Mike Conley got a contract extension from the Grizzlies to the tune of $45 million over five years, and Hardwood Paroxysm is not happy about it. In fact, he went on one of the greatest rants in Twitter history about it. Check this Tumblr page that was created specifically to save this rant for posterity's sake. Some highlights:
IT's MIKE CONLEY! HE CAN'T DRIBBLE! HE'S AN EFFING POINT GUARD THAT CAN'T DRIBBLE!Yeah, I'd say he's just a little pissed off. (h/t teaguejd)
You literally gave twice as much money as Darko got for a player who is even worse at his position than Darko. You outdid Kahn.
You could have extended Thabeet for the max. Better move. You could have traded Z-Bo for Darko. Better move.
Worst of the Night in Pictures:
Nationally Televised Games:
Grizzlies at Lakers, NBA TV, 10:30pm: Not the greatest way for the Grizzlies to start a four-games-in-five-nights roadtrip. I don't think the Lakers are going to let the Grizzlies get 22 steals like the Timberwolves did the other night. Just a gut feeling.
All The Other Games:
Hawks at Cavaliers, 7pm: Joe Johnson had this to say after his last game: "I'm a shooter. I've got to keep shooting." Indeed. I don't think the Hawks are paying him $124 million to not shoot.
76ers at
Celtics at Pistons, 7:30pm: Shaq is hurt??? Impossible! Inconceivable!! In other news, wow. Rajon Rondo. Dude's just dropping dimes everwhere. He could find a way to get credited for an assist on a basket he shoots himself at this point I think.
Timberwolves at Heat, 7:30pm: The Heat's defense is just unreal right now. They're only allowing 80 points per game, and they haven't allowed a field goal to a starting forward in the last two contests. So, yeah, think I'm just gonna go ahead and mark down the Timberpups for their 14th straight road loss...
Trail Blazers at Bucks, 8pm: The Blazers let Luol Deng go off for 40 points. I fully expect Corey Maggette to drop 60 on them tonight. That's not unreasonable, right?
Labels: Bawful After Dark, Eddy Curry, Mike Conley, New York Knicks
With all the poor play and questionable officiating in the playoffs, it's easy to forget about the bawful nature of the rest of the NBA right now. However, I need a break from the Celtics doing their best to rip out my heart and drive over it with a truck that has snow chains on its tires. So why not take a look back at one of the greatest sources of bawful comedy in recent memory?
It goes without saying that Isiah Thomas was an absolute joke during his time as president of the New York Knicks. He spent money and got nothing in return to show for it. He presided over the worst possession in basketball history. He was involved in a ridiculous sexual harrassment lawsuit. He had "an accidental overdose of a prescription sleeping pill." The list goes on and on.
However, do you truly understand just how spectacularly bawful his leadership was? This story is required reading for anyone who would ever go to this website. (h/t Jonah Keri for the link). The man wasted so much money, I'm willing to believe he was trying to recreate the movie Brewster's Millions. Let's break it down:
Isiah Thomas' fiscal irresponsibility became so extreme during his time as Knicks president from 2003-08 that he paid $120 million for a total of 82 games played. [The seven players responsible for that sum] averaged 10.6 points per game over the combined 82-game span.Well, when you put it in those terms, it almost seems like an investment (even if a horrible Enron-ish one). His players actually scored some points! However...
Isiah Thomas effectively lit $50.6 million on fire by paying Jerome Williams, Maurice Taylor, Dan Dickau and Stephon Marbury for seasons in which they did not play for the Knicks.Devastating. (And that list doesn't even include Jerome freaking James!)
Perhaps the worst part of the entire situation lies in the fact that Zeke did not actually initiate any of these contracts. No, some other
And I haven't even brought up Eddy Curry, or drafting Renaldo Balkman one spot ahead of Rajon Rondo, or trading away countless other draft picks...
(Speaking of Balkman-over-Rondo, here's a fantastic line from Pat Forde's article I linked to in yesterday's BAD post:
By that point, Ainge wasn't capable of exhaling. He had arranged for his old team, the Phoenix Suns, to draft Rondo if Rondo was still there when the Suns were to pick at No. 21. He and the Celtics were sure that the Knicks' boss, Isiah Thomas, would ruin everything and draft Rondo at No. 20. But Thomas, himself a point guard, elected to go with Renaldo Balkman at No. 20.This should surprise none of you.)
Are we cherry-picking some of the worst things possible and ignoring any good things Zeke did during his tenure? (Not that this is a hard thing to do... Zing!) Sure. But facts are facts, regardless of the circumstances. Isiah Thomas, we miss you and your reign of terror and failure at the New York Knicks, but at least your legacy will live on forever. Or at least until Donnie Walsh gets done cleaning up your mess and getting rid of the last of your horrific contracts.
Labels: Eddy Curry, Isiah Thomas, legendary failure, New York Knicks
In honor of Francisco Garcia's physioball nightmare, I have updated my original dumb injuries post into an official Hall of Shame post! Because laughing at stupid injuries never gets old.
Update! Did I miss one? Provide a story and citation, and I'll add it to the list!
Amare Stoudemire: On February 18, 2009, STAT suffered a partially detatched retina in his right eye against (of all teams) the Clippers, which caused him to miss the rest of the season. That doesn't sound all that dumb until you consider that fact that Stoudemire injured that same eye earlier in the season and was told he'd probably need to wear goggles for the rest of his career. Only Amare soon stopped wearing the goggles...and, well, you know what happened.
An unnamed Timbersolves fan: On February 26, 2006, during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, a frustrated Kevin Garnett (then with the Timberwolves) launched a basketball into the Minnesota crowd and pulped an unnamed fan's face in the process. Garnett was ejected (and later fined $5,000) and the fan was wheeled out of the Target Center on a gurney (during which the other fans booed him). According to a friend, the fan missed work the next day. Added that friend, "He is a victim, not a villain. ... He was not mad for a second at [Garnett]. He's mad at anybody who portrayed it that way. ... He's embarrassed about the whole thing. The only thing he's angry with is how the crowd reacted to him." (Thanks to Basketbawful reader Story for the reminder.)
BJ Tyler: According to Wikipedia: "Prior to the 1995-96 NBA season, Tyler was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 expansion draft. According to journalist Chris Young's book Drive, Tyler accidentally fell asleep with a pack of ice on his knee, severely damaging it and thus losing all the speed for which he was famed, and subsequently had to retire." Yeah, right. He just didn't want to play for the Raptors. Vince Carter feels him on that one. [Thanks to siukong for the head's up.]
Brad Miller: The former Boilermaker Miller needed nine stitches in his right index finger after almost chopping it off with a knife while doing dishes last season...on the same day he was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the second time in his career. Said Miller: "It's the last time I help do dishes." Said teammate Mikki Moore: "When I saw him, it was all wrapped up. So, I said, 'You're going to drop 20 and 20 in two games and then go and cut your knuckle off?' I said, 'That's real smart, Brad.' He said, 'Nah, that's my luck.'" [Thanks to Josh from The Garbagetime All-Stars for the reminder.]
Charles Barkley: Sir Charles has never been easy on the eyes...not even his own. Chuck missed the Phoenix Suns' 1994-95 season opener because the first layers of his corneas got burned off by body lotion during an Eric Clapton concert. Apparently, allergies and the dazzling stage lights caused him to rub his eyes, and he got lotion in them.
Phoenix Suns team doctor, Richard Emerson, said: "It was a chemical reaction to a type of lotion that he uses. I wouldn't anticipate it'll reoccur because I don't think he'll use that type again." No kidding.
Note that Barkley was also suffering from a strained lower abdominal wall at the time. Probably from too many hotdogs at the concert.
Conrad McRae: During the 1998-99 season, the Denver Nuggets signed McRae to a 10-day contract. Contrad, who was unaccustomed to the thin air in the high altitude of Denver, fainted while doing some pre-game sprints. He was treated by paramedics and did not play in that night's game for precautionary reasons.
Sad extra: McRae's fainting caused Denver's medical staff to evaluate him further and discovered that he had a heart condition and advised him that he should not play basketball again. He ignored that advice and died in June 2000 during a basketball practice.
Corey Maggette: During the 2001-02 season, Maggette got so upset over a call that he slammed his hand on the scorer's table in frustration and dislocated the ring and little fingers on his right hand. Maggette ended up with a cast and a four-week vacation.
Dajuan Wagner: He missed missed thirty-five games during his rookie year due to what was thought to be a bladder infection. He missed another thirty-eight games during his sophomore season due to an inflamed pancreas and liver. Then, 11 games into his third season, Wagner started suffering stomach cramps and the doctors thought it was just another bladder infection. Turns out it was colitis, and that's what had been causing all his problems. He had the colon removed and missed another seventy-one games. That was pretty much the end of Dajuan's career; he tried to make a comeback, but his team (the Golden State Warriors) simply bought out his contract.
Darko Milicic: Ah, Darko, Darko, Darko. He was put in for what was described as a "token" appearance in the Pistons' Game 5 blowout of the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals (what we here at Basketbawful like to call the human victory cigar). He played 2 minutes, finishing with 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 turnover...and 1 broken hand. Oh yes he did. The injury required surgury and sidelines him for eight weeks. (Thanks Harpreet.)
