SB Nation - Yakhouba Diawara

Heat get much needed win in convincing fashion, beating Toronto by 20

DolPhanDave — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:23:37 -0000

If he stays healthy, who knows how high Dorell Wright may rise this season.

Imagine my shock...I come home, power up the DVR, and what do I see? Not only was Diawara back in the starting lineup, but Carlos Arroyo as well? I guess a lineup shakeup could be expected with the way the Heat have been playing lately, but it seemed that Chalmers in the starting lineup was a foregone conclusion despite his erratic play. Arroyo responded to his first start in a Heat uniform well, hitting his first two shots in the opening minutes of the game.

Miami played a pretty decent 1^st quarter, leading it most of the way...just not the very beginning or the very end. In what's becoming unfortunately normal, D-Wade continues to take outside jumpers and miss them badly. Every year of his career he seemed to improve his J, gradually moving further away from the bucket as his shot got better. This year, however, I feel like he's taken a step backwards. The worst part is that he keeps chucking them up when he is more then capable of driving with the ball and either scoring or dishing the ball off to an open teammate.

Michael Beasley had a great sequence with about four minutes left in the 2^nd quarter. He came down with a real nice block on Toronto rookie DeMar DeRozen, passed it up to D-Wade and ran to the other end just in time to catch and slam a lob pass from Dwyane. That bucket put the Heat up by 9, their largest lead of the game at that point. It was also part of an 11-2 run for Miami.

While it was Toronto that got off to the quick start, shooting 55% in the opening quarter, the Heat closed out the first half just as hot. Miami matched their highest point total for a half, scoring 60 on 54% shooting and took a 10-point lead into the locker room. Michael Beasley led the way for Miami with 18 points (on 6-of-8 shooting) and 8 rebounds.

Chris Bosh came out firing in the 3^rd quarter, scoring the first 11 points for the Raptors. He went 4-for-6 in the entire 1^st half, but was 5-for-5 in the first 3:30 of the 2^nd half. Hedo Turkoglu was the first non-Bosh to score for Toronto, hitting a pair of foul shots 5 minutes into the quarter. Meanwhile, Miami was on a 13-4 scoring run capped off by a rare D-Wade three-pointer, and the Heat held a nice 14-point lead.

It didn't matter much who was in the game for the Heat, as everybody was scoring in the 3^rd quarter. Dorell Wright and Mario Chalmers were joining the scoring party and as a whole, the Heat dropped in another 31 points and took a nice 17-point lead into the final period.

Miami coasted through the 4^th quarter led by Dorell Wright. He is slowly starting to become a consistent contributor in the Heat's offense. Last night he scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, grabbed 8 rebounds and added 3 assists, a block and a steal. Also scoring in the 4^th was Yakhouba Diawara, whose dunk with 2 minutes left accounted for his first points of the season.

I have no idea why this guy has started the last two games, but hopefully this game was the last time we see Diawara get any kind of significant minutes. The Heat have much more talented players on their roster who will do more with the minutes then Kooba. There were a couple occasions during the game where he was the recipient of a nice pass down low, but either dropped the ball or just couldn't finish, reminding me of the ‘stone-hands' of Joel Anthony.

GAME NOTES

Toronto hit their first 14 foul shots, most of which came in the 1^st quarter. While it took Miami a little longer, they also hit their first 14 foul shots and only missed two all night, finishing 20-of-22.
Michael Beasley had 8 rebounds in the 1^st half while Chris Bosh had none. Beasley finished with 11 and Bosh finished with 2.
The turning point of the game was the beginning of the 2^nd quarter. With D-Wade on the bench, Miami hit 6 of their first 7 shots and began building on the lead they'd keep all night.
Dwayne Wade took only one 3-pointer, and hit it! He had made just 3 of his previous 25 attempts from beyond the arc.
The Heat had Michael Beasley taking their technical free throws last night. Why not? He's shooting 85% from the charity stripe this season, by far the best percentage of any Heat regular.
Miami had 19 fast break points (they average 9) and 27 assists (they average 18). I love stats like that, and those were courtesy of ‘the coach' Tony Fiorentino during the Heat's post-game show.
Off the bench Mario Chalmers had 6 points, 8 assists, 2 steals and more importantly 0 turnovers in 27 minutes. After the game Coach Spoelstra said the reason for Rio not starting was that he was late for shootaround, and that ‘the point guard must be the example for the team'.
With the benching, Spoelstra snapped Chalmers' streak of 104 consecutive starts.
Carlos Arroyo did fine in his first start of the year, scoring 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting (and 4-of-5 from the foul line), with 3 assists, a rebound and a steal in 21 minutes.

