probably worse than Canadian high school basketball, and Yao Ming played professionally in the worst league in the world," argued Chiriaev, who played for Russia's junior team. "Those two players are all-stars."

 

Chiriaev claims that he'll prove his talent at the Nike Hoop Summit in April.

 

"I will be the leader of the World team at the Hoops Summit," he said. "America and the world will get to see me play."

 

Say what you will about Chiriaev and his lack of experience. He's got all-NBA confidence going for him.

 

"I have a great opportunity right now and everybody from scouts to GMs, to presidents of the clubs are saying I will go top five. And worst case, it will be a lottery pick.''

 

"I was able to go from nowhere in Russia to this day and this press conference with hard work," said Chiriaev. "This hard work will help me go from today and this press conference to the next level, NBA all-star."

 

# Sixers owners trying to be patient: The Sixers are clearly headed to the lottery for the first time in awhile. With so much unrest on the team . . . is GM Billy King going to take the fall this summer?

 

 

King

"I'm going to wait to evaluate every aspect of this," chairman Ed Snider told the Philly Daily News. "We know all about the injuries, the lack of cohesiveness, the injuries, the injuries to Allen Iverson, the coaching changes, all the factors. I'm going to take a deep breath and address it all with [president/general manager]Billy King, who is the main guy."

 

King can blame many of the Sixers woes on current Pistons head coach Admin Brown, who also served as defacto GM when he was coaching the Sixers. But King has made Brown's mistakes worse this summer. He overpaid to re-sign Kenny Thomas and Derrick Coleman, signed Allen Iverson and Eric Snow to huge extensions that appeared to be more than their market value, and traded away Keith Van Horn for a broken down Glenn Robinson.

 

The result has been a disastrous season with little cap or roster wiggle room to get out from under it.

 

# Dalembert helping out back home: 76ers big man Samuel Dalembert will present a check for $15,000 to the American Red Cross to aid his native county of Haiti and will also announce a $7,500 in-kind contribution of Adidas clothing for Haitian youth on Wednesday.

 

Dalembert will present the contribution on behalf of himself, the NBA, the 76ers and Adidas, each of whom contributed to support the people of Haiti with medical assistance and supplies, through the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

 

Dalembert, who lived in Haiti until the age of 14, has more than a passing interest in the war-torn country. His grandmother, Hypromene Charle, still resides in his hometown of Port-au-Prince. The violent unrest in Haiti has weighed heavily on Dalembert's mind.

 

"It affected me a little bit a few games ago, but I tried to block it out," Dalembert said recently. "When I talk to her after a game, I feel better. She tells me, `Oh, don't worry about it. Everything's fine.' But the main thing I'm thinking is, I know how crazy it is (in Haiti). When I was little, I saw things happen. I saw crazy stuff going on. I can imagine how it is right now."

 

Dalembert tried to get his grandmother to move in with him, but she was uncomfortable. So instead he's tried to get her into a nicer, safer part of Haiti.

 

"When she was here, she kind of felt uncomfortable living with me," he said. "I said, 'You don't need to feel uncomfortable, because you've been raising me all your life. It's my time now to take care of you.' But she's still independent. I'm hoping I can slowly move her into a better area and to leave her house. I don't know how I'm going to do that, but I'm thinking about how I'm going to do it, a little slowly. Moving her here is so much a big transition for her."

[Ramp]

Every good story has to come to an end. The Nuggets' Cinderella run at an improbable playoff berth in the Wild, Wild West may have ended in Detroit on Friday night, when rookie Carmelo Anthony acted like a rookie for the first time this season.

 

Anthony, bristling at the critiques from veteran teammates like Marcus Camby and Andre Miller, pulled himself out of the game with 6:02 left and refused to go back in, despite the pleadings of his coach and teammates.

 

The Nuggets' dream season was on the ropes, and Carmelo was delivering the knockout blow. The team went on to be blown out by the Pistons (ironically the team that passed on him in the draft) and his teammates were left wondering how to pick up the pieces.

 

"I apologized for quitting," Anthony told the Denver Post on Saturday. "That's not me. That's not me. ... I never did that a day in my life."

 

Camby and Miller had questioned Anthony's shot selection in successive time outs. The criticism stung Carmelo to the core.