Derrick Coleman: Coleman -- whose NBA career was limited and cut short due to laziness, character issues, a giant fat ass, and, of course, injury problems -- got injured again, only this time it happened while filming an episode of the TV show Pros vs. Joes. DC was participating in a rebounding challenge against some "average joe" when he came down from a jump and landed awkwardly, hurting his always-troublesome knee. This means that Coleman has the dubious distinction of being the first Pro to ever get injured during battle with a Joe.
Derrick Rose: The Bulls rookie was forced to miss some practice time because, get ready for it, he cut himself under the elbow on his left forearm. In bed. From a knife he used to slice an apple. Said Rose: "Silly accident this morning. I went to get a bottle of water, forgot the knife was there and sat down and sliced my arm. I panicked when it first happened. I called [Bulls trainer Fred Tedeschi]. We got it stitched up about 8 [a.m.]. It was a large wound, but they healed it up. I'm good. I could have practiced, but they told me to wait until [today]. I can still dribble, shoot, do all that stuff. I'm hoping they'll let me play."
Of course, a lot of people are already questioning what "really" happened, since Rose's story sounds too bizarre to be true (kind of like the time I got run over by a horse while riding my bike). But, in my experience, it's the weird stories that totally ARE true. And Rose isn't worried about what other people think. "It's the truth, so I'm not worried about [people not believing him]. I called my mom, and she was like, what are you doing? It was just a freak accident. I was very scared. I'm going to get somebody else to cut [the apple]. I'm not cutting it no more." Ah, to live in a world where, after a freak apple-cutting accident, you can respond not by simply being more careful next time, but by hiring someone to peel apples for you for the rest of your life. Awesome.
Dirk Nowitzki: In December 2001, before a game against the Washington Wizards, The Flying Dutchman sprained a tendon in his ankle when he put his shoe on improperly and the stomped his foot on the floor to make sure it was on right. The injury was so bad he missed the game. He must have been one sour Kraut when that happened. Good thing there weren't any exercise bikes around.
Drew Gooden: In March of 2004, Gooden -- then with the Orlando Magic -- was hospitalized with what was thought to be a spider bite. Turns out it was a MRSA infection resulting from infected hair follicles on his leg. The infection was repeatedly drained and he needed three days of intravenous drug treatment.
I know it's tempting to laugh about this, but MRSA is a dangerous antibiotic-resistant infection that has been dubbed "the Superbug" in England. So if somebody you know gets a leg hair infection, do not laugh at them. Okay, you can laugh a little bit.
Dwyane Wade: I'm not saying the man wasn't hurt -- he was hurt really badly -- but people (like me) are still wondering why he needed to be taken off the court in a wheelchair for a shoulder injury. I guess the leg bone is connected to the arm bone...
Eddy Curry: E-City had to miss a game due to a badly sprained left ankle suffered at...a walk-through at his team's morning shoot-around. Nope. I'm not kidding. Said teammate Malik Rose: "How do you explain something like that?" Good question. A very good question.
Eddy Curry (again): Speaking of good questions, here's another: Can a player suffer a more embarrassing injury than spraining his ankle during a walk-through? Well, the answer is "yes" my friends. From the New York Daily News: "Poor Eddy Curry. He sat on the giant blue physioball during a break from Monday's practice and the ball exploded. Eddy fell and scraped and his wrist but should be okay. The ball, which is used for stretching exercises, was pronounced dead at the scene." This also answers the classic "How do you know when you're too fat?" question. I thought those balls were indestructible.
Francisco Garcia: He broke his arm. While lifting weights. On a physioball. No, really. Said Garcia: "'Just a regular day, lifting weights. I was out there, on the PhysioBall. We've got an understanding that the exercise was good. We'd been doing that, and it exploded on me. I didn't have time to react or anything. It's crazy, man. I keep reflecting in my head. It's crazy."
George McCloud: Prior to Game 3 of the 1992 first round playoff series between the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics, McCloud "held his ankle in a funny way" while talking on the phone. This somehow injured the ankle so badly he couldn't play in the game and had to sit on the bench in street clothes as his team got eliminated. [Thanks to 80s NBA for the reminder; this was actually one of my painful Pacers playoff moments.]
Gilbert Arenas: File this one under "unfortunate pube shaving accidents." Very unfortunate. I'll let Agent Zero tell the tale: "When I was new in the NBA the team veterans convinced me to shave, you know, down there, because they said the hair stinks. I used my girlfriend's razor, which was rusty and gave me keloids. The doctor prescribed medicine to dab on, but I just poured it all over. Three days later I woke up screaming. The skin was burnt off my scrotum, down to my crack, everything -- just raw flesh. I still had to run and play, so I used a numbing spray for a month until it healed. Now I use clippers." I bet he does. [Thanks to The Brazilian Guy for this one.]
Greg Oden: You know that microfracture surgery that ended Oden's rookie season before it had even begun? It happened while he was getting up off the couch.
Greg Ostertag: You know we love Greg Ostertag around these parts, and this is one of the reasons why: The big goof fractured the third metacarpal on his right hand in October of 2004 when he tripped on a footstool while getting out of bed. Mind you, this happened after his first day of practice with his new team, the Sacramento Kings.
Jeff Hornacek: Here's a good one from Marc: "You need to include Jeff Hornacek for tripping over a rake during the break the Jazz had between the 1998 Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. He had to get seven stitches. If Horny would have been full strength the Jazz would have won the title. Or so I tell myself every night." Finally a reason for everybody to get off of Karl Malon's case!
Here's the full story: "During the 10-day layoff between the Jazz's sweep of the Lakers in the Western Conference finals and the start of the NBA Finals against the Bulls in 1998, Hornacek tried to stay busy by doing household chores. While maneuvering a heavy ladder over and around the cars parked in his garage, he stepped on a rake, causing him to fall and drop the ladder on his head, opening a large gash. He yelled to his wife, Stacy, who rushed out and found him lying in a pool of blood. 'Blood was everywhere,' she said. 'I thought he was dead.' He was only mostly dead. Seven stitches closed the wound."
Jeff Ruland: After the 1985-86 season, the Philadelphia 76ers decided to flush their future down the toilet by trading the first pick in the NBA draft -- which became Brad Daugherty -- to Cleveland for Roy Hinson. Since that didn't do nearly enough damage, they also sent Moses Malone to Washington in exchange for Ruland. Moses went on to average 24 PPG and 11 RPG for the Bullets, while Ruland played only five games for the Sixers before getting sidelined with a variety of foot and knee injuries.
Ruland was out of action for five years but attempted to return for the 1991-92 season. However, the comeback ended because of...a luggage cart. Yes, a luggage cart, which was (allegedly) rammed into Ruland's leg by a Celtics employee as he waited for a team bus outside Boston Garden. (It should be noted that Ruland was not a popular in Boston, and he was even nicknamed "McNasty" by the Celtics' late great broadcaster Johnny Most.)
Said Ruland: "I got run over by a luggage cart. That's hard to swallow. It can't be accidental, they were moving too fast. Whoever could foresee anything like this happening?"
Jermaine O'Neal: BadDave nicknamed him "The Drain" because of his propensity for getting injured. And it all began back in December of 200, when he got injured...by a sneeze: "Jermaine O'Neal may have an NBA first: Injured while blowing his nose. The pressure on the sinus caused the Indiana Pacers center's right eye to swell last week, leaving him with blurred vision. He played only 10 minutes at Boston on Friday night, then logged 38 minutes in Saturday night's overtime victory over Charlotte despite the limited vision. 'It was an old nose injury plus sinus problems,' O'Neal said. 'When I blew my nose it made a small hole in my sinuses.'" (Thanks to thebigticket.my for the head's up and the link.)
John Starks: Oh my God. I've been laughing about this one for about five minutes. Thank you, Sturla, for bringing this joy back into my life. (Although I'm sure Starks would punch me for it.) Back in 2001, Starks suffered -- wait for it...wait for it -- a twisted testicle! No, I am not making this up. The scientific term for this is testicular torsion, and it happens when the spermatic cord that provides the blood supply to a testicle is twisted, cutting off the blood supply, often causing orchalgia (that is, intense pain in the nutsack). Prolonged testicular torsion will result in the death of the testicle and surrounding tissues. Starks had to undergo a procedure to "open up and untwist the testicle." Ouch.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Over the course of his 162-year NBA career, Kareem broke his hand twice. But that wasn't just the law of averages in operation, folks. Both injuries were cases of extreme dumbosity. From Kareem's Wikipedia page: "While remaining relatively injury-free throughout his NBA career, Abdul-Jabbar twice broke his hand. The first time was during a pre-season game in 1974, when he was bumped hard and got his eye scratched, which angered him enough to punch the basket support stanchion. When he returned, after missing the first 16 games of the season, he started to wear protective goggles. The second time he broke his hand was in the opening game of the 1977-78 season. Two minutes into the game, Abdul-Jabbar punched Milwaukee's Kent Benson in retaliation for an overly aggressive elbow. He was out for two months."
Kendrick Perkins: Boston's big man missed time last season due to a right big toe that was injured when he dropped a bed on it. "I was asleep. I guess whoever put my bed together didn't put it together right when I moved, so one side of my bed fell. My bed was tilted, so I got out of my bed to go push down on the other side. And when I was about getting ready to push down on the other side, the headboard started coming in. So I tried to push the headboard back so it wouldn't fall over. My foot was under the bed and the other side of the bed fell on my foot." Man, I hate it when that happens.