The Heat have very little time to catch their breath because coming in on Thursday night are our interstate rivals from O-Town. We can only hope that the Heat are able to keep up the good play, because I'm sure the Magic will be thinking about the last time these two teams played each other.

Game #23: Toronto Raptors (11-15) vs. Miami Heat (11-11)

DolPhanDave — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:41:31 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Yeah...this about sums it up

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It isn't often that I don't watch a game. Even when I know the results, and sometimes those results aren't pretty, I'll still watch. This time, however, I wasn't upset that I forgot to set my DVR before heading north to Jacksonville for the Dolphins game.

I kept track of the game for a while on my cell, and even without actually seeing any live game action, two free throws and six turnovers in the first quarter told me all I needed to know. I saw (or read) about Memphis getting to the foul line 17 times before the Heat took their first foul shot, which came with just seconds left in the 1^st quarter.

I had a bad feeling before the game even started though, as I first logged onto Twitter and saw that the Heat's starting small forward was going to be Yakhouba Diawara. Where the hell did that move come from? Spoelstra said after the game that he went with Kooba because he wanted to keep Dorell Wright within his role as the first perimeter guy off the bench, which I can understand.

But we have guys like James Jones and Daequan Cook who could use the minutes much more then Diawara. I think they need to give Cook as many minutes as they can spare because the only way he is going to get better and get out of this funk is by playing through it.

I'm hoping that the Heat use this game as some serious motivation. Immediately following the embarrassing home loss there was a team meeting that was about thirty minutes long. When asked about what was said in the meeting, D-Wade said that he kept quiet and only listened.

Udonis Haslem wasn't as quiet; talking to his teammates about the lack of effort they've put fourth of late, as well as the teams poor record at home. Bet you didn't realize that the Heat were under .500 at home (6-7) and over .500 on the road (5-4).

Looking at tonight's opponent, the Raptors are coming off of one of their better defensive efforts of the season, holding the Houston Rockets to just 88 points on 37% shooting in a 13-point victory. Keep an eye on Chris Bosh, Heat fans. We all know how much Pat Riley loves this guy, and more then likely is going to go after him more then any other free agent.

That being the case, just imagine what it will be like having this amazingly talented and athletic big guy dominating the post area and moving guys around in the paint, creating all kinds of space and lanes for Dwyane Wade to maneuver and score. Yea, I know that its way to early to assume anything...but if Bosh has any kind of inkling about playing in Miami with his boy D-Wade, you better believe that Pat Riley will make it happen.

GAME NOTES

After going 2-2 on a tough west coast road trip, the Heat are 0-2 so far on their 6-game homestand.
Toronto gives up the 2^nd most points in the league, allowing 108.0 points/game but are 6^th in the league in scoring, putting up 104.0 points/game.
On the other hand, Miami is right smack dab in the middle of the pack at points given up, surrendering 98.6. They aren't as good offensively, ranked 22^nd in the association by putting up 97.0.
The Raptors are a perfect 8-0 this season when holding their opponent under 100 points.
The 37 points surrendered by the Heat in the 1^st quarter against Memphis on Sunday was the second most points given up in a quarter this season by Miami. The most? So glad you asked...it was the 43 points scored in the second quarter of the Heat's visit to Toronto on November 20^th.
I wouldn't expect to see Quentin Richardson back in the lineup yet. He is officially listed as doubtful with his strained right hamstring.
For Toronto, guard Jose Calderon (hip) and forward Reggie Evans (foot) are both out.

Tuesday night tipoff from the AAA is set for 7:30.

Dwyane Wade dominates as Heat win again

DolPhanDave — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:41:28 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Flash is ready for an MVP season.

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Things are finally starting to come together for the Heat this preseason. After a more then questionable start, the team is beginning to get in stride while still adjusting to new faces and many many different lineups, getting their 2^nd straight win of the preseason, 99-93 over Memphis.

Despite Erik Spoelstra tossing out his 6^th different starting lineup in as many games, guys are working on their individual games in preparation for a season that will likely have several consistent lineups, as Heat coaches showed us last year that they will put out whichever 5 guys they feel match up the best with the opponent.

