I Always Wanted a D-League News Source

While I was doing random searches to find out about Towson before Thursday, I ended up down the Internet rabbit hole and found a li'l site called Ridiculous Upside. Here, they devote all of their attention to the NBA's D-League. Good writing, entertaining, some catchup with old favorites from college.

And, of course, Rod Benson news! Don't know who Rod Benson is? You should. He's easily the best D-League player of all time, in addition to being hilarious.

FIBA World Championships, Hell Yeah

It's like the World Cup, only basketball! The United States' "B-Deem Team" is starting out with Croatia today as they kick off the world championships in Turkey.

One awesome thing about this tournament is that you can watch every game on ESPN3, The Ocho. Another awesome thing is that Derrick Rose has worked his way into the USA starting lineup, which makes me really want a D-Rose #6 USA jersey. Isn't that LeBron's jersey number?

Also, we get to see Rose vs. Rubio in a preview of what will be a great point guard matchup in the NBA in coming years.

Anyway, there are a ton of games on every day, and this seems like just the thing to keep us occupied for the few days 'til college football starts.

Coming soon from me: Previewing the Big Ten's Week 1 matchups, and who the heck is Towson, anyway?

ESPN Doesn't want to Upset Lebron

This Article from NBC is very interesting. ESPN apparently pulled an article about Lebron hosting a party in Las Vegas only minutes after it went up.

Was This the Best Football Offseason Ever?

I say Yes! Why was it? Was this the best draft class ever? Was it because the Bears got some of the top free agents? How about USC being suspended from post season play? All good reasons to think it was a good offseason, but no. There has not been a lull in sports since the final seconds ticked off the Saints Super Bowl win over the Colts. Think about it, the Super Bowl was played on February 7th, 2010. Let’s take a look at what’s happened since then.

Just five days after the Super Bowl the Winter Olympics began. The Olympics started February 12th and went all the way through the month of February (normally the most boring sports month of the year). Even if you don’t normally get caught up in the Olympics, it was hard not to follow the USA hockey team on it’s way to the Silver Medal. It was even harder to avoid Olympic hockey if you were a Blackhawks fan who send 6 players, all of whom played in the Gold or Bronze medal games. The USA set the record for medals in a Winter games while their neighbors to the north took home the most Gold Medals in a good showing for the host nation.

Team USA: The Blue-White Scrimmage

Anybody else watching this scrimmage (ESPN3, probably also on TV) ? Team USA Basketball is trying to cut down from 19 players to 15 before going to training camp.

Important players on the bubble include Eric Gordon, OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, and Brook Lopez.
Derrick Rose has been playing heavy minutes for the White team, where he is joined by Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Tyson Chandler, and others.

It's definitely a youth movement on the new Team USA - this is not exactly a "Dream Team" - but Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom are notable veterans.

Updates and conclusions at the half.

POSTGAME REACTIONS:

Well, our guy from the Chi played some very impressive basketball, as his White team won 114 - 96 behind 28 points from Durant, the undisputed star of Team USA.



Rose played over 30 minutes, the most of anybody on his team, and scored 15 points on an array of highlight-reel layups, fastbreaks, and even a pretty three point bucket. But that's not all he did. He also looked ready and willing to play the point and embrace his role.

His eight assists were tops in the game (Rajon Rondo had six for Blue), while his five steals also led all players. Oh, and he didn't turn the ball over once. For comparison's sake, Durant and Rudy Gay had seven TOs each.



Rose made a strong case to be the starter for the US at point guard going forward, a position previously assumed to belong to Chauncey Billups. The Nuggets' floor general was just 2-for-10 tonight in 21 minutes and looked more comfortable shouting instructions from the bench than actually playing.

In a loaded backcourt which also includes budding stars Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Rondo, D-Rose looked like the class of the organization tonight.

Others who played impressively included Durant, Tyson Chandler, and Andre Iguodala for the White team, and Kevin Love and JaVale McGee for the Blue side. I know. JaVale McGee? Well, he looked ready to hustle and has some great low post moves.

Can't wait to watch the WBCs in Turkey this year.

Meet The New-Look Chicago Bulls

I figured I better get something up to avoid Armchair Superstar's first ever donut, and a lot has gone on at the Berto Center in Chicago, so let's see who we'll be rooting for next season on the Bulls:

Guards: Derrick Rose is a lock to start, and it looks as if new acquisition Ronnie Brewer will be his backcourt mate.