Kevin Johnson: During the mid-90s, KJ won a regular season game on a buzzer-beating shot and received a crippling bear hug from teammate Charles Barkley. And I mean "crippling" in the literal sense. Chuck squeezed Kevin so hard his shoulder was dislocated. (At least Barkley didn't rub any body lotion in KJ's eyes.) Unlike Dwyane Wade, Kevin didn't have to be carted off the court in a wheelchair, but he was out of action for the next two weeks. KJ also had hernia surgery in 1996 after years of abdominal problems that were allegedly brought on by picking up teammate Oliver Miller to celebrate a play.
Kobe Bryant: He hurt his back. Vacuuming. But he says it's because of vacuum size discrimination. Seriously. Watch the video. [Thanks to rich muhlach for this one.]
Larry Bird: In the fall of 1988, Bird was attempting a comeback from dual-Achilles surgery when he permenantly injured in his back. How? He was undercut by Michael Jordan, who then fell on Bird...in the Kenny Rogers Charity Basketball Tournament in Kentucky. According to his second autobiography, Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching The Game I Love, Bird said: "We were in the final minutes of this charity basketball game when I went up for a rebound and came down a little sideways. Michael Jordan was going for the ball too, and he landed on my back. Right away I knew I was in trouble. I had torn additional portions of the disc wall, and my back was really traumatized. I didn't know it then, all the way back in 1989, but that was the beginning of the end…I never came all the way back." Yet another reason I hate Michael Jordan.
Latrell Sprewell: The man who once choked his coach broke his hand by taking a swing at the boyfriend of a female party guest who threw up on his yacht. But it seems that Spree's punches were roughly as accurate as his jumpers (42 percent lifetime): He whiffed and punched the wall instead. Sprewell tried to cover up the incident, but some of his guests leaked the story and the Knicks fined Spree $250,000 for not reporting the injury. Sprewell, ever the victim, complained about it to the press. "They talk about being a family but they're not sticking with me. The biggest thing to me is that I'm hurt. So don't kick me when I'm down." But...but that's the best time to kick somebody!
Lionel Simmons: The L-Train was an absolutely amazing basketball player. In college. He finished third in all-time NCAA scoring with 3,217 points, trailing only only Pete Maravich and Freeman Williams. He also won both the Naismith College Player of the Year award and the John R. Wooden Award. His NBA career, on the other hand, was barely more than decent. But Lionel's greatest contribution to the pro game was the injury he suffered during the 1990-91 season: He missed two games with wrist tendonitis caused by overtraining on his Nintendo Game Boy. I can only hope he defeated King Koopa and saved the Princess.
Note that, a year later, Derrick McKey missed seven games with the same injury. Uh huh. Mind you, this is the same player for whom I created the term flu-like symptoms, so you'll excuse me if I remain suspicious.
Luc Longley: During the 1996-97 season, the Bulls lost Longley's services for seven weeks after he got hurt body surfing. Yeah. Luc was body-surfing off the coast of Los Angeles coast when an unexpectedly strong wave drove him shoulder-first into the ocean floor and knocked his clavicle and shoulder out of place.
Luc Longley (again): Back in the 1999-00 season, Luc got stung the the scorpion...and I'm not talking about the Spider-man villain: "The runaway winner for injury of the year goes to Phoenix C Luc Longley, who was stung twice by a scorpion while sitting on the floor at his home sorting through his CD collection -- once on the foot, once on the buttocks. 'If I was unable to play,' Longley said, 'I'll be the first player ever to have DNP-ass bite on the box score.'" Oh how I wish that would have happened. (Thanks to goathair of the Blowtorch -- great, great site, btw -- for the stinging reminder.)
Michael Jordan: Yep, even MJ has a place on this list. Although he was already kinda sorta unofficially retired (again), Jordan severed a tendon in his right index finger (i.e., on his shooting hand) while using a cigar cutter in January 1999. Officially listed as a "a laceration of the flexor tendon," Jordan needed surgery to repair it and six weeks of occupational therapy to rehabilitate it.
Monta Ellis: Shortly after inking a six-year, $66 million dollar contract extension, Ellis torpedoed Golden State's 2008-09 season when he tore a ligament in his left ankle and sustained a high-ankle sprain in a "low-speed" mo-ped accident. So not only did he screw his team over, he lost serious Man Points for getting injured not only on a mo-ped...but while driving said mo-ped at low speeds. Oh, the fail.
Moochie Norris: In March of 1999, Moochie -- who was given his nickname by his grandfather, who loved the Cab Calloway song Minnie the Moocher -- asked his team (the Seattle SuperSonics) to put him on the injured list because of insomnia. Apparently, Mooch had suffered from insomnia since his mother had died of cancer in 1989, and he (supposedly) only got about two hours of sleep on most nights. The Sonics weren't fond of that excuse, so a few days later they waived Moochie to make room for John Crotty. Yes, John Crotty.
Mo Williams: Mo missed a game against the Pacers last season with pubic symphysitis. (Editor's note: That's an injury to the pubic symphysis, which is a cartilaginous joint above the man region.) I have no idea how you injure this sensitive joint, but surgically cutting it allows more of the penis to hang outside the body, thereby increasing its length. I'm not trying to insinuate that Mo had elective surgery to make his dong longer, but...no, actually, that's kind of what I'm insinuating.
Muggsy Bogues: The tiny, tiny man (who was playing for the Toronto Raptors) missed the second half of a game against the Portland Trailblazers after accidentally sucking in some ointment fumes during a halftime treatment. ("Ointment fumes"...so that's what the kids are calling it these days? I guess I should double-check with Josh Howard.) Said Bogues: "Never happened to me before and I hope it never happens again. That was one of those fluke things you don't even dream about."
Pat Riley: As the NarSARSsist pointed out, back in January of 2007, while his NBA champion Miami Heat were falling apart around him, then-coach Pat Riley had to take an indefinite leave of absence after having surgery on his right knee. The cause? Nobody's quite sure, but he had apparently kicked a locker room door following a loss in Chicago the previous week. While that kick hadn't caused the problem, it certainly exaccerbated it. Allegedly. Riley still never has admitted to kicking that door. Said Riles: "What I do in the locker room really has always been my business." Here's what Alonzo Mourning had to say: "Typical Riles. All the years that he's coached me I've seen him tear a lot of things up." As always, I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.
Pervis Ellison: From Roger Williams: "In his second to last season with the Celtics, Pervis 'Out of Service' Ellison missed the entire season after dropping a table on his toe while helping then teammate Greg Minor (he of SI cover story fame) move to a new apartment." Yep. It happened.
Rex Chapman: Sexy Rexy (who was playing for the Phoenix Suns) missed five games during the 1998-99 season with turf toe. Which is also known as a metatarsalphalangeal joint sprain, in case you're so bored you were actually wondering. I guess that sort of explains why he used to just run from three-point line to three-point line.
Ron Artest: Ron-Ron threw his back out of whack...driving his wife's Mercedes. This is apparently what happens when you stuff an extra-large body into an extra-small space.
Ruben Patterson: This entry harkens back to 2003, during Portland's infamous "Jail Blazer" era. Patterson ended up with a shiny black eye thanks to a five-knuckeled "hello" from teammate Zach Randolph. Patterson, who earlier that season had been arrested on suspicion of domestic assault, was arguing with Qyntel Woods, who himself had been recently cited by Portland police on marijuana possession charges after a traffic stop, when Randolph stepped in and sucker-punched Patterson. While, it should be noted, Patterson was being restrained by teammates. Nice, huh? Patterson then promised not to retaliate...until his probation expired in May (it was April at the time). Good times all around. (Thanks to Dunpizzle.)
Scott Williams: While playing for the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan-less 1993-94 season, Williams had a string of bizarre injuries. First, he missed four days of practice after straining his shoulder at the team's annual bowling outing. A few days later, he hurt his back lifting a TV he bought on sale. Then, later in the season, he injured a tendon behind his right kneecap while stretching, and that was the end of his season. That kind of injury proneness would make even Bill Walton wince.
Slobodan Jankovic: From chris: "This ain't NBA, but it is (no pun intended) mind-numbingly dumb: 'Published: May 1, 1993. A Serbian basketball player was reported to be improving yesterday after spinal surgery to repair a neck injury suffered when he slammed his head into a concrete block in anger at a referee's decision. Doctors at KAT Hospital in Athens said Slobodan Jankovic, a 30-year-old center, may recover use of his arms and legs as a result of the operation late Thursday. Jankovic rammed his head against a cement support of the basket after being called for a fifth foul that put him out of a semifinal game in the Greek championship playoffs on Wednesday night. The blow fractured his neck, damaged Jankovic's spinal cord and left him paralyzed from the waist down.'"
Tony Allen: He blew out his knee -- tearing both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) -- while trying to throw one down after the whistle had blown. That's a direct message from the Basketball Gods, and it can be interpreted as: "Thou shalt not showboat, mortal fool!" Oh, and the worst part (as several people have pointed out)? He blew the dunk. Video below. [You can thank LooseChange and her amazing brain for this one.]
Tracy Murray: Courtesy of Damon: "Don't forget the Tracy Murray / Rod Strickland 'he's gay!' dispute, which led to a Get Shorty-style punch that left Murray with seven stitches. From Sports Illustrated: 'Rod Strickland vs. Tracy Murray, 1997: Murray told a lady friend, who was tape-recording the conversation, that he thought Wizards teammate Strickland was gay. The woman then replayed the words on Strickland's answering machine. Later that day, a few hours before a game in Charlotte, Strickland knocked on his teammate's hotel door. When Murray answered, Strickland landed a haymaker to Murray's left eye. Murray needed seven stitches to close the wound; both players were fined $25,000 by the team. In addition, the girlfriends of both players were reportedly upset by the reports linking their men to the tape-recording woman.'"