One lineup note to report is that all signs point to Michael Beasley starting the year at small forward. This is a move that I haven't been crazy about as I see Beasley as more of a power forward, but the more I think about it the more I realize that this move could work. First off, even if Beasley starts the game at power forward, I'm sure he'll get some minutes at the 4 when Udonis Haslem is off the court.

Also, when the Heat go with a small lineup, Haslem will be playing center and Beas will be power forward. With the improvements that Beasley has made defensively and his rapidly expanding offensive prowess, the mismatches that he'll be creating should greatly benefit everyone on the floor (other then the Heat's opponent, lol). Spoelstra will have his hands full trying to keep Beasley on the floor while getting minutes for guys like James Jones and Quentin Richardson, who are proving that they can be major outside threats that will stretch the defense even more for Beasley, Haslem and Jermaine O'Neal.

Beasley sat out last night's game still nursing his bruised left shoulder and will be a game time decision tonight in Jacksonville against the Hawks. With Beasley out of lineup and only 2 games left in the preseason, D-Wade decided that it was time to stretch his wings.

Wade played 30 minutes and looked to be in mid-season form, creating for himself off the dribble, driving the ball and getting to the foul line as well as creating turnovers which led to points for Miami. 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting for Dwyane, who got to the foul line 14 times, hitting 9. He added 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a team high 6 steals. With the improved supporting cast around him, we could be in store for another Jordan-like season from Wade, so prepare yourselves.

GAME NOTES

Another great game and hopefully a sign of things to come was by Jermaine O'Neal. He obviously came out last night with the intention of playing ‘big guy', attacking the glass and playing stout defense. Like Wade, O'Neal also played 30 minutes. He had 8 points, 8 boards and 4 blocks. I would love games like that from Jermaine every night, but it makes me wonder where that effort is on a gamely basis. It's not unreasonable to expect that he'll grab 3 boards in his next game...but lets hope that last night was a sign of things to come.

Udonis Haslem also brought his ‘A' game to the AAA, reminding everyone that he can still be a dominant presence in the Heat frontcourt. If you remember, last season it took Haslem until the spring before his jumper began falling with the consistency that makes his game so dangerous. He worked hard all summer to ensure that he'd have all his weapons at his disposal throughout the entire season. Last night he led the Heat with 35 minutes and 9 rebounds. He added 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting and was equally good on defense.

Once again the Heat shot very well as a team (50.0%), but struggled from beyond the arc (22.2%) and from the foul line (60.7%). The free throw shooting could be a nuisance as it's something the Heat has struggled with for a while.

The poor 3-point shooting last night likely was due to James Jones being held out of the lineup and Daequan Cook having an off night. Cook went only 1-for-6 from beyond, Yakhouba Diawara went 1-for-5 and Quentin Richardson hit only 1-of-3.

Carlos Arroyo was the Heat's best point guard last night, continuing to improve while learning on the fly. In 26 minutes he scored 8 points on 4-of-6 and dished out 4 assists. Meanwhile, Mario Chalmers went scoreless in 21 minutes missing both of his shot attempts. On the plus side, he grabbed 3 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. With Wade having a dominant game and playing some minutes at the point, it isn't easy for these guys to get a rhythm going.

Dorell Wright finally had a good game this preseason, but you still have to wonder where he is going to fit into Miami's rotation when the regular season rolls around. Last night he played 24 minutes and shot 3-of-5, including a three pointer. Wright finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and no turnovers.

Tonight the Heat will look wrap up their preseason with three straight wins. Their opponent will be those same Atlanta Hawks that knocked us out of the playoffs last season. Tip off is at 7pm from Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

The Heat will be without guard John Lucas III who was released today, bringing the Heat roster down to the 15 player maximum that NBA teams are allowed. Miami is hanging on to power forward Shavlik Randolph, who also had a non-guaranteed contract, which I figured would happen with Beasley being used as a small forward.

Heat fall to Pistons 87-83 in preseson opener

DolPhanDave — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:04:05 -0000

The Heat kicked off their 2009 preseason campaign in Detroit last night, and as you'd expect from a first game, there are a lot of things to work on. As a team they shot poorly and came out flat in both halfs, and at one point in the 2nd half they trailed by 17. Despite a noble comeback effort at the end, the Heat ultimately fell at the hand of the Pistons 87-83. In the final 30 seconds John Lucas III had a chance to put the Heat up by 1 with a 3 and missed, then missed another jumper to tie.