LeBron James: The Moron

A bit late but better than never. This is my article on why LeBron James is a total moron. LeBron James just left a team that in two consecutive years had the best record in the NBA. They were eliminated last year possibly because of his injuries in the playoffs. Oh, and the fact that he quit.

Now, LeBron James has taken his talents to South Beach. He has abandoned a team that he essentially built up. He has taken his "brand" and thrown it down the toilet. He is playing on Dwyane Wade's team with the uber-overrated Chris Bosh. He seems to think he has given the Cavs fans a lot. Well, he gave them nothing but playoff losses and heartache.

Bulls Summer League Game II: The Clippers

I realized today that one of the big reasons that the Bulls didn't land LeBron was that Chicago management told him they wouldn't provide paid positions for all of LeBron's boys. Forget where I read that - New York Times, maybe?

If that's the case, then good riddance and I'm proud of Reinsdorf, Gar, and Pax.

Just some tidbits from tonight's game:

Derrick Rose is in attendance, taking notes on players with Randy Brown, who I believe does player development for the Bulls.

Chris Webber is one of the announcers: Cool!

The squad seems to have found a good lineup with John Lucas III (8pt, 2ast in first quarter), Matt Bouldin, Samardo Samuels, James Johnson, and Trent Plaisted. All of these guys have at least a 25% to make the team. More coming later. They're interviewing Coach Thibodeau now.

Lucas is absolutely on fire, hitting two treys in a row to open the second quarter as the Bulls lead 26-16.

Bulls Summer League Game One: Nuggets

How sad am I that the World Cup is over/desperate for real sports to start up again?

Well, the Chicago Bulls have their very first Las Vegas Summer League match (starting NOW on ESPN3: The Ocho) and I'm goanna watch it and report back for everybody! They're playing the Nuggets, who star Ty Lawson from UNC (28pts, 7ast in their last game) as well as J.R. Smith (what is he still doing playing Summer League?).

First off, let's take a look at the Bulls' roster. A couple of guys have NBA experience. James Johnson should probably be the standout on the team. He's the only guy I expect to contribute for Chicago this season, and if he doesn't play well in Summer League, Gar and Pax better be looking for a replacement.

Other "veterans" on the squad include Joe Alexander, who came from the Bucks in the Salmons trade, Chris Richard, who signed a series of 10-day contracts with the Bulls and played fairly well, and others.

Game on! Chris Richard wins the tip. After a Derrick Byars made three-pointer, Johnson blocks a shot with a foul.

I'll be back with some analysis after the first quarter.

Carlos Boozer > Chris Bosh

Well, tonight is the night. And we still don't know where LeBron is going. Hell, I kind of think that LeBron doesn't know where LeBron is going.

Amidst reports that the Miami scenario is a "done deal," I got to thinking, and here's what I came up with after some film study; Carlos Boozer is better than Chris Bosh.

Let's go to the video, shall we?



God, the Fugees are awesome. I had to search for a few minutes to find a video without some crappy metal in the background. Now let's see some video of Bosh...



Here's my point. Did you see Bosh in that highlight, at all? Wasn't he supposed to be his team's star last year? Maybe his girlfriend should have been heckling him instead of LeBron.

Stats. Boozer averaged 19.7 and over 13 rebounds a game in the playoffs this year. Bosh didn't make the playoffs. You can compare them at NBA.com. Chris averaged a double-double in Toronto on a bad team (24 and 10), but watching video it just seems like he disappears in the post. Definitely not a strong presence.

I think that with Boozer and Noah in the post, Chicago is freaking scary. Add Taj Gibson to the mix and the Bulls are, perhaps, the best rebounding team in the league.

Bill Simmons today notes that Bosh has only played in ONE big game in his entire career as a basketball player. That would be the 2008 Olympics. Let's see...



Yep. Bosh is invisible again. Except when he fails to get over on defense. Then you notice. Like at 5:20. By the way, Simmons also really seems to be warming up to the Bulls, as noted in the Free Agency Summit from last week. I always think of him as a Chicago hater, so this is interesting.

"What should LeBron do? Pick Chicago. That's where the rings are. The fact that he didn't say to Bosh, "Come to Chicago with me, we'll play with Rose and Noah and win six titles together" was the single most disappointing outcome of the summer. That team would have been a true juggernaut with pieces that actually complemented each other, unlike this pickup-basketball situation that's brewing in Miami.