Vladimir Radmanović: In February of 2007, Radmanović separated his shoulder falling on a patch of ice in Park City, Utah. Or so he claimed. But a few days later, Radmanović admitted that he had actually hurt himself in a fall while snowboarding. Said the Radman: "The truth is that I hurt myself in a fall while snowboarding. Being young and sometimes immature, I initially panicked and made up a false story about how I hurt myself. However, over the past few days my conscience has been bothering me terribly. I am not a dishonest person and could no longer live with this deception. Therefore, I came forward today and told the truth to the Lakers." Mind you, his contract specifically banned him from taking part in activities that involve significant risk of injury, including skiing and snowboarding. The space cadet was fined $500,000 for his stupidity. [Many thanks to plonden for jogging my memory on this one.]
Labels: Brad Miller, Charles Barkley, Corey Maggette, Darko, Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Drew Gooden, Eddy Curry, Monta Ellis, The Official Basketbawful Dumb Injury Hall of Shame
The Washington
And who can blame him? The 7-win Wizards are a single win ahead of the Thunder. In losing to the Bucks, Washington dropped its fifth straight game...a streak that includes four straight failures against a sub-.500 team.
Ed Tapscott, quote machine: One thing you can count on when a team loses as often as the Wizards is that the analogies for failure given by the coach during the postgame press conference become increasingly creative as the season progresses. In that spirit, this is what Tapscott had to say last night: "Don't you get the feeling like we’ve seen this movie before?. We're like a writer with writer's block. We can get the first couple of chapters written fairly efficiently and fairly well, but getting to the ending -- we just can't seem to write the correct ending." Hey, no wonder Antawn is so depressed! It's like he's reliving the ending of Signs over and over and over again. That would bum me out too.
The Toronto Raptors: I guess we'll have to start calling them The Slump Busters. The previously slumping Celtics won their second game in a row by defeating the Craptors in overtime in Boston. And just as Ray Allen torched them for a season-high 36 points on Sunday, Paul Pierce lit them up for a season-best 39 points on Monday. I hope nobody on Toronto's roster comes anywhere near a dead serial killer like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees; we don't need them bringing one of THOSE guys back to life too.
Now, while it's true that "No Way" Jose Calderon and Jermaine "The Drain" O'Neal were still out with injury, the already depth-less Celtics were missing Kendrick Perkins and Tony Allen, and Perkins' absence forced them to start (get ready for it) Brian Scalabrine for the second straight game...and Veal had 8 "clutch" (according to the AP recap) points in the third quarter. Oh, and Truth scored his 39 on a bum knee. But hey! They held Ray Allen to 12 points! And Roko Ukic was pretty excited about that: "Ray Allen, except for a three (in overtime) didn't really do anything, but they're a deep team." They're a deep team? Does anybody know of Roko actually follows basketball at all?
Kevin Garnett, quote machine: Regarding Pierce's awakening from his offensive coma: "Y'all need to start playing some of that 'Superman' theme music in the building when he's going like that. I'll be Batman. I'll be Robin. I'll be anybody you want me to be. I’ll be the garbage man. But this is Clark Kent right here.”
Chris Bosh: Okay, so if Pierce was Superman and KG was Robin, then I guess Bosh was Aquaman...by the end of the game, he needed somebody to rescue HIM. Garnett pulled a David Copperfield and made Bosh CB4 disappear, limiting Mr. Toronto to to 1-of-4 shooting in the fourth quarter and completely shotless in overtime. Said Bosh: "You work hard to get open, then [Garnett] overplays you. And then he has help behind him." Awh. Sorry you have to perform against an NBA defense, Chris. Hopefully, next time, they'll just let you shoot.
The Klahma City Thunder: It's like, at this point, they're TRYING to find new ways to lose. Last night's folly was (in addition to the 23 turnovers) giving up a career-high 31 points to...Brook Lopez?! Oh yeah. Lopez was 10-for-17 and also chipped in 13 rebounds and a couple blocked shots. And now the Thunder are 6-33. But unlike Antawn Jamison and Ed Tapscott, the Thunder players and coaches seemed upbeat and almost giddy about the loss. Said Thunder coach Scott Brooks: "It was a good effort on the road. We had a chance to win with a half-second left. We'll take that. The effort was good." Added Russell Westbrook: "We're putting ourselves in every game." We're just one step away, one shot away from winning the game. If we just keep doing that, we'll be all right." Uh huh. I hate to tell him, but his team isn't going to be "all right" any time soon.
Lawrence Frank: The Nets had to take the game into overtime to overcome the Thunder, but they should have won it in regulation. And they WOULD have...if not for Frank's little boo-boo. Vince Carter caught a pass from Devin Harris and hit what appeared to be a game-winning three-pointer with nine seconds left. Only the shot didn't count because Frank had run onto the court to call a time out. You can watch it play out starting at the 1:23 mark:
Said Vinsane: "It was set up perfect for me but he thought we were scrambling. He wanted to get a good play. We did a good job in overtime to find a way to win. It would have been a terrible way to lose a game." No kidding. And Frank knew it. "Oh man, I felt horrible. We were a little bit scattered. I called the time out when Devin had the ball, and then obviously he passes and Vince hits it." Harris missed a jumper with 0.5 seconds left and the Thunder couldn't even get a shot off after that, so the game went to overtime and, fortunately for Frank, the Nets pulled it out.
Amusingly enough, K.C. Jones once did that to Larry Bird...
The New Orleans Hornets: I know I dubbed the Craptors "The Slump Busters" several paragraphs ago, but the Hornets are trying to usurp that title. The Knicks were on the last leg of a four-game road trip -- following losses to the Thunder, Mavericks and Rockets -- yet still managed to upset the Hornets in New Orleans. David Lee had 24 and 8, and New York held the Buzzers to 38 percent shooting while dishing out 30 assists. For some perspective, the Knicks had accumulated 45 assists total in their previous three games. Said David West: "When they came out and made us defend them, they were moving the ball with five, six or seven passes every trip they made. They really dug in and made that third and fourth effort. They've got a bunch of guys that can really shoot the ball." So...they played good basketball and you were completely unprepared for it? Okay. I mean, yeah, I know they're the Knicks and all, but, uh, yeah.
(West was 6-for-20, by the way.)
Eddy Curry: They just wouldn't be the Knicks without a shameful and embarrassing distraction, right? And wouldn't you know: It's another sexual harrassment suit! Yes! And it counts! But this one is even more bizarre than the last...if you can believe it. Curry -- who who made his season debut on January 8th at Dallas and then missed the next two games with right knee soreness -- is being sued by his former driver, David Kuchinsky, for, well, you know what? I can't possibly embellish this one any further, so here's the scoop:
Knicks center Eddy Curry was slapped with a shocking sex-harassment suit Monday by his former driver, who claims the 6-foot-11 hoopster tried to solicit gay sex from him.Oh, I just BET he had one in the chamber. As much as I don't like Curry, these allegations are a little hard to believe. I mean, first of all, based on the way Eddy plays defense, he's clearly intent on avoiding any and all contact with other men. Then there's the whole thing about Kuchinsky being a convicted felon. Yeah, Kuchinsky once received a three-year prison sentence for a 1992 burglary in New Jersey as well as three years' probation in a 2004 resisting-arrest case. Kelly Saindon, Curry's lawyer, is naturally denying everything and trying to discredit Kuchinsky based on the whole "criminal past" thing. Said Saindon: "It's shocking that Eddy opened his home to a convicted felon out of prison, and gave him a job when he couldn't find a job, and this is what comes out of it. The entire thing is preposterous."
The stunning court papers claim Curry, a married father of three, repeatedly approached chauffeur David Kuchinsky "in the nude," allegedly telling him, "Look at me, Dave, look" and "Come and touch it, Dave."
Curry also made Kuchinsky perform "humiliating tasks outside the scope of his employment, such as cleaning up and removing dirty towels [Curry had ejaculated into] so that his wife would not see them," the Manhattan federal court suit says.
Kuchinsky, who is straight and Jewish, also alleges racial discrimination, saying that Curry hurled slurs at him including "f---ing Jew," "cracker," "white slave," "white devil" and "grandmaster of the KKK."
And in a disturbing episode reminiscent of some of the evidence in the manslaughter case against former Nets star Jayson Williams, Kuchinsky further claims in his suit that Curry pointed a "fully loaded" gun at him on at least two separate occasions to keep him from complaining about his treatment.
"Look, I have one in the chamber," Curry allegedly said.
Preposterous? Yes. But that doesn't mean it's not true. In fact, in my experience, it's usually the most absurd and unbelievable things that end up being true. More on this case as it continues, and many thanks to everybody who wrote in about this.
The Chicago Bulls: They held down Brandon Roy (11 points on 3-for-13 shooting) and LaMarcus Aldridge (8 points on 3-for-8). That's good. But, nonetheless, they lost by 15 at home to the Blazers. That's bad. The loss might have had something to do with Travis Outlaw (season-high 33 points) and Greg Oden (17 points and 13 boards). Memo to the Bulls: You have to defend EVERYONE on the opposing team. Well, in most cases. Okay, more like 50 percent of the time. But still. And the Bullies can't lay this one on injuries; Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich both returned, although their play was a little spotty (Deng scored 14 points on 3-for-10 shooting and Captain Kirk was 2-for-5 for his 4 points).