Game Notes:

Beasley started at small forward, but only lasted there for 4 minutes. Udonis Haslem committed 2 early fouls, which prompted Coach Spoelstra to slide Beasley to the 4 and bring in Yakhouba Diawara off the bench.

Haslem was issued a technical foul when he slammed the ball down after being whistled for his 3rd foul in the 2nd quarter. This game was refereed by replacement refs.

Jermaine O'Neal looked very similar to the guy we saw last season. He hit his first shot, then missed his next 5 en route to a 2-of-8 night. He only recorded 1 rebound in 21 minutes. That is something that HAS to improve.

Overall our ‘big guys' had a poor game, getting dominated in the painted areas on both ends of the floor. The Heat were out rebounded by 8 (40-32).

Daequan Cook seems poised for a breakout year. He is showing much-improved ball handling skills, prompting questions to Erik Spoelstra about possibly playing Cook as a backup point guard. He didn't seem to enthused with the idea...

"I don't know about playing him as a backup point guard," Spoelstra said. "But you can see it. His confidence level, handling the ball, is totally different than it was the last two years."

D-Wade seemed his normal self, getting to the basket with ease. He finished with 18 points in 23 minutes on 6-of-13 shooting. He also went 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, and had 5 assists and 4 steals.

Dorell Wright played over 20 minutes but was held scoreless, going 0-for-4 from the field and ended up fouling out of the game. He had 2 boards and turned the ball over 3 times.

Our point guards were both pretty poor. Chalmers constantly was beat by Pistons PG Will Bynum, and Chris Quinn couldn't keep anyone in front of him. Quinn also couldn't help but reaching, getting called for 3 fouls in his first 4 minutes on the floor. Chalmers only bucket was a three pointer, finishing 1-for-3 from beyond the arc and 1-of-4 overall. Quinn missed his two field goal attempts and his only point came on a free throw.

James Jones was bothered by migraine headaches in the morning and despite dressing, didn't get on the floor. Quentin Richardson also didn't play for the Heat.

Next game: Wednesday night @ Orlando. Tip-off is at 7:00pm.

Heat training camp: Let the battle begin!!

DolPhanDave — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:53:54 -0000

The Heat got off to a quick start when they began training camp at the American Airlines Arena yesterday. It was a well-known fact that the Heat coaching staff was expecting every member of the team to show up in the best possible shape, and to be prepared for a very physically demanding camp.

The very first 30 minutes on the court the team worked as hard as you'd expect them to in March. While the results may not have been as good as you'd hope for in mid-season, the Heat still held their own.

"There's no one out there who was out of shape," Wade said, "(But) I'm going to say the first 30, it felt like the first day of training camp, because it was non-stop. But after that first 30, we settled in to breaking things down and working on basketball. But that first 30 was (brutal)."

Today the focus was more on defense, which I imagine will be a constant focus throughout the pre-season. A couple guys who I'm expecting to see (or really really hoping to see) consistent D from all season are James Jones and Quentin Richardson. Both have been working hard all summer in the attempt to have ‘bounce-back' seasons.

Jones could have a bit more pressure on him, as he is expected to claim the starting small forward job that should have been his all of last season. Towards the end of the season he finally began to show signs of the player the Heat we're expecting when they originally signed Jones last summer, and he should be out to prove to a lot of people, including himself, that he is still he lethal shooting scoring threat he's always been.

Richardson is a bit of a question mark to me, mostly because we have no idea where he is going to fit into the lineup. Obviously he is going to get playing time, and I'm confident that he will make a bigger difference then many seem to think, but he may have to do it from different positions.

Right now the reports are that Richardson is going to back up Wade at shooting guard, but also playing some minutes at small forward along side of Wade. We still have Daequan Cook backing up Wade at shooting guard, and he is a guy who we're not going to want to see lose minutes.

You figure that at small forward the majority of the minutes will go to Richardson and Jones, bumping Yakhouba Diawara down on the depth chart. The Heat also have a healthy Dorell Wright looking to resume his once promising career, so it will be a battle for minutes amongst last years regular backups.

I'm purposely not including Beasley in the mix of small forwards because now that we have Richardson, we have more then enough guys at that position battling for time, and Beasley will be better suited as a power forward anyway. We didn't want to see Joel Anthony paying the 4...

This is all under the assumption that Richardson will be playing well, although all indications point towards him doing just that.