Even with Boozer there in Bosh's place -- and I think he's a great fit for them, with or without LeBron -- it could still translate to multiple titles, because Rose could have been the best second banana since Kobe in 2001. "

Nice. What do y'all think? Here, by the way, is one more of Boozer, just for education. Check out the post defense and fast break skills, and passing.



How lucky is Boozer to have played with Deron Williams, Jay Williams at Duke, and now Derrick Rose? That's one hell of a point guard list. By the way, let's not forget, Boozer won a title in college, and, as Simmons notes, Bosh never even made the Sweet Sixteen.



Yep. I'm happy with Boozer.

Wade and Bosh to Miami

Well, it appears that D'wyane Wade and Chris Bosh will sign with the Heat. So, where does that leave the Bulls? It no longer looks promising if you ask me. Chris Bosh and Lebron were seemingly linked together, yet LeBron wanted Bosh to come to Cleveland. Bosh refused. So, doesn't that mean LeBron has decided to stay in Cleveland? Otherwise, wouldn't he be joining James in Chicago? I'm starting to see now that the Bulls are not going to get jack shit. Whose excited for Carlos Boozer and JJ Reddick? This sucks. Oh well, I guess, we'll know for sure tomorrow at 8 pm when LeBron announces on ESPN. Let's hope that I am wrong.

Your Future Chicago Bulls?

Everyone is talking about the possibility of Wade, Bosh, and James playing together in Miami. But that begs the real question: Why Miami? The Bulls have $30 million available in cap space. However, Deng's contract is worth $11.5 million. That would leave the Bulls at 41.5 to 42 million dollars available. Putting each player at about 14 million dollars each.

Sure it's one million dollars short of what the heat can offer. But the Heat don't have Rose and Noah. Not to mention you throw in Johnson and Gibson and there is more room. Look, if you are going to pick a team with only two players left why not pick the team that has two all-stars (calling Noah an all-star because he deserved it last year and should be one next year)?

So, all in all, I'm calling it right now. The starting lineup for your Chicago Bulls will be:

PG - Derrick Rose

SG - D'wyane Wade

SF - LeBron James

PF - Chris Bosh

C - Joakim Noah

Only way this team could be better is Dwight Howard. The nice thing about this team is that there are only three people who really feel like they NEED to score. I think it is going to happen, I think it was decided in Miami.

Bulls Free Agency Derby

I thought we'd lead today with some linkage from around the world, and see what's being written about this story you may have heard about - there are a few decent free agents in the NBA this year, apparently?

One of the top three picks from the 2003 draft JUST SIGNED A HUGE DEAL WITH MINNESOTA!!!!!

ESPN's Jon Greenberg: Chicago is ready for new sports King <- This is a well-written and honest look at where the Bulls and the sports fans of Chicago stand. There are bits that LeBron might not love hearing...

"The Bulls don't need a leader. Joakim Noah has donned that mantle. He's earned it. Teammates like him and they have started to look to him to speak to the press on their behalf and as a last line of defense on the court.

I know it sounds crazy to outsiders: The guy who acted the fool after winning NCAA titles and wore the bow tie to the draft is a legit NBA leader?"

... but where Chicago has a serious edge with LeBron is exactly in this respect. We don't need to BS with him like Miami, New York, New Jersey. There's no Kool-Aid to be drank here in order to get the King to sign. Just look at Chicago. Just look at the Bulls. I love it.

Six out of eight ESPN experts think Bron is coming to Chicago.

Chris Bosh loves twitter. A good source for updates straight from the guy himself. I don't like Twitter but I will make an exception here.

Pooooooor Cleveland. Did you know they lead the nation in drifters? From the Trib...

"AKRON, Ohio — There's a consensus among sports fans here that — despite the Jordan shot over Craig Ehlo, John Elway's Drive and Jose Mesa's blown save in the World Series — the worst tragedy in Cleveland sports history occurred when Art Modell packed up the Browns and left for Baltimore for seemingly no good reason.

As the countdown to the start of free agency neared an end, fans in this passionate but championship-deprived sports town were bracing for the sobering possibility that LeBron James may play for another city next season."

So, yeah. The Nets and Knicks are in Akron today to talk with LeBron, the first of the suitors to make their pitches. Let me guess. You're goanna tell him New York is awesome. Hey, we have great deli in Chicago too, man. And it's less crowded and dogs don't crap on the sidewalks as much. And it smells better in Chicago. Anyway. From the NYTimes' great sports section...