Oh, and Larry "Trade Me, Trade Me, Please God Trade Me!" Hughes? He logged a mere seven minutes. See what happens when you complain about PT, Larry? You get punished. Although somebody should mention to Vinny and John that sitting him isn't going to do anything to increase his trade value.
The Indiana Pacers: Okay, seriously, can they guard ANYBODY?! The Jazz are still missing Carlos Boozer and were also without Boozer's replacement, Paul Milsap, who was out with a bruised knee. And their bench got outscored by Indy's reserves by an astonishing 46-9. But it hardly mattered since Mehmet Okur dropped a career-high 43 points to go along with Andrei Kirilenko's season-high 23 (with 12 rebounds) and Deron Williams' double-double (23 points and 11 assists). The Turkish Assassin was 13-for-19 from the field, 3-for-4 from downtown and 14-for-15 from the line. Remember when MJ dropped 63 on the Celtics in '86 and Bird famously claimed "It was God disguised as Michael Jordan"? Well, I think this was Michael Jordan disguised as Mehmet Okur. That's the kind of terrible power the Pacers' defense wields over time and space.
Lacktion report: Here's more lactivity from Chris. Hey, Chris, you're doing a great job with these things. Now come and look at me, Chris. Look. Touch it, Chris. (I'm kidding. Really.)
Bucks-Wizards: Although Dan Gadzuric ruined a 5.6 trillion treasure via one rotten rebound, his Milwaukee teammate Tyronn Lue gave his all to rack up some non-effort statistics, taking a foul and bricking a three for +2 in 2:13.Kobe Bryant: Mamba spent the entire practice saying "You want fries with that?" every time one of the Lakers said something too him, even when one of the trainers was explaining his grandmother just died.
Thunder-Nets: Klahma lacks O's, and in their unsuccssful overtime game against the residents of Brendan Byrne Arena, Chucky Atkins made sure to keep the O's locked away with a 49 second stint that netted him +1 (foul). The home team wanted in on the lacktion though, with repeat offender Chris Douglas-Roberts sneaking in a 3 second Super Mario!
Raptors-Celtics: The Raptors have served as a good cure for what has ailed the Celtics lately, and in response, Doc Rivers felt it necessary to bring out the shortest-fused human victory cigar of late: Patrick O'Bryant, who racked up ONE SECOND for a remarkably forgettable Super Mario!
Pacers-Jazz: One foul gave Utah's Morris Almond a +1 in 3:49.
Labels: Chicago Bulls, Eddy Curry, Indiana Pacers, sexual harrassment, Washington Wizards, Worst of the Night
Antoine Walker: Basketbawful reader Jochem de Graas was quick to pick up on the rather laughable pretext for Employee #8's absence from the Timberwolve's matchup against the Raptors: "The reason Antoine Walker didn't play last night: Minnesota forward Antoine Walker didn't travel to Toronto because of what Wittman called 'a passport problem.' On the bottom under game notes. That's more creative then flu-like symptons." True enough, Jochem. If the NBA ever expands to Europe, I predict that "passport problems" will become the new "flu-like symptoms." You heard it here first, folks.
The Orlando Magic starting backcourt: Jameer Nelson and Maurice Evans combined to score only 2 points (1-for-6) in 43 minutes of lack-tion. Nelson at least dished out 7 assists; Evans' line of zero points, zero rebounds, zero assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal and 1 foul made me wonder whether something tragic had happened to a close family member. His mind obviously wasn't in the game, and his body was barely there either.
Kevin Martin: We did mention that he's The Man in Sacramento now that Mike Bibby's gone, right? Well, when's he going to start playing like it? Speedracer scored a mere 6 points on 2-for-9 shooting against Bibby's new team. And the rest of his stat line was just as uninspiring: 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals, 2 personal fouls, and a +/- score of -19...worst on the team. Also, the Atlanta backcourt lit the place on fire (Bibby had 24 points and 12 assists, Joe Johnson scored 26). I do like me a good revenge game. Congrats, Bib. It's too bad that, at the end of the day, you're still a Hawk.
Kirk Hinrich: Captain Kirk set his phaser to "suck" once again. Two night after getting ejected for arguing an out-of-bounds call, Hinrich got benched 56 seconds into the third quarter -- for Larry Hughes, no less -- and never returned. Said Chicago coach Jungle Jim Boylan: "I said there's competition out here. Bring your 'A' game or come down and sit next to me. That's the way that went tonight. I just didn't like the way the first couple possessions went. Everybody's accountable and there are no exceptions." Hinrich scored 6 points (2-for-3) and dished 3 assists in the 16 minutes and 35 seconds he was on the floor. After the game, he left the locker room "quickly without commenting."
Shawne Williams: According to the AP game recap, "Pacers F Shawne Williams (personal reasons) left at halftime and didn’t return." Well, here are those reasons: "A man wanted for murder in Memphis, Tenn., was arrested Wednesday night after leaving the home of Indiana Pacers forward Shawne Williams on the Northeastside, according to Indianapolis metropolitan police." It doesn't get much more "personal" than harboring a murdering fugitive from justice, does it. For his part, Williams said, "I feel like I let my organization (and) my teammates down, along with the Simon brothers (team owners Mel and Herb) and my family." Williams also said that he "wasn't very close" with Rollins, and would be more careful in the future. Mind you, this incident comes only a few days after a woman was allegedly raped at Marquis Daniels' home (though not by Daniels) during a "small gathering." Man, the Pacers really need to start making better friends.
Travis Diener: This is how I put it in my NBA Closer column over at Deadspin: "After Larry Hughes lit the Pacers up for 29 points (10-for-19) in Chicago's 113-107 victory, Dick Diener's little nephew shamelessly abused the English language by stringing the following nonsense words together: "[Hughes] is a good player. There's a reason he has a big contract. They don't just throw money away to [bad] players." Oh yes they do, Travis. They most certainly do. Exhibit A: Stephon Marbury is currently making $20,109,375 (the third highest salary in the league). Exhibit B: Raef LaFrentz (1.7 PPG, 1.6 RPG) is making $11,813,750. Exhibit C: Antoine Walker and Kwame Brown are both making around $9 million this season...and Employee #8 still has three years and $30 million left on his contract! (Have fun choking down that buyout, Kevin.) So I think it's been pretty firmly established that "they" do indeed reward bad players with fat contracts."
Wally Szczerbiak: Wasn't Wally World supposed to be an upgrade over Larry Hughes? On a night in which Hughes led his new team to victory on the road by scoring 29 points on 10-for-19 shooting, Szczerbiak scored 12 points on 3-for-13 shooting...a performance so close to the Cleveland Cavaliers version of Larry Hughes that I'm starting to wonder if the two players didn't just switch bodies or something.
Dwyane Jones and Billy Thomas: These two men arose from the Cleveland bench to play 29 seconds a piece and go zero-for-everything. Yet, amazingly, they both had a +/- score of +5, which tied for second-best on the team -- and much, much better than LeBron's -13. So I guess that means the Cavs would have won if those guys had just gotten some more playing time, right? Riiiiight. I just love these New Age stats.
Brian Scalabrine: A few weeks ago, Brian was Boston's starting power forward. Now that Kevin Garnett has returned to the lineup, he's racked up six straight DNP-CDs. Of course, we're supposed to believe he has a strained right groin and not a case of the "Thanks for filling in and everything, but now that KG's back we don't really need you anymore."
LeBron James: The King scored the 10,000th point of his NBA career, becoming the youngest player in league history to reach the 10K mark (23 years and 59 days). But James' misguided shooting (7-for-24) sunk the Cavs' chances of upsetting the Celtics in Boston. (And yes, I know he sprained his ankle.)
The Charlotte Bobcats: They didn't just lose to the Knicks, they got blown the hell out. Sure, Gerald Wallace was out and Jason Richardson left early because he got poked in the eye. But we at Basketbawful have exacting standards, and every loss to New York warrants a mention in Worst of the Night.
Eddy Curry: On a night when the Knicks were lighting up the scoreboard like an old-school pinball machine, E-City scored zero points (0-for-3) and grabbed 3 rebounds in 15 minutes of listless lack-tion before getting intimately acquainted (again) with the Madison Square Garden bench.
The Phoenix Suns defense: This is probably a bogus Worst of the Night entry, since there is no Phoenix Suns defense. Also, Boris Diaw continued to suck, so badly in fact that I'm not even going to give him his own entry. He is officially dead to me.
Rasheed Wallace: 'Sheed had another one of "those games," shooting 2-for-12 from the field and 0-for-5 beyond the arc. There's no word as of yet how many of those three-point attempts were left-handed.
The Seattle SuperSonics defense: Yet another nonexistent D. The Sonics played defense with the passion and fire of a bunch of cardboard cutouts of the Wizard of Oz munchkins, giving up an NBA season-high in points (138) and a Denver franchise record in field goal percentage (67). If we find out later today that Bill Walton's head exploded last night, I promise you this game will be the reason why.