Richardson, the Heat's lone offseason addition, has lost about 25 pounds and shaved off 3 percent body fat in the six weeks since he was acquired by the Heat in a trade with Minnesota.

"They asked me right after the trade if I wanted to come in and get to work, and I said 'Yeah,' " Richardson (right) said of the Heat's training staff. "They pushed me from the start harder than I've ever been pushed before. And here we are."

The only guy I'm hoping doesn't lose a lot of minutes is Daequan Cook. I still think he is a very promising talent, and hopefully he can get off to a similar start as he did last season, but this time hold on to it past the All-Star break.

One positive thing about Cook, Diawara and Wright possibly seeing less playing time is that none of them have big salaries. We don't need another Mark Blount, making $8 million a year and never playing or doing anything significant. All three of the aforementioned players are in the bottom half of the team's salaries. Wright makes $2.7 million this season, Cook makes $1.3 and Diawara makes $945k.

As training camp approaches, Erik Spoelstra thinks there is a lot to be excited about with this years team

DolPhanDave — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:30:14 -0000

Erik Spoelstra thinks that the Heat are going to be a much-improved squad this season. That kind of optimism you would expect from the teams Head Coach, but Spo is backing it up with some facts that you cant help but pay attention to. We have guys coming back healthy who played much of last season hurt, or didn't play much at all. We have top-notch rookies coming back for a 2^nd season who have been working their butts off all summer.

Starting off with the youngsters, lets begin with the one who has gotten the most attention this offseason. Obviously, that's Michael Beasley, who returned to the American Airlines Arena on Monday and began working out with some of his Heat teammates. He had been working with Heat coaches, including Erik Spoelstra, while at the rehabilitation clinic in Houston, doing lots of on court exercises.

Spoelstra said Beasley (240 pounds) added 10 pounds of muscle, and "improved his perimeter skills -- he would show us something new all the time. He made dramatic improvements with individual defense. He's quicker. People will see more versatility. He can play either forward position. You'll see a different Michael Beasley. His skill level is so much more advanced than what it was. "

I'm still banking on Beasley coming off the bench this year, as Udonis Haslem is already penciled in as the teams starting power forward, and according to Spoelstra the starting small forward job is very much an open competition. It will be between Beasley, newcomer Quentin Richardson and James Jones.

Jones has come right out and said that he is back to 100% and should be playing at a high level after spending most of last season recovering from wrist surgery. When he finally returned to the lineup last year he was nowhere near his usual self, and is now very hungry to make up for a sup-par last season.

As for Richardson, I am very happy about that trade. Not only because we were able to dump the useless contract of Mark Blount, but more so because Richardson is going to fit right in with our team and add an element that we were really missing last year. Quentin can play the 2 or the 3; he can run the floor well, shoot from the outside and play the kind of defense that our coaching staff loves. Hard nosed, long armed and quick.

Spolelstra said Richardson ``is in the best shape of his life, 230 pounds. He hasn't weighed that since he was at DePaul 11 years ago. He's got defensive toughness, can post up guards and some small forwards.''

We'll move on to the guy who I see as this year's wild card, Jermaine O'Neal. Going into a contract year, J-O is out to prove he can still play at a high level, looking to regain his all-star form that would demand a high paying contract next summer. He is already going to be competing with other UFA's who are better and younger, so a great season would really help his cause.

Apparently, O'Neal is well on his way to having that kind of season. His main goal has been to regain the strength in his knees and regain some of the stamina he prided himself on while playing for Indiana. Should all the work he put forth this offseason translate into Jermaine being a 15 point 10 board kinda guy for us, while playing in around 70-75 games, I think that's a huge success. Says Spo about J-O:

``He's as healthy as he's ever been. We rewound the clock and brought him back to 26. He spent seven weeks with us'' working on strength and conditioning, then eight weeks with Chicago-based trainer Tim Grover. ``I went to Chicago and saw him in pickup games. He looks quick, jumping well. He looked like the guy I remembered with the Pacers, but stronger.''

You have got to love the way things are sounding, as well as the optimism that Coach Spoelstra is showing for his team. Apparently, the Heat organization holds a similar optimistic feeling about their coach, as it was announced earlier this week that Miami had extended the contract of Spoelstra. The teams of the extension have yet to be released, but it's believed to be for a year. That will be added to the reported 3-year contract that he received before last season, after he had been named the teams new Head Coach.

