While college basketball goes through March Madness, the NBA is experiencing an emotional breakdown of its own, when it comes to dealing with all the deals before the trade deadline. There's sorrow, as an unidentified young girl throws a tantrum after being told Gerald Wallace has been sent packing from Portland.* We doubt anyone in the Wallace household had such a strong reaction to the news. Although we do admire her attachment to and passion for a player who'd been with the Blazers for only one season and applaud her awareness that no person should suffer the sentence of being shipped against their will to the netherworld known as Newark, New Jersey, we believe this lends credence to the adage that children, like female Fox News anchors, are meant to be seen, not heard.
Another aphorism states that silence is golden, but not in Golden State, where the fiance of Warriors owner Joe Lacob is fuming, following his decision to deal Monta Ellis. Lacob told reporters two days after the trade that she still hasn't spoken to him. It seems she was BFFs with Ellis' spouse. We're not sure their relationship will work; He's management and she needs anger management. You might want to inquire if Landy Fields' couch is still available, Joe.
Finally, after the tears dry and the anger fades, there's confusion. In the NCAA tournament, this was felt on Friday when two #2 seeds were ousted within 3 hours of each other - should you feel happy for the small schools and witnessing history or pissed that your bracket is broken like Kobe Bryant's nose (you wonder if wearing a mask will hide your embarrassment or accentuate it), busted like George Clooney at an African embassy (just because it's March doesn't mean you have to march). Houston, do we have a problem? Derek Fisher appears to have gone fishin', failing to report to the Rockets, but the team hasn't said they want him there, either, so maybe he was told to stay away. Kobe Bryant, who's been close to Fisher for years, was quizzed on Fisher's feelings about leaving the Lakers: "You guys got to ask Derek. He's much more politically correct than I am ... Talk to Derek about it. I'm sure he'll answer it the way he best sees fit." If Fisher's as diplomatic as Kobe asserts and also has no interest in backing up Kyle Lowry, perhaps it's not too late for him to enter the GOP field. It's the one race the 37-year-old can win without breaking a sweat. Frankly, we'd welcome having another Little Rock, Arkansas native in the White House and another President who's passionate about basketball.
*So far, no footage has surfaced of her pitching a fit over the firing of coach Nate McMillan.
Showing posts with label Landry Fields. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Landry Fields. Show all posts
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Waiting for an Linvitation
There is a glaring omission from Rising Stars Challenge (formerly known as the Rookie-Sophomore game) on February 24, which pits first and second-year players against each other: Five-game phenom Jeremy Lin. He's an overnight sensation, but he can not - and should not - be overlooked, when the NBA's best convene in Orlando in 11 days. The league must find a way to Linclude him.
Celebrity coaches Shaq and Charles Barkley, never shy about sharing their opinions, need to lobby on Lin's behalf. As does his Knicks teammate and participant (and study buddy) Landry Fields. No one will tune in to see Tiago Splitter or Gordon Hayward, to name two of the second-year players selected, but fans would watch to see Lin square off against John Wall again or Ricky Rubio for a second time or take on rookie of the year front-runner Kyrie Irving. What fan wouldn't be excited by the prospect of Lin lobbing to Blake Griffin? And with Griffin wavering on whether he'll defend his dunk title, the NBA could use another player people passionately pay attention to.
Lin doesn't just prompt fans to rise from their seats, he fills seats, too. He helped sell out a T-Wolves game on the road, giving Minnesota its largest crowd since 2004, so the stands in Orlando would likely be at capacity for a secondary contest. Lin has scored more points in his first four starts than an player since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. The league must find a way to Lincorporate him in the All-Star Weekend festivities. We don't want to see him on camera, we want to see him on the court If it's asking too much to place him in a game in which the participants have already been determined, at least Linsert him into the Skills Challenge competition. Maybe we've gone Linsane in the membrane, but we'd watch him criss-cross dribble through cones and bounce pass into buckets and be curious to compare how well he does it with Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
Adding Lin doesn't even have to come at the expense of removing another player from the Rising Stars roster; make an exception for a player who lately has been as exceptional as anyone in the league. David Stern, extend an invite, we Linsist.