Kevin Durant: I just hate this guy's game. I hate it. I read yesterday that a TrueHoop reader compared Durant to Pistol Pete Maravich and I swear to my savage pagan gods that I projectile vomited on the spot. Are you kidding me? No, seriously, are you kidding me?! The comparison is valid only insomuch as any high-scoring, heralded rookie who has a rough start in the league could be compared to Pete. The exact same thing could have been said about Adam Morrison last year. The difference is, Pete Maravich was an absolute sensation in college, and in the NBA, even if his first season went much more poorly than expected. Durant does not possess the Pistol's artistry nor his flare for the dramatic, not to mention his crazy handles. Maravich was one-of-a-kind..he revolutionized the way the game was played! Yeaargh! Okay. Okay, I'm done. Michael from Seattle, I know you'll never see this, but please, for the love of all that's pure and good about the sport of professional basketball, do not ever blaspheme the name of Pete Maravich like that again. (Sidenote: Durant scored 16 points on 17 shots last night. Potential ROYs should be able to average at least one point per shot, in my book.)
Blazers versus Clippers: This ended up being a very exciting game, but the first three quarters, well, they weren't exactly easy on the eyes. As Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm put it in an email to me: "Hragnn...Clippers...39...Portland...42...with 7:45 gnarhc...in 3rd quarter...negativ basketbooool, maiking...meee stooopid..."
Labels: Antoine Walker, Charlotte Bobcats, Eddy Curry, Kevin Durant, Kirk Hinrich, Lebron James, Phoenix Suns, Wally Szczerbiak
Yao Ming: Shaquie Chan shot just 3-for-17 against the imposing defense of...Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Which means a traffic cone probably could have held him to 2-for-17 shooting.
Tracy McGrady: Wasn't he supposed to be resting over the All-Star break? That 6-for-21 shooting line suggests that T-Mac must have spent the weekend at Camp CHEN-A-WANDA.
Larry Hughes: He's baaaaaack...by which I mean 33 percent shooting (5-for-15).
LeBron James: Bron Bron had a triple double (26 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists), but his 0-for-7 first half shooting put the Cavs in a pretty big hole. And they didn't recover.
The New York Knicks: Zach Randolph threw a cup of water at Nate Robinson. Nate then threw a towel at Zach. In other words, it was just another night at the office for Team Dysfunction. Rather than disciplining his players, coach Isiah Thomas praised their "feistiness" and "nastiness," which is kind of like praising your crazy ex-girlfriend's "passion" after she burns down your apartment building. Amazingly, the Knicks transformed their malaise into a 113-100 overtime win, proving that, at least once in a while, insanity works.
The Washington Wizards: You know that Knicks victory I was just talking about? It was gift-wrapped and delivered with a card signed "The Wizards." Too bad coach Eddie Jordan wasn't in a giving mood. "It's just unacceptable, our approach to the game. We just didn't play hard enough. We didn't play with a lot of purpose, and maybe we thought they were just going to give us the game, and it was just the opposite. There was just no enthusiasm." There also was no Caron Butler or Gilbert Arenas. That might have had a little something to do with it.
Eddy Curry: [Spoiler Alert!!] Remember how at the end of The Sixth Sense we finally found out that Bruce Willis had been a ghost the whole time? I think the same thing is going to happen with Eddy Curry at the end of this season. Curry started the game, but played only 15 minutes and scored 4 points (1-for-4). I guess he just wasn't feisty or nasty enough for his coach. Time to start throwing things, Eddy.
The Detroit Pistons: It was a rough night in the Motor City. Detroit's starters combined to shoot 19-for-49, and the Pistons got blown out at home by the Magic. Now, I ask you, is that any way to reward Bon Jovi for coming out to the game?
Dwight Howard: Superman must have left his cape in New Orleans. Howard scored ony 8 points 2-for-9) and committed 6 turnovers. He was a monster on defense, though.
The Philadelphia 76ers: Getting blown out by the Minnesota Timberwolves definitely qualifies for Worst of the Night status.
Antoine Walker: The former NBA champion - okay, I just threw up in my mouth a little - played 8 minutes and scored zero points on 0-for-3 shooting.
Gerald Green: Some Minnesota fans - most of whom will probably never have sex with a woman without the use of a major credict card - saluted Green's now famous cupcake dunk. Too bad Green never got off the bench. For all you stat geeks out there, that means he played 8 fewer minutes than Antoine Walker.
Tim Duncan: Timmah! must must have had something in his eye last night - like a water buffalo - because he couldn't have wished the ball into the basket (2-for-12). Fortunately for Tim and the Spurs, they were playing the Bobcats.
Gerald Wallace: Mr. Wallace showed everybody why he was left off the All-Star Team by scoring 4 points on 0-for-9 shooting. Those are Brad Lohaus numbers.
The Golden State Defense: The Jazz dropped 77 points on the Warriors during the first two quarters, and that total was a mere six points off of Utah's franchise record for a half. The Jazzercizers shot 68 in that first half - and 53 percent for the game - on their way to putting up 119 points. Said Baron Davis: "Our motto is keep the score tight and keep the game as close as possible and under double-digits going into the fourth quarter. We weren't able to do that tonight." Uh, yeah. I think it's time for a new team motto, Baron.
Jarron Collins: You can call him Mr. Two Trillion.
Kwame Brown: His stat line: 1 DNP-CD. And to think they only had to give up Pau Gasol to get him...what a bargain!
Kevin Durant: Hm. He came back from N'awlins with flu-like symptoms. Okay, suuuuuure.
The Boston defense: Their defense - which normally holds opponents to 90 PPG on 42 percent shooting - is the number one reason they have a league-best 41-10 record. But why live off your bread and butter when you can get into a shootout with a high-scoring team on the road? Oh, right, because that would be totally stupid. Still, that's exactly what the Celtics did, giving up 51 percent shooting to a team with Allen Iverson on it and losing 124-118. Said coach Doc Rivers: "We didn't want to get into an offensive shootout." Oh, right. And I guess the coach has nothing whatsoever to do with that.
Bennie Adams: Just what the NBA needs - another rogue official. Adams called Carmelo Anthony for goaltending when he jumped up to grab a three-point airball by Ray Allen. That ridiculous call cut the Denver lead to 121-118 with 13 seconds remaining. As you can probably imagine, Nuggets coach George Karl was a wee bit upset about the call. "Wow. He (Adams) likes making big calls and bad calls at the end of the game. How can you call goaltending when the ball is halfway below the rim?" Not that Karl had much room to talk. His team was gifted with a season-high 49 freethrow attempts, 21 more than the Celtics got.
Kevin Garnett: KG was juiced up after his nine-game vacation. "It was good to get back. It felt good. I felt like I was 27. I felt young." Of course, he didn't play as well as he claimed to have felt: 4 points (2-for-7), 8 rebounds, and 4 turnovers. When asked to appraise Garnett's performance, coach Doc Rivers said, "Not very good." But he felt young, Doc!
John Salmons: Even with Mike Bibby in Atlanta, Salmons remains the forgotten man in Sacramento: Zero points (0-for-3) in 18 minutes of "lacktion." [Hat tip to Tonewise]
Mike Bibby: He joined up with his new team to a resounding poop noise, scoring 5 points (1-for-5), grabbing zero rebounds, dishing 3 assists, and committing a couple turnovers in 16 minutes. Derek Fisher shut his ass down, man!
Update - Atlanta Hawks: Basketbawful reader Wild Yams made a good point in the comments section: "How can the Hawks as a team not be up for yesterday's worst? In the first half yesterday (some of which was officially not 'garbage time'), the Hawks went through a stretch from the six minute mark of the 1st quarter till just before the half where they were outscored 56-16 by the Lakers, culminating in a 41 point lead at one point. That's a 41 point lead in the first half! Before the Hawks hit three 3-pt shots in the last minute of the half, the lead was 69-28, and at the half the Hawks had at least 19 turnovers. If that isn't awful, I don't know what is." Mr. Yams, you are absolutely right.
Labels: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Eddy Curry, Golden State Warriors, Kevin Garnett, Larry Hughes, Lebron James, Philadelphia 76ers, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Washington Wizards, Yao Ming
The Miami Heat: After the Heat's 96-85 loss to the 76ers, Dwyane Wade said: ""It's tough to lose, but it's tougher to be the worst team in the Eastern Conference. You don't know what you're going to see from one night to the next." That statement was so stunning that I actually had to go and double-check the standings, and it's true: Miami (8-21) has the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and second worst (to Minnesota) in the league. They were the 2006 NBA champions, and now they're en route to a possible top three pick in the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery. I cannot believe that a team with Shaq and Dwyane Wade could be this bad. Pat Riley needs to fire himself immediately.
Fun Fact: Shaq took four shots last night. Four. He's had double-figure shot attempts in only three games this month (he's averaging 9.7 FGA on the season). He's scored 20 or more points exactly three times this season. At this point, the Heat need to trade Shaq. I know it sounds crazy, but he came to Miami and won his championship, thus "proving" himself. About the only thing that would motivate The Big Washed Up is a change of scenery. And while even that might not work, the Heat need him off their roster ASAP. I know public sentiment might be in his corner, but as Jason Williams has taught us, NBA players are just high-paid prositutes. Speaking of which...
Jason Williams: The NBA's self-proclaimed high-paid prostitute didn't get his high-paid butt off the bench last night.