HEAT ADDING PLAYERS TO TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

As of now nothing has been confirmed, but it appears the Heat are going to add some players to their training camp roster. John Lucas III is a 6' point guard who went undrafted out of Oklahoma State is 2005. He spent two years playing for the Rockets, but after the 06-07 season he headed east to play in Italy, and since then he's spent time in the Spanish league as well as the NBA's D-League.

Lucas has been working out with fellow free agent Shavlik Randolph, and both are expected to receive contracts to join the Heat in training camp. Randolph, also undrafted in 05 (Duke), began his career in Philly. It was just beginning to get good when he broke his ankle during a late November practice. He spent one more year with Philly, then last year he signed a non-guaranteed contract with Portland. He did spend the season on their roster, but only played in 10 games and didn't do much to stand out.

Someone who worked out with the Heat a few weeks ago is also on the verge of returning for training camp. 6'9" power forward Andre Brown will compete with Shavlik Randolph for minutes behind Udonis Haslem. How much playing time and what kind of roles they are needed for will depend on whether Coach Spoelstra uses Michael Beasley as a power forward or a small forward. Brown is also a member of the undrafted club, coming out of DePaul in 2004.

All three will get non-guaranteed contracts, and its possible that none of them make the final roster, though unlikely. The Heat can carry up to 20 players on their roster until the regular season, at which time they must trim the roster down to 15.

These moves would leave the Heat's training camp roster looking like this:

Center- Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Magloire, Joel Anthony

Power Forward- Udonis Haslem, Michael Beasley, Shavlik Randolph, Andre Brown

Small Forward- James Jones, Yakhouba Diawara, Dorell Wright

Shooting Guard- Dwyane Wade, Daequan Cook, Quentin Richardson

Point Guard- Mario Chalmers, Chris Quinn, John Lucas III

That's 16 players, meaning should the Heat like what they see from everyone, only one player will have to be cut in time for Opening Night (Oct 28^th) against the Knicks. However, Pat Riley has said that its possible the Heat may end up carrying as few as the NBA minimum 13 players. Training camp begins in just 4 days on Tuesday the 29th.

I'd like to send out a thank you to everyone on this site for your patience during my recent health issues. Your kind words, comments and e-mails were amazing to read, and I fully appreciate everything. Thank you so much, it's refreshing to know what good people we have in our little online community.

Poll

How many games do you think the Heat will win this season?

60 or more

26 votes

55-60

34 votes

50-55

82 votes

45-50

117 votes

40-45

42 votes

35-40

10 votes

35 or less

13 votes

324 votes | Poll has closed

Let's Keep Quentin Richardson on the Move, Shall We?

Ben Q Rock — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Fernando Medina - NBAE/Getty Images

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Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves engaged in a fairly inconsequential trade. You can read more analysis at Clips Nation and Canis Hoopus, but the gist is this: L.A. shipped Quentin Richardson to Minnesota, receiving Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen. In Telfair, the Clippers have a solid backup point guard to Baron Davis, while Smith adds depth to a fairly beefy front-line which already includes Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman, and #1 draft pick Blake Griffin. Minnesota? It gains Richardson's $8.7 million expiring contract while simultaneously filling a void at shooting guard and small forward, a void created when it dealt Mike Miller and Randy Foye to Washington for the 5th overall selection in this year's draft. Two lottery teams are now slightly deeper and better off financially. So why do we care?

Because it's, frankly, amusing that Richardson has changed teams three times in the last three weeks. New York, for which he's played the last 3 seasons, traded him to Memphis for Darko Milicic. The Grizzlies, in turn, sent him to L.A. for Zach Randolph. Now, he's Minnesota-bound. The novelty of a career role-player being a hot commodity on the trade market appeals to us irony-craving folks, especially in the doldrums of the NBA offseason, with few marquee free agents left to sign and with most contenders having already filled out their rosters.

Richardson's third move in three weeks blew up the NBA Twitterverse. Richardson (@QRich), for his part, is taking his latest move in stride:

Round and round I go on this NBA tour. Where o where will it stop no one knows. Lol. Right now I'm a t'wolf. Tomorrow? Who knows? Lol.