 

"I was just thinking, 'Why now? Why now?"' Anthony said. "I think sometimes everybody gets caught up in the moment. Marcus doesn't ever complain about nothing. He said what he had to say, I took it in and I kept on playing. But once you've got everybody questioning your shot selection ...

 

"Everybody was just coming down on me. That's all I heard. When I came to the huddle I could hear everyone saying, 'We're shooting ourselves in the foot.' It was just building up.

 

"Frustration just took over," he added. "It totally took over me (Friday). I thought I was playing good. I was out there trying to do anything. And for someone to reward me with I'm shooting too much? It just gets frustrating."

 

His teammates and coach rallied to his defense on Saturday. Both Miller and Camby publicly said that they support their young star -- they just want him to keep improving.

 

Said Camby: "He'll be OK (today). He got 20 (shots). We're going to him. With that comes responsibility."

 

Coach Jeff Bzdelik was even more forgiving. "He is a terrific young man who has shouldered a lot of responsibility," Bzdelik told the Post. "He was man enough to acknowledge to his teammates that he made a mistake. Now we move on. What is important is what lies ahead.

 

"To be honest with you, we wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for this young man."

 

The Nuggets' run this season has been amazing. The team has played so far above its head . . . there's nothing to be ashamed of during its recent 5-12 stretch since the All-Star break. The Nuggets, for the most part, lost to better teams. This team is not melting down as much as it's coming back to Earth.

 

In October I stood in the Nuggets' weight room with GM Kiki Vandeweghe and talked about his expectations for this season. Playoffs never entered into the conversation. Talk of 35 wins sounded almost crazy at the time given the tough competition in the West and the Nuggets' lowly 17 wins last season.

 

Under almost every scenario the Nuggets will finish the season with a winning record. Tell that to anyone in Denver at the start of the season and folks would've ordered up a parade.

 

The scary thing in Denver is that with a ton of cap room to use this summer, the Nuggets are only going to keep getting better.

 

Still, their playoff chances appear pretty bleak. With just 11 games to go in the regular season, the Nuggets, for the first time all season, are on the outside looking in.

 

Another huge loss on Sunday put them a half game behind the Jazz for the eighth playoff seed in the West. It is arguably the only one left up for grabs. The Rockets have the seventh seed, but are a comfortable four games ahead of the Jazz.

 

Things don't look good for the rest of the season. The Nuggets, along with the Jazz and Blazers, are in virtual three-team tie for that last spot. Who will secure the last playoff spot? Insider took a look at the schedules and recent trends, and based on the evidence, it looks like the Jazz will nab the last playoff spot in the West.

 

Here's how we break it down:

 

8. Utah Jazz

Current record: 36-34

Projected record: 43-39

Skinny: Another Cinderella story that looks like it will have a happier ending. The Jazz have several things going in their favor. Seven of their last 12 are at home. They also have the easiest schedule of the remaining three teams. Seven of the 12 teams they face are currently playoff teams. However, the Jazz only have to face three of those seven team on the road. A home game against the Nuggets on Saturday will be huge. The Jazz are 0-3 versus the Nuggets this season and will need that win to keep ahead of them in the playoff race. If the two teams tie, the Nuggets own the first tie breaker.

 

9. Denver Nuggets

Current record: 36-35

Projected record: 42-40

Skinny: The Nuggets are in such a funk right now it's tough to see them turning things around to catch the Jazz. The team has six home games left and five on the road. The good news is that it gets three beatable teams on the road -- Seattle, Utah and Phoenix. The bad news is that it has to play home games against the T-Wolves, Rockets, Blazers and Kings down the stretch. The Nuggets have to win at least two road games and at least two of those four tough home games to catch the Jazz. That's really asking a lot.

 

10. Portland Trail Blazers

Current record: 35-34

Projected record: 42-40

Skinny: The Blazers have 13 games remaining and only seven are against playoff-bound teams. The team has been 11-7 since the All-Star break and is playing the best basketball of the three right now. Can it catch up to the Jazz? The Blazers will have two key stretches that will determine their fate. Next week they go on a three-game East Coast road trip. They play the Knicks, Celtics and 76ers during the trip. If they can sweep those three (before you just give them the games remember that the Blazers are just 13-22 on the road this year), they'll be in very good shape. Another big game will be in Denver on April 10th. Like the Jazz, the Blazers are 0-3 versus Denver this year and need the win to stave them off. If the two teams end the season with a tie, the Nuggets win the tie breaker. The last four games of the season (at San Antonio, at Denver, home versus the Spurs and Lakers) are a killer.

