I joined The Jim Rome Show to discuss the Orlando Magic and the business of coaching in the NBA.
Around the League
Around the League
Tuesday, April 10th, 2012Around the League
Wednesday, March 21st, 2012Joined The Steve Czaban Show to talk NBA & NCAA hoops. CLICK HERE to listen on Yahoo Sports Radio.
Around the League
Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
With less than 24 hours until the March 15, 3PM trade deadline, this is one of the rare occasions when teams are more concerned about what’s going on in their back offices than on the court.
It is surely an uneasy day for a number of players rumored to be on the trading block who know that they might have to pack up and move to another city tomorrow. Whether or not a trade ultimately works in a player’s favor, what’s guaranteed is the immediate and total disruption of his life. But that’s the nature of playing sports at the pro level.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors got the ball rolling with a multi-player trade. The Bucks will ship their 2005 No.1 overall pick, center Andrew Bogut out west along with 12th-year veteran Stephen Jackson in exchange for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown.
Milwaukee will get a young, explosive scoring guard in Monta Ellis, who could be a be a major factor in playoff race down backstretch. And the Bucks will also benefit from having a couple more healthy bodies on the bench in Udoh and Brown.
The Warriors have landed an All-Star caliber big in Bogut. However, it remains to be seen if he can overcome the injuries that have plagued him throughout his entire NBA career. Jackson was a productive contributor on a number of teams before falling out of favor with coach Scott Styles, so he could wind up helping Golden State too.
Dozens of players traded jerseys in last year’s frenzy of trade deadline deals. Though there may not be as much wheeling and dealing this season, there are some big names in the hat, most notably this year’s Carmelo-Anthony-style headline dominator Dwight Howard. And, in fact, Melo himself has resurfaced in the trade rumor mill. Though this is an incredibly stressful time for all involved, the rest of us who are anxiously waiting, watching and wondering get to buckle up and enjoy the ride.
Around the League: BBVA Rising Stars Challenge
Friday, February 24th, 2012Tonight I hope to celebrate my birthday with a win for Team Chuck in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge. The annual showcase for the NBA’s best and brightest young talents will kick start All-Star Weekend festivities in Orlando.
This year’s Rising Stars game is unique in that both teams will be a mix of first and second year players, as opposed to the traditional rookie vs. sophomore format. The rosters were decided by a draft on February 16th with general managers and TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal making the picks and positioning their respective squads. With the first overall pick Team Shaq chose Los Angeles Clipper, 2nd-year PF Blake Griffin. Team Chuck then countered with the selection of rookie PG Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks and I will man the sidelines for Team Chuck. Barkley put together a solid, balanced roster for us. We have two outstanding young point guards in Kyrie Irving and John Wall. Our seasoned sophomores like Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, Evan Turner and Paul George will bring experience and confidence to the court.
We had the opportunity to get everyone together for a quick practice this morning. Our current game plan is to start Kyrie Irving at the point, Paul George at the 2-guard, Evan Turner at the 3-spot, Gordon Hayward at the 4 position and DeMarcus Cousins at center. Our second unit will be comprised of John Wall, Kawhi Leonard, MarShon Brooks, Derrick Williams and Derrick Favors (who replaces Tiago Splitter who will be sidelined for a couple weeks with a calf strain).
Hopefully our guys will be able to play well together despite the minimal preparation. The fact that some of our players are former or current teammates will help add some cohesiveness. 2nd year players C DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings and PG John Wall of the Washington Wizards were teammates together at University of Kentucky. 2nd year forwards Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors are teammates in Utah, which could provide Team Chuck with a natural 3 & 4 combo at times during the game. The New Jersey Net on our squad is G/F Marshon Brooks, an impressive, scoring rookie out of Providence, who I have the pleasure of covering when I’m doing Nets games for the YES Network.
Team Shaq has a pair of teammates on their side: 2nd-year C Greg Monroe and rookie PG Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons and 2nd-year G Landry Fields and 2nd-year PG Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks, who was a last minute addition to the Rising Stars draft pool due to the fact that he’s the most talked about player in the entire league at this juncture.
Another interesting angle in tonight’s matchup is that some players will be competing against their own teammates. Rookie Spanish PG sensation Ricky Rubio a member of Team Shaq will at times be on the court against fellow Timberwolves rookie PF Derrick Williams of Team Chuck. Also, top overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft in June, PG Irving will possibly be picking and rolling against fellow Cavs rookie Tristan Thompson of Team Shaq.
TNT will televise the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge live from Orlando’s Amway Center tonight. Tune in at 9:00 PM ET to see the future of the NBA on display.
Around the League
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
The Rookie Challenge will sport a new look at All-Star 2012. And Shaq and Sir Charles will have to settle their next wrangle outside of the studio.
Since 1994, the annual exhibition game has showcased up-and-coming hoops stars like Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, Pao Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki. Traditionally, the league’s top first- and second-year players competed against each other for newbie supremacy.
However, this year the Rookie Challenge will be reborn as the Rising Stars Challenge. The young talent pool will be shaken and stirred by general managers Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, who will each draft a nine-man squad from a mixed bag of rookies and sophomores previously chosen by NBA assistant coaches.
I’ll be joining my fellow TNT crew member Chuck on the sidelines and will do my best to help coach our team to victory and follow up my 2003 win with the Sophomores with a second Challenge title. I have total confidence in my GM and trust that Barkley will assemble a dynamic crew of competitors.
Ernie Johnson will host the 2012 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge Draft, scheduled to air live on NBA TV next Thursday, February 16th at 7:00 PM ET, with Kenny Smith serving as honorary commissioner.