“We tried to put him in a New York state of mind,” Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni said after the meeting with James.

After two years of diligently creating the cap room to pursue James — but without being able to say so publicly, D’Antoni got a little giddy.

“You know what was good? LeBron James being there,” D’Antoni said. “No one can call me for tampering. It’s liberating, really.”

I kinda think the Knicks have given up. That article mentions they've already offered Joe Johnson a max deal, too. Plus, they know they're terrible, no matter what eternal optimist Coach Mikey has to say. Now, the (soon-to-be) Brooklyn Nets, with Russian Mark Cuban and Jay-Z, they interest me a bit more, because LeBron does want to be a global icon. Times?

The Nets’ contingent, led by the new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, President Rod Thorn, Coach Avery Johnson and the music mogul Jay-Z — a Nets shareholder and a close friend of James — arrived at the offices of IMG in a series of black town cars at 10:58 a.m. James, who grew up in nearby Akron, arrived earlier, in a white sports-utility vehicle.

“Meeting went well,” Johnson shouted while walking out.

I don't think LeBron wants to play for The Little General, though. He might be more interested in Byron Scott, the Cavs' new coach. Cleveland sure thinks so, anyway.

God, I could go on for days with this stuff. Here's my prediction as of now:

Bosh/Wade to the Heat. Though I'm still not giving up on D-Wade coming to Chicago if the chips fall a certain way. Mostly, I think he's just trying to avoid living in the same town as his ex wife.

Johnson/Amare in New York, reunited with D'Antoni. God, I could get ten assists a game playing point guard for that team. Steve Nash won the MVP with those guys in 2004-05, by the way. Chris Paul, anybody? Joe Johnson actually may well be staying put in Atlanta and taking the money, according to ESPN.

LeBron/David Lee for the Bulls. Which gives us probably the best top seven in the league, especially if we add a SG like Korver or (sigh) Redick. Yes, that hurt.

Dirk stays in Dallas.

More to come. God, the 24 hour news cycle is rough!

Bosh and Wade Together... In Chicago

My sources have informed me that Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are in Chicago hearing presentations. My sources being ESPN and Twitter of course. Seriously though, Bosh and Wade have heard the Bulls' presentation. According to ESPN, Miami has the leg up on all the teams for both Bosh and Wade. But my question is: Why are they both in a hotel in Chicago then? Why wouldn't Wade be at his home in Miami? If Bosh wanted to join him during the Free Agency process, Wade could show him around Miami. Instead, Bosh is getting to see Chicago and all that this city has to offer. It makes no sense to me.

But then again, maybe their all looking for a home in Chicago. While LeBron is the dream, Wade isn't the worst consolation prize ever. Perhaps Wade sees the writing on the wall: You need room to sign three max free agents to three max deals. The Heat don't have that. Instead, the Bulls have a far better surrounding cast, and a third superstar on the rise. So, if Wade wants to be a part of a championship team for a while, he should probably try to join the Bulls.

On top of all of this Wade actually fits in perfectly with the Bulls' roster. We need a Shooting guard and a power forward. You get both of them from that signing. With that said, I'd still much rather land Bosh and James. Which I still remain confident we will. After that, we will dominate for years to come!

Wilbon, Kornheiser, Simmons and Le Batard Discuss NBA Free Agency

Mike D'Antoni, You Are Insane

This gem is from the New York Post today.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/hinrich_maneuver_EYxQj5hD0CoYEBmMNnic3M#ixzz0rsqbQ7gg

"This sets the course of the franchise for the next 10 years," D'Antoni said.The Bulls have a stronger cast in star point guard Derrick Rose, two young big men Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, and scoring forward Luol Deng.The Knicks' lone hope in landing James was having him come aboard with either Bosh or Stoudemire to join their young corps of Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas and Bill Walker."Our core young players can be put up against anybody," D'Antoni said. "You might smirk, but we have some pieces that are very interesting. I'm confident because we have a great product. We're selling the best place in the world to live and play."

Okay, let's see: Derrick Rose vs. Toney Douglas. ROSE

Luol Deng vs. Bill Walker. DENG

Danilo Galinari vs. Taj Gibson. GIBSON (close, but he did average a double-double most of the season!)

Joakim Noah vs. Wilson Chandler. NOAH

I'm smirking, Mikey, I'm smirking. It's okay though, Joe Johnson is a good fit in your system! And he will enjoy the hell out of that max contract.