 

Around the League

Remember how, just a few weeks ago, the national debate on the Rookie of the Year award seemed to be turning on who could lead his cellar team into the playoffs?

 

At the time, the argument coming loud and voraciously from the Carmelo Anthony camp was that Melo should get the award because he turned the worst team in the league into a playoff contender?

 

 

The LeBron James camp shot back that LeBron was doing more on a less-talented team. Carmelo had Andre Miller, Marcus Camby, Nene Hilario, Voshon Lenard and Jon Barry. LeBron had just Carlos Boozer, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and . . . Eric Williams?

 

It sure hasn't taken long for both camps to switch scripts.

 

As of Monday, in a stunning reversal, it's LeBron's Cavs holding on (precariously) to an eighth seed in the East. Meanwhile, out West, another disastrous loss for the Nuggets actually knocked them out of the top eight for the first time all season.

 

It's a tale of two teams going in opposite directions.

 

The Cavs are 11-5 since the All-Star break and seem destined to take one of the bottom three playoff spots in the East. The Nuggets are 5-11 since the break and seem unable to stop the bleeding.

 

Now, here's the catch. Since the break it's been Carmelo, not James, putting up the better numbers. Melo is averaging 24.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 3.4 apg on 44 percent shooting. James' numbers are close -- 21.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.2 apg on 44 percent shooting -- but not quite up to Melo's.

 

Now Melo's camp is arguing that his dominating play since the break should be enough for Melo to take home the trophy -- playoffs or no playoffs. Melo's camp is also pointing out that even if the Nuggets don't nail down a playoff berth, the team will finish with a better record in a tougher conference.

 

What's LeBron's rebuttal? That he's doing the impossible right now -- leading the lowly Cavs to the playoffs after the team stripped away two of its most talented pieces -- Ricky Davis and Darius Miles.

 

Who's going to come out on top? My money's still on LeBron, who has one big advantage over Melo -- he's made zero mistakes off the court this season. Melo's had a couple that will come back to haunt him. His dig about Andrei Kirilenko and the All-Star game can be written off to immaturity in a frustrating moment. But his refusal to come back into a game after teammates questioned his shot selection? That's going to haunt him for a while. . . . just ask Scottie Pippen, Melo.

 

# Could the Mavs slip to six? The Mavs' porous defense isn't the only problem they face over the next 13 games. They also face a mildly rigorous schedule going into the home stretch with road games against the Pacers, Heat and Rockets and home games against the Cavs, Kings and Grizzlies. That's certainly not going to derail their playoff hopes, but it could bump them to a sixth seed in the West if the Grizzlies keep playing well.

 

The Grizzlies, unfortunately, play eight of their last 13 on the road. The good news for the Grizz is, of those eight road games, only four are against teams with a winning record. They have two rough, but winnable home games against the T-Wolves and Rockets. The key moment for both teams will probably come on April 13th when the Grizzlies travel to Dallas for a huge showdown. The Grizzlies lead the head-to-head series 2-1 and have given the Mavs problems with their explosive offense and deep, deep bench.

 

If the Grizzlies can win that game on the road, expect them to pass the Mavs into the fifth seed, leaving the Mavs with either the Lakers, T-Wolves or Spurs in round one. The Mavs have had the most success against the Lakers this season, but they don't want to face them in a seven-game series without home-court advantage.

 

# Blogmaverick.com: Speaking of the Mavs, Mark Cuban is now wearing yet another hat in the Mavericks franchise. In addition to being the team's owner, defacto GM, sometimes assistant coach and biggest cheerleader -- he's now trying his hand at covering the Mavs in the media. Cuban's new web site, blogmaverick.com, gives readers his daily take on all things NBA with an occasional stock tip or two.

 

Cuban

 

I'm hooked. Cuban's first entry attacked Chicago Tribune columnist (and president of the Basketball Writers Association) Sam Smith. Cuban confessed that he "can't stand" Smith and at one point in his piece called him a "malicious liar."

 

The next day he took local columnist Kevin Blackistone to task for taking a quote (via e-mail) out of context in his Dallas Morning News column. The quote, about Cuban's comments to Josh Howard, ended up getting Cuban fined $10,000.