New York Knicks: Every Knick players is secretly grateful for the existence of the Miami Heat, because it means they aren't the worst and most disappointing team in the East. Anyway, Isiah's latest gimmick failed miserably. Yeah, he brought Zach Randolph off the bench and it gave the team a short-term boost -- up by one point at halftime! Sadly, they still suffered another double-digit butt-kicking.
Eddy Curry: Sure, he started at center for the Knicks, but he played two minutes before getting benched. Then he played only two more minutes in the second half before heading to the bench for good with his 2 points, zero rebounds, zero blocked shots, 2 fouls, and 1 turnover. Said Curry: "It's extremely tough to sit that long. I'm not used to that at all and I hope it doesn't continue. I just think at some point I'm going to have to be out there for us to win the game." Because we all know how much Eddy contributes to winning environments.
Jamaal Tinsley: This guy is a career 31 percent three-point shooter, and he's only hitting 30 percent of his treys this season. But that didn't stop him from hoisting up eight threes last night -- and missing all of them -- on his way to a craptacular 6-21 shooting performance.
Fun fact: The Atlanta Hawks (15-12) have won five games in a row, and eight of their last 12. Wow. Maybe these guys actually can make the playoffs.
Jason Kidd: He's one of the best point guards of all time, which explains the constant rumors about where he may or may not end up if the Nets decided to trade him away. But his poor shooting ability has always been a problem. He's currently shooting a career-worst 36 percent from the field, which wasn't helped by last night's 0-for-8 showing against the Pistons. Considering how weak the supporting cast is, the Nets need more than 2 points from this guy if they want to compete with anybody, let alone one of the league's elite teams.
Jason Collins: Last night's zero-point, 1-rebound performance was just more of the same for Collins. He's now gone scoreless in 17 of the 27 games he's played this season. He's also had eight 1-rebound games, and four zero-rebound games. And this guy was starting as recently as four games ago. He's making over $6 million this year, by the way, and he'll be making about the same next season too.
Darko Milicic: Darko's slide into oblivion continued last night: 13 minutes, 2 points (1-2), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers. Have I mentioned that the Grizzlies are starting Stromile Swift ahead of him? Yeah, it's gotten that bad.
Jeremy Richardson: This undrafted forward out of Delta State notched a super-ultra-rare four trillion last night. In fact, he came within 10 seconds of making it a five trillion! That's not easy to do.
Chicago Bulls: Finally free of the iron-fisted tyranny of Scott Skiles, the Bulls once again put forth the kind of lackluster effort that got their coach fired and has made Kyle Orton the talk of Chicago. Released from Skiles suffocating offensive sets, Luol Deng shot 5-of-15 and Andres Nocioni hit 1-of-11. Ben Wallace, who chafed under Skiles' Draconion rules, submitted a 2-point, 4-rebound gem while being totally outplayed by Matt Bonner (12 points, 9 rebounds). But despite their newfound freedom and the sense of hope it brought, the Bulls still got blown out by a Spurs team that didn't have Manu Ginobili and suffered through a poor game from Tim Duncan (8 points on 2-of-9 shooting and 5 turnovers).
Jason Terry: Zero points on 0-for-10 shooting in 22 minutes of action?! And this from a guy who's role on the team is supposed to be instant offense.
DeSagana Diop: Maybe that posterization by Grant Hill hurt Diop more than anyone suspected. Last night he submitted the impossible line of 6 minutes...and nothing else. A six trillion! DeSagnana, you're seven feet tall. Couldn't you at least foul somebody or commit a turnover or something? Speaking of which...
Eddie Jones: He managed to avoid a three trillion thanks only to a timely turnover. He's getting pretty good at that.
Milwaukee Bucks: Did somebody grease the ball the Bucks were shooting with? Michael Redd (1-8), Andrew Bogut (2-8), Yi Jianlian (2-11), Bobby Simmons (1-7), Charlie Bell (1-4)...were you guys even looking at the basket?
Fun fact: You know, I might actually need to put the "D" back into the Enver Nuggets name. They may be giving up 103 PPG, but they're seventh-best in the league in field goal defense (44.5), and the four teams directly ahead of them are all tied (43.9).
Boston versus Sacramento: Any game that ends with a score of 89-69 probably wasn't very exciting, and this one was no exception. The teams shambled awkwardly out of the blocks (18-16 after one quarter). The Kings then scored 13 points in the second quarter, and the Celtics countered by scoring 13 points in the third quarter. Not to be outdone, Sacramento put the period on this yawnfest by going for another 13 points in the fourth.
Golden State Warriors: I'm not sure why the Warriors struggled so mightily to fend off a 4-win team at home despite a career-high 35 points from Monta Ellis, but I'm pretty sure the fact that they don't play defense, can't get to the freethrow line on a consistent basis, and live-and-die off jumpers has something to do with it.
Labels: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Darko, Eddy Curry, Golden State Warriors, Jamaal Tinsley, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings, Worst of the Night
Just what in the name of Odin's shaggy beard was Danny Ainge thinking? Let's see: The Boston Celtics are led by a 6'6" All-Star perimeter player. So what does Ainge do? He deals the 5th pick in the draft for a 6'5" All-Star perimeter player. Ray Allen is basically just an older, lamer version of Paul Pierce who, in case you didn't know, is already a Celtic. And he's coming off surgery on both ankles. And he's got three years and $52 million left on his contract. Assuming the C's keep him, he and Pierce are going to account for between $30 and $40 million in cap space over the next three seasons, which drastically limits their ability to add other quality players.
This isn't going to work. It won't. It can't. Allen and Pierce are both quality players, All-Stars even. But they play the same position and do the exact same types of things (mostly firing it up from the outside). Does anybody remember how the 2002-03 Wizards teamed Jerry Stackhouse (a mad bomber) with an aging Michael Jordan (whose creaky knees had transformed him into a fall-away jump shooter)? That didn't work either, unless you consider 37 wins and an early vacation "working." Then again, after a 24-win season that featured an 18-game losing streak, 37 wins would be a pretty significant upswing.
Speaking of moves that made me want to whack my head with something hard, how 'bout those Knicks, huh? On paper, it looks like a great move: they essentially dumped Steve Francis and his bloated contract (two years, $33 million) for a legitimate 20/10 guy. Zach Randolph was, without a doubt, one of the best low post players in the West. But the Knicks already had one of the best low post players in the East. Do Randolph and Eddy Curry really complement each other? Of the Knicks many needs, "second inside scorer" was not among them. Plus, they're not exactly making cap room: Zach has four years and over $60 million left on his current contract.
Let me break this down for you: The Celtics and Knicks, two of the worst teams in the league, both brokered deals that brought them more of what they already had, and at a very high price. I don't get it. Am I the only one who doesn't get it? Did I forget everything I ever knew about basketball overnight? Can anyone explain these moves to me?
And lastly, I have to address my Bullies. They drafted Joakim Noah, supposedly a "steal," with the 9th pick. Again, on the surface it was a great move. Noah's a high-energy player with boundless energy and enthusiasm. He's also a character guy and a proven winner. What he is not is anything remotely resembling what the Bulls actually needed, which was (primarily) a low post scorer and (secondarily) a big guard/small forward who can penetrate and create his own shot. Noah is not a scorer. He can't score inside, nor can he shoot from the outside. Most of the 12 PPG he scored in his Junior season at Florida came on layups and tip-ins. You know, last summer, the Bulls spent $60 million on a guy who could rebound, bang bodies, had a winning history, and couldn't score in an empty gym full of five-foot hoops. His name is Ben Wallace, and he already does all the things Noah is predicted to do.
Seriously, my head hurts.
Labels: Ben Wallace, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Danny Ainge, Eddy Curry, Joakim Noah, NBA Draft, New York Knicks, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Zach Randolph
Reader Mark recently posted the following comment:
"Random Question: Why do the Pistons double and triple team Eddie Curry but not Shaq?"
The easy answer is that Eddy Curry is a terrific shooter (57.9 percent) but a lousy passer (he averages 0.9 assists and 3.6 turnovers). To put things into better perspective, he's dished a total of 64 assists on the season while turning the ball over 282 times. This means that he is much more dangerous as a scorer than as a passer. If you double or triple team him, he's unlikely to hit the open man and he's very likely to turn the ball over by forcing a shot (he has more offensive fouls, 82, than assists) or throwing it away. In fact, in three games against the Pistons this season, Eddy notched only two assists but committed 12 turnovers. So if you're the Pistons, you definitely want him passing the ball, not shooting it.
Shaq, on the other hand, is a high-percentage shooter and a talented passer. His numbers aren't great this season (2.0 assists per game compared to 2.5 turnovers), but he does an excellent job of finding the open man and getting his teammates involved. And many of his passes result in ball rotation that leads to an open shot. If you've followed Shaq's career you'll know that his teams are most dangerous when he's dominating the paint, drawing double teams, and hitting the cutters and spot-up shooters.
The Heat's offense -- as long as Dwyane Wade isn't isolating and/or dribbling the hell out of the ball -- is predicated on going inside-out. While Curry is an important component of the Knicks offense, it doesn't run through him (it runs through Stephon Marbury, which is another problem altogether). The Knicks rely on him to score, not make plays. So if you turn him into a passer, you significantly limit his effectiveness. Shaq, on the other hand, can dominate a game even when he isn't scoring.
"Random Question: Why do the Pistons double and triple team Eddie Curry but not Shaq?"