NBA Draft Quick Hits

In no particular order...

1. I can't remember a year where I cared less about the draft. Mostly it's the impending Free Agent Shootout, but also this is just a pretty uninspiring class.

2. The Bulls shipped Captain Kirk and the #17 pick to Washington for, basically, cap space. After surviving rumor after rumor, it looks like this one is for real. We will miss you in Chicago, Mr. Hinrich. Here's hoping some kind of buyout lets us bring you back for cheap.

Word is, we might be bringing back Chris Duhon to take his spot. Here is a picture of the old school boys getting down.

3. In the category of MMMM... THAT'S EFFIN DELICIOUS... I just cooked a pork chop and green beans in a cast-iron skillet. Total prep/cook time: 15 minutes. Spices used: Kosher salt, mixed-up salt, pepper. Extra virgin olive oil, a little cayenne, and a splash of the beer can just for a second, just for flavor.

Cook the chop first, then the green beans in the mixed fat and olive oil. Pretty self explanatory. Damn good. And that's your moment of zen. I ate it with some crusty white bread.

4. I think the Lakers might have gotten a couple of second round steals tonight, proving once again that the rich tend to get richer.

They took Devin Ebanks, former Indiana commit, at No. 43, and then picked Derrick Caracter with the No. 58 pick. Ebanks reminds me of a Lamar Odom Lite, and Caracter is a big guy who has finally put it together despite what has been a troubled career. I expect both of these guys to contribute in the Lakers rotation.

5. My pick to flop from the Top Ten is Al-Farouq Aminu. If you can't win in college, you won't be able to win in the League. Fittingly, Aminu went to the Clippers. PS- Dino Gaudio, Wake's coach, just got fired this year.

6. My pick to surprise, outside of the Top Five, is Token White Guy Gordon Hayward. Fittingly, he went to Utah (at No. 9). Who saw that coming?

7. Jordan Crawford (Xavier, formerly Hoosiers) was drafted by New Jersey and went to Atlanta, while Damion James (Texas) was drafted by the Hawks and will be a Net. This is a bit strange to me, since I see these guys being better fits on their original squads.

Jordan and Jamal Crawford can't really coexist, seeing as they are basically the same guy. But I like Jordan's game and think he will be okay wherever he ends up.

8. Predicted flops from this draft: Aminu, Cole Aldrich, Ed Davis, Eric Bledsoe (shoulda stayed in school, he's Daequan Cook v. 2.0).

9. Predicted all-stars: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins.
a. If I'm right on this, I'm the man: Miami got Da'sean Butler from West Virginia with the 42nd pick. If anybody from that second round can surprise people and be an all-star, it's Butler.

10. Safest rotation players from Day One: Ekpe Udoh (Baylor/Golden State), Patrick Patterson (Kentucky/Houston), Hassan Whiteside (Marshall/Sacramento, 2nd round), Evan Turner (Ohio State/Philly, the only Big Ten player drafted).

11. Less than a week 'til Free Agency. Let's get LeBron!!!!

I Know, I Know, Lakers vs. Celtics, But...

Props to Send Lebron to Chicago for this.



At this point, let's do the math. Nets, Knicks, Heat, Bulls, Clippers. I pretty much think that's it.

The Nets have a core of Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, and the #3 pick. They are also coming off just a godawful season.

The Knicks are terrible.

The Heat would give Bron a great sidekick in D-Wade, but not a whole lot else.

The Clippers' have a nice supporting cast, not too bad -- Kaman, an aging but still effective Baron Davis, Eric Gordon.

And then we have the Bulls. As this video points out, LeBron James and Derrick Rose may be the two most athletic stars in the game today. Rose is only 21. James still has, what, eight good years left (if we use the Garnett model for high school sustainability)?

Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich, and Luol Deng are rock solid in their roles. This is a team that could become a dynasty with one simple move. No reaching for Bosh or Joe Johnson, or Amare. No complications.

Call it 'Just Add LeBron,' because unlike every other suitor, that is all the Bulls have to do to become instant championship favorites. Of course, we knew this already. But hey, cool video right?

NBA Playoffs: Finally Watchable?

I've been having a hard time paying attention to the Association's playoffs this year.

Partially, it's just the host of distractions; Where are LeBron/Bosh/Wade going? Who's goanna win the draft lottery? Is there hockey on? (note - we apparently are continuing our reverse jinx of the Hawks here at ACSS due to the kidnapping of our head hockey writers.)