 

Blackistone wrote that Cuban told Howard to retaliate against Bowen after Bowen gave a hard foul to Michael Finely and the two got into it. However, Cuban printed his e-mail to Blackistone in full and it seems pretty clear that Cuban's "advice" to Howard came before the Finley-Bowen fight. Tough to call something a "bounty" before the incident ever happens.

 

Here's what Cuban wrote to Blackistone via e-mail:

 

"I spoke to him in a break after Bowen had got up underneath Josh and was slapping at him when he had the ball. It could be argued whether it was a legal guarding position or not, but that's why I told Josh to legally use a ball swipe to clear space. This was going to be a physical game and -- because he was the rookie -- he could be the one that got the tech and I would pay the fine for it. Josh is certainly not the type to back down from anyone, but all players get confused from time to time trying to figure out how a game is going to be called. I knew exactly how this game was going to be called once it got going, and that is why I said something to Josh."

 

Cuban went on to claim that Blackistone's column would likely get him fined and sure enough . . . the next day the league nailed Cuban with a $10,000 fine. Why? Here's Cuban's take.

 

"In my conversation with the NBA's Rick Buchanan, who really is a good guy in a thankless job, he told me I was being fined because I told the media what I had told Josh Howard. I wasn't being fined because of what I said to Josh. Merely because I had told the media what I had told Josh.

 

"What will once again be fun is to watch how the media covers the fine. They of course will write and report that I am being fined for 'putting out a bounty on Bruce Bowen,' which of course I never did, but works a whole lot better in a story. Or some of the more responsible reporters will write that I was fined for my 'comments to Josh Howard in response to the Bowen/Finley altercation,' which of course is incorrect as well. Think anyone will report that I was fined because I commented to the media? Me neither."

 

After the media, predictably, took the bounty angle, Cuban decided to quit talking to the media altogether and just let his blog do the talking. (At least for the day).

 

Talk about shameless promotion. After essentially pushing everyone to his Web site looking for an explanation, he spent the next few days promoting a movie he's producing -- "Godsend" -- with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Greg Kinnear and Robert De Niro (Cuban thinks Rebecca's hot) and his new reality TV series -- "The Benefactor."

 

Sunday's report was better, including a breakdown of referee tendencies that he's been watching . . . but what we really want to know is . . . how long before Mark picks up the clipboard and replaces Nellie at the end of the bench?

 

# Kobe Gone, Part XXIV? According to the L.A. Times, Kobe's teammates believe that he's leaving the Lakers this summer. His teammates also believe that the Knicks are the most likely destination for Kobe. That's tougher to swallow. With no cap space and no one the Lakers would want in a sign-and-trade (Kobe for Allan Houston, are you kidding?) Kobe is going to have to take a major, major pay cut or he's not coming to New York.

 

# Warriors ready to screw up again? How messed up is the Warriors organization? Garry St. Jean is still the GM, Chris Mullin is in the running to replace him despite green lighting the Nick Van Exel for Antawn Jamison trade (remember when Mullen claimed that Nick would lead the Warriors to the playoffs?) and the team is thinking about sacking coach Eric Musselman. Huh?

 

Musselman

 

Musselman is the best thing that has happened to the Warriors in years. He hasn't managed the cap poorly (see St. Jean) or made the stupid trades (see Mullin) that have killed the Warriors. His team is well prepared and plays over its head most nights. Players have bristled at his "play-who's-producing" strategy this season but . . . when you're losing, someone has to do something. Hubie Brown is doing the same thing in Memphis and, with more talent and depth, it's working. Adonal Foyle's been Musselman's biggest critic . . . and if he has the power to get his coach fired then we know just how screwed up the Warriors are.

 

Recently, Musselman, when talking about the rash of coach firings in the league, had his own take on what's going on. Musselman was asked when a coach deserved to be fired.

 

"Maybe they never should be fired," he told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Maybe you should do a lot of research before you hire a guy, then you hire the right guy and when things don't go well, you look somewhere other than him."

 

The Warriors' woes aren't Musselman's fault. If they dump him this summer (he hasn't had his option picked up yet) he'll be hired in a minute somewhere else and the Warriors will be the big losers. As always.

[AniR300]

Thanks Ramp

[DaGreatOne]

The Witch!

[JBurque]

told ya so

[Heckeroo]

man, Rafer is really good

 

better than Dwayne :mischief