Celebrity coaches Shaq and Charles Barkley, never shy about sharing their opinions, need to lobby on Lin's behalf. As does his Knicks teammate and participant (and study buddy) Landry Fields. No one will tune in to see Tiago Splitter or Gordon Hayward, to name two of the second-year players selected, but fans would watch to see Lin square off against John Wall again or Ricky Rubio for a second time or take on rookie of the year front-runner Kyrie Irving. What fan wouldn't be excited by the prospect of Lin lobbing to Blake Griffin? And with Griffin wavering on whether he'll defend his dunk title, the NBA could use another player people passionately pay attention to.
Lin doesn't just prompt fans to rise from their seats, he fills seats, too. He helped sell out a T-Wolves game on the road, giving Minnesota its largest crowd since 2004, so the stands in Orlando would likely be at capacity for a secondary contest. Lin has scored more points in his first four starts than an player since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. The league must find a way to Lincorporate him in the All-Star Weekend festivities. We don't want to see him on camera, we want to see him on the court If it's asking too much to place him in a game in which the participants have already been determined, at least Linsert him into the Skills Challenge competition. Maybe we've gone Linsane in the membrane, but we'd watch him criss-cross dribble through cones and bounce pass into buckets and be curious to compare how well he does it with Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
Adding Lin doesn't even have to come at the expense of removing another player from the Rising Stars roster; make an exception for a player who lately has been as exceptional as anyone in the league. David Stern, extend an invite, we Linsist.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Put Him Lin, Coach
A Harvard-educated Asian-American has been making an impact for an NBA franchise - not as an executive, but as a player. Undrafted second-year guard Jeremy Lin, plucked off of waivers from Houston has become a big deal in the Big Apple, navigating the nicked-up Knicks to three straight wins, two without Carmelo and Amare. He's put the 'lin' in "linchpin," holding the team together in a turbulent time, while providing jaded Knicks fans something to be jubilant about. 25 points and 7 assists off the bench against the Nets was enough to earn him a start and Lin responded with an even better effort: 28 and 8. Since third time's the charm, Lin then went toe-to-toe with last year's number one overall pick, John Wall, and posted a double-double, with 23 and 10. Lin's shot selection was savvier than Wall's (9-14, compared to 12-21), so maybe he deserves his own dance - although he does have a special, scholarly handshake with Landry Fields.
Mike D'Antoni, who admitted he was "afraid" to play Lin, is on the hot seat, so he might as well stick with the hot hand, making sure to shake it as thanks, should it save his job. "I'm riding him like Secretariat," D'Antoni said after Lin's first start. There you have it, straight from the horse's mouth. Lin's already joined the lofty likes of LeBron, in becoming the lone player since King James in 2003 to score 20-plus points and dish out 8 or more assists in his first two starts.
In a word, he's been Lincredible.
It's been a wild, wonderful week for Lin and it'll be capped by a prime time national showcase at home against the Lakers. His highest scoring game as a rookie (13 points) with Golden State came against the Lakers and his matchup is favorable, as should have no trouble flying by the fossil known as Derek Fisher or breaking down backup Steve Blake. So, "Linsanity," as his ascent has been dubbed, should Lin-ger.
Lin is living out his dream - except the whole crashing on his brother's couch part - and in case your dream is to attend his alma mater, he's helpfully produced a guide to gaining acceptance. We always suspected our small spectacles were holding us back. Thanks for reminding us the path to success isn't always a Lin-ear one.
Mike D'Antoni, who admitted he was "afraid" to play Lin, is on the hot seat, so he might as well stick with the hot hand, making sure to shake it as thanks, should it save his job. "I'm riding him like Secretariat," D'Antoni said after Lin's first start. There you have it, straight from the horse's mouth. Lin's already joined the lofty likes of LeBron, in becoming the lone player since King James in 2003 to score 20-plus points and dish out 8 or more assists in his first two starts.
In a word, he's been Lincredible.
It's been a wild, wonderful week for Lin and it'll be capped by a prime time national showcase at home against the Lakers. His highest scoring game as a rookie (13 points) with Golden State came against the Lakers and his matchup is favorable, as should have no trouble flying by the fossil known as Derek Fisher or breaking down backup Steve Blake. So, "Linsanity," as his ascent has been dubbed, should Lin-ger.
Lin is living out his dream - except the whole crashing on his brother's couch part - and in case your dream is to attend his alma mater, he's helpfully produced a guide to gaining acceptance. We always suspected our small spectacles were holding us back. Thanks for reminding us the path to success isn't always a Lin-ear one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)