The easy answer is that Eddy Curry is a terrific shooter (57.9 percent) but a lousy passer (he averages 0.9 assists and 3.6 turnovers). To put things into better perspective, he's dished a total of 64 assists on the season while turning the ball over 282 times. This means that he is much more dangerous as a scorer than as a passer. If you double or triple team him, he's unlikely to hit the open man and he's very likely to turn the ball over by forcing a shot (he has more offensive fouls, 82, than assists) or throwing it away. In fact, in three games against the Pistons this season, Eddy notched only two assists but committed 12 turnovers. So if you're the Pistons, you definitely want him passing the ball, not shooting it.
Shaq, on the other hand, is a high-percentage shooter and a talented passer. His numbers aren't great this season (2.0 assists per game compared to 2.5 turnovers), but he does an excellent job of finding the open man and getting his teammates involved. And many of his passes result in ball rotation that leads to an open shot. If you've followed Shaq's career you'll know that his teams are most dangerous when he's dominating the paint, drawing double teams, and hitting the cutters and spot-up shooters.
The Heat's offense -- as long as Dwyane Wade isn't isolating and/or dribbling the hell out of the ball -- is predicated on going inside-out. While Curry is an important component of the Knicks offense, it doesn't run through him (it runs through Stephon Marbury, which is another problem altogether). The Knicks rely on him to score, not make plays. So if you turn him into a passer, you significantly limit his effectiveness. Shaq, on the other hand, can dominate a game even when he isn't scoring.
Labels: Eddy Curry, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, random questions, Shaq
Let me state up front that I hate Eddy Curry. I had to watch that shambling pork monster sleepwalk his way through four seasons with the Bulls, and it made me throw up i my mouth pretty much on a daily basis. Curry's seasonal pattern never varied: come in to training camp fat, pout because of the inevitable fat-related criticism, sloooooooooooooooowly work himself from "round" to "vaguely person-shaped," then play strong for the last 10-15 games, thereby inspiring hope in the fans that maybe, just maybe, next season would be his break-out year.
Never happened.
When the Bulls' GM John Paxson found out that Curry had a heart condition, I knew he'd found the excuse he needed to dump the underachieving big man that some people called "Baby Shaq." Curry's talent may have been hidden beneath undulating rolls of sweaty man-flesh, but it was never questioned. What was questioned was his agressiveness, work ethic, and heart. I mean, here's a guy who's 6'11" and 285 pounds...with a career average of 5.4 rebounds per game. The effort and desire just weren't there.
After the Bulls shipped him to New York, I wanted him to suck, and I wasn't disappointed. Despite being the Knicks showcase offensive option, his scoring dropped from 16.1 PPG to 13.6. Morever, he had only 19 assists and mind-boggling 179 turnovers. The conclusion was definitive: Curry wasn't and would never be the real deal.
Then something changed this season. The Knicks were still losing a lot of games, but I began to notice something unfamiliar next to Curry's name in the box scores. Consistent scoring. Good shooting. Actual rebounds. It defied belief, and I figured he was just doing his patented "late-season hot streak" a little earlier this year so he could take the last half of the season off. But it hasn't happened yet...the dude is still playing well: 19.6 PPG on 59.3 percent shooting and 7.1 RPG. By the numbers, he's the best center in the Eastern Conference.
Of course, there are people who will continue to argue that Shaq is still the East's best center. But look at his numbers: 14.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 39 games missed due to injury. As is always the case, Shaq is granted excuse after excuse. He's still playing himself into shape. He's saving himself for the playoffs. He can turn it on any time he wants. According to Deadspin, Shaq "decided to remind us of what he used to look like when he was MVP material" in the Heat's 86-81 win over the Cavaliers. Uhm...what?! Shaq had 19 and 11. That's a good game, but not remotely MVP-like. During his MVP season of 1999-00, Shaq averaged 29.7 PPG, 13.6 RPG, and 3.2 BPG (yes, he actually played defense back then). And those numbers barely begin the describe how utterly dominating he was back then. There was, literally, no way to stop Shaq in his prime. Now everybody gets excited when he drops 20 and 10. Talk about lowered expectations.
Does anyone think Shaq looked like an MVP last night? Not only did Eddy Curry outscore (28 to 20) and outrebound (11 to 3) him, the Knicks won 99-93. What does this mean? Well, the Knicks are now only two games behind the Heat for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Last night's victory means that the Knicks won the season series 3-1 and therefore own the tiebreaker. In other words, the Knicks stand a very strong chance of knocking the defending champs out of the playoffs.
Back in 2001, Shaq swore he'd retire before he was "only as good" as David Robinson (which is pretty easy to say when you're in your prime and the reigning champ/MVP/Finals MVP). Mind you, The Admiral was getting 14.4 PPG and 8.6 RPG at the time...numbers that are eerily similar to Shaq's stats for this season. And aside from the rebounding edge, Robinson also averaged 2.5 BPG, so he was still a major defensive presence. Unlike Shaq.
I'm not trying to sell Shaq short. He's still one of the top centers in the league. But that's all he is. We will never, ever, ever get to see Shaq dominate a game the way he used to. He still has some good games in him, and we'll occassionally fool ourselves into thinking we're seeing a "vintage" Shaq performance. The same thing happens with all great players. Remember when David Robinson ended his career? It was game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals. Robinson scored 13 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, and after the game experts and analysts called it a "vintage" game for The Admiral. But...this was a former MVP who had led the league in scoring and once scored 71 points in a game. It was a fantastic game, to be sure, but was it really a vintage performance? No, not really.
The bottom line is this: Shaq's time has passed. He can no longer totally dominate a game or carry a team. He is very good, but not great. And if I had to start a team today, I'd probably take Eddy Curry over The Diesel.
Shaq's 25,000th point may be the last time he ever outshines Eddy Curry. Seriously.
Never happened.
When the Bulls' GM John Paxson found out that Curry had a heart condition, I knew he'd found the excuse he needed to dump the underachieving big man that some people called "Baby Shaq." Curry's talent may have been hidden beneath undulating rolls of sweaty man-flesh, but it was never questioned. What was questioned was his agressiveness, work ethic, and heart. I mean, here's a guy who's 6'11" and 285 pounds...with a career average of 5.4 rebounds per game. The effort and desire just weren't there.
After the Bulls shipped him to New York, I wanted him to suck, and I wasn't disappointed. Despite being the Knicks showcase offensive option, his scoring dropped from 16.1 PPG to 13.6. Morever, he had only 19 assists and mind-boggling 179 turnovers. The conclusion was definitive: Curry wasn't and would never be the real deal.
Then something changed this season. The Knicks were still losing a lot of games, but I began to notice something unfamiliar next to Curry's name in the box scores. Consistent scoring. Good shooting. Actual rebounds. It defied belief, and I figured he was just doing his patented "late-season hot streak" a little earlier this year so he could take the last half of the season off. But it hasn't happened yet...the dude is still playing well: 19.6 PPG on 59.3 percent shooting and 7.1 RPG. By the numbers, he's the best center in the Eastern Conference.
Of course, there are people who will continue to argue that Shaq is still the East's best center. But look at his numbers: 14.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 39 games missed due to injury. As is always the case, Shaq is granted excuse after excuse. He's still playing himself into shape. He's saving himself for the playoffs. He can turn it on any time he wants. According to Deadspin, Shaq "decided to remind us of what he used to look like when he was MVP material" in the Heat's 86-81 win over the Cavaliers. Uhm...what?! Shaq had 19 and 11. That's a good game, but not remotely MVP-like. During his MVP season of 1999-00, Shaq averaged 29.7 PPG, 13.6 RPG, and 3.2 BPG (yes, he actually played defense back then). And those numbers barely begin the describe how utterly dominating he was back then. There was, literally, no way to stop Shaq in his prime. Now everybody gets excited when he drops 20 and 10. Talk about lowered expectations.
Does anyone think Shaq looked like an MVP last night? Not only did Eddy Curry outscore (28 to 20) and outrebound (11 to 3) him, the Knicks won 99-93. What does this mean? Well, the Knicks are now only two games behind the Heat for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Last night's victory means that the Knicks won the season series 3-1 and therefore own the tiebreaker. In other words, the Knicks stand a very strong chance of knocking the defending champs out of the playoffs.
Back in 2001, Shaq swore he'd retire before he was "only as good" as David Robinson (which is pretty easy to say when you're in your prime and the reigning champ/MVP/Finals MVP). Mind you, The Admiral was getting 14.4 PPG and 8.6 RPG at the time...numbers that are eerily similar to Shaq's stats for this season. And aside from the rebounding edge, Robinson also averaged 2.5 BPG, so he was still a major defensive presence. Unlike Shaq.
I'm not trying to sell Shaq short. He's still one of the top centers in the league. But that's all he is. We will never, ever, ever get to see Shaq dominate a game the way he used to. He still has some good games in him, and we'll occassionally fool ourselves into thinking we're seeing a "vintage" Shaq performance. The same thing happens with all great players. Remember when David Robinson ended his career? It was game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals. Robinson scored 13 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, and after the game experts and analysts called it a "vintage" game for The Admiral. But...this was a former MVP who had led the league in scoring and once scored 71 points in a game. It was a fantastic game, to be sure, but was it really a vintage performance? No, not really.
The bottom line is this: Shaq's time has passed. He can no longer totally dominate a game or carry a team. He is very good, but not great. And if I had to start a team today, I'd probably take Eddy Curry over The Diesel.
Labels: Eddy Curry, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Shaq
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