Mainly, though, it just hasn't been a very exciting postseason. Derrick Rose and the Bulls got bounced in five. The Celtics manhandled the Cavaliers, and are poised to do the same to the Magic, despite tonight's game effort by Orlando, who won 96-92 on the road.

The Lakers had some exciting matchups in their road to the Western Conference Finals, but neither Kevin Durant and the Thunder nor Deron Williams (The Flyin' Illinoisian) and the Jazz looked like much more than a speed bump in Kobe and Co.'s way.

Yawn. For somebody that loves basketball like I do, this is torture.

My friend (and occasional ACSS contributor) Alec Kinczewski and I have been having an exchange on Facebook, where he asked me for my predictions on the Suns-Lakers series. I predicted the Suns winning in six games.

This of course was immediately followed by the Suns getting stomped in Game One, leading to...

Alec Kinczewski So, Suns in 6 games? I'll give you a chance to reconsider. Also, with a close enough score at half Kobe puts down 21 in the third. James scored 28 in all of game 6. Thoughts?

Mark Fodor My primary thought is this : If it's the Lakers in the Finals, I probably won't be watching the finals, despite my love for Lamar Odom and like for Pau Gasol. The rest of the Lakers just annoy me that much. Including Smug Phil. It's just not the same when he's not YOUR Zen Master.

And, two days later...

Alec Kinczewski So, despite Grant Hill playing like the advertising departments for Fila and Sprite were watching ('I'll show them!'), the Suns are in the hole 2-0. Change your prediction?

And, another two days later...

Mark Fodor Suns. Suns. Suns.

My point is this. We finally have ourselves a potentially interesting series in the NBA Playoffs, and I'm coming down hard on the side of the Phoenix Suns. There are a number of reasons that the average pro ball fan should be rooting for the Suns here:

5. Owner Robert Sarver got out the "Los Suns" jerseys as his team took a bold stand against Arizona's anti-immigration laws in the early going of the playoffs. The ability to make a statement without being maudlin or painfully obnoxious about it demonstrates class and intelligence.

4. Steve Nash had his eye blacked by Tim Duncan in Round Two as the Suns finally dispatched their longtime rival Spurs. Then, last night, he finished the game despite a broken nose! He's having surgery on it and will play in Game Four. No doubt inspired by playoff hockey (and Los Hawks!), the Canadian is all toughness and passing ability, even at his advanced age.

3. Amar'e Stoudemire and Lamar Odom have engaged in a mostly one-sided war of words throughout. On the court, both big men are entertaining as hell to watch. Odom, with his well-rounded skill set, is one of my favorites to watch, and he was the stud of my NBA 2k5 dynasty (along with Arenas, Wally Sczcerbiak, Nene, and Marcus Camby). He had 19 and 19 in Game One and another double-double in Game Two.

Amar'e openly attributed Odom's great games to his being "lucky" (if he was that lucky, he would have landed the hot Kardashian sister, no?), and then went out last night and backed up his big talk, notching 43 and 11 in a sick, sick game. He one-upped Kobe Bryant's near triple double and made up for an awful game from most of the Suns' bench.

Also, Amar'e is bringing back the RecSpecs.

2. Robin Lopez. Everyone thought his brother was going to be much better. Well, Brook and the Nets won, what, ten games this year? Eleven? Robin dropped twenty last night, many of them in the face of All-Star Pau Gasol. He's a crazy looking dude and adds extra entertainment factor, for sure. SI.com's Chris Ballard has a nice feature on Lopez today. Here's one highlight from the season, if you've been missing out.



1. Aren't you sick of the Lakers? It's not that I don't admire their style of play. I really do. And Odom, when he's on, is one of my favorite guys to watch in the league.

But Jack Nicholson, Kobe Bryant, the Laker Girls, those awful yellow and purple uniforms... I have had enough. It's time for some real excitement in the NBA finals, not the same ten teams we've been seeing since the seventies. So I say, Viva Los Suns! Time to hit the comeback trail.

Kelvin Sampson next head coach for the Bulls?

I saw this today thought it was interesting. KC Johnson of the Tribune mentions in his article that the Bulls could look at former IU and Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson for the vacant head coaching position. I always thought he was a solid X's & O's coach, but not sure how he would do at the NBA level. Any other thoughts on this?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-spt-0520-bulls-chicago--20100519,0,3151299.story