So it is in that spirit we suggest ways to get Richardson to the 26 teams of which he hasn't been a part this summer, with commentary on select trades. It all follows the jump.

to Atlanta for Jamal Crawford

The Hawks themselves just acquired Crawford, and he fits coach Mike Woodson's "type" as an undersized shooting guard who can shoot from distance, so it's doubtful they'd give him up. Then again, with no progress in their hopes to re-sign Marvin Williams, their starting small forward and a restricted free agent, they could pull the trigger on this deal for Richardson and hope to explore sign-and-trade avenues with Williams.
to Boston for Kendrick Perkins and Brian Scalabrine

Nope, I can't even reach for a basketball reason here: the Celtics have no need for Richardson, nor would they be inclined to part with Perkins, an outstanding post defender whose NBA experience (364 games over 6 seasons) belies his age (24).
to Charlotte for Boris Diaw

Not much of a reason for Charlotte to unload Diaw if all it's getting is Richardson, although it might enjoy divesting itself of Diaw's deal. The Bobcats have a lot of long-term money committed to mediocre players, so losing Diaw--although he's an above-average player--might be worth the financial flexibility down the line.
to Chicago for Kirk Hinrich

Well, Richardson's a finished product, so I'm not sure why the Bulls would want him. They tend to be more interested in younger players whose growth they can stunt, am I right, Matt and Kelly? Zing!
to Cleveland for Daniel Gibson and Delonte West

Yup, it'd be crazy for the Cavs, a championship contender, to part with two decent, young combo guards. Clearly, they're not worried about saving money, having traded for Shaquille O'Neal (owed $20 million) last month. But sources did tell Marc Stein last week not to be surprised if the Cavs traded West this season... wait for it... in order to save money.
to Dallas for Greg Buckner and Matt Carroll

Hey, the Mavs can add another thirtysomething to their rotation! Buckner, 32, has the age, but won't play for Dallas. Richardson? He could conceivably see the floor as a situational shooter, and will turn 30 in April. As a bonus, he could join homophonically named Quinton Ross on the roster.
to Denver for Nene
to Detroit for Tayshaun Prince
to Golden State for Stephen Jackson and Marco Belinelli

Jackson is a favorite of Ws owner Chris Cohan, which is why he got a hefty extension last season despite still having a few years left on his deal as it was. Given how awful the Warriors are now, it's probable that even Cohan would be willing to part with Jackson's silly deal in exchange for Richardson's cap relief. Plus, Richardson's three-point marksmanship--he's a career 39.8% shooter from beyond the arc--would blend well with Golden State's trey-happy offense.
to Houston for Brent Barry and Shane Battier

Houston will likely hit the lottery this season, having lost Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady for the duration. Richardson's expiring deal would give Rockets GM Daryl Morey plenty of flexibility next summer. Morey? With options? Frightening, and that's not me being pithy.
to Indiana for Jamaal Tinsley
to the L.A. Lakers for Adam Morrison and Sasha Vujacic
to Miami for Mark Blount and Yakhouba Diawara
to Milwaukee for Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric
to New Jersey for Keyon Dooling, Jarvis Hayes, and Eduardo Najera
to New Orleans for Rasual Butler and Morris Peterson

This potential trade is notable for its being comprised entirely of three players who Tweet regularly. We previously linked Richardson's account. Here's Peterson (@mopete9) and Butler (@RasualButler45). Also, the Hornets wouldn't be the Hornets if they weren't stocked with swingmen (don't forget James Posey and Julian Wright!) while their frontcourt is so barren they're forced to play Sean Marks and Melvin Ely heavily.
to Oklahoma City for Chucky Atkins and Nenad Krstic
to Orlando for Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick

Magic GM Otis Smith values flexibility as much as the rest of the league's executives, but not even he's willing to part with Pietrus, his starting small forward, for a few extra bucks next summer.
to Philadelphia for Willie Green and Louis Williams
to Phoenix for Leandro Barbosa and Jared Dudley
to Portland for Steve Bake and Martell Webster
to Sacramento for Beno Udrih

The Kings would accept this deal faster than Mavis Beacon can type "Richardson." Udrih, with a career Player Efficiency Rating of 12.9, is owed $26.7 million over the next 4 seasons.
to San Antonio for Matt Bonner, Michael Finley, and Roger Mason
to Toronto for Marcus Banks, Patrick O'Bryant, and Antoine Wright
to Utah for Mehmet Okur
to Washington for Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson

Daily Links: From Ostertag on Ice to ...there's no where to go after that

Phoenix Stan — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:02:59 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

I wanted to post an image w/o Pau in it but really, how could I pass this up?

Browse more photos »

Opening tip off

'Net reaction: NBA Finals, Game 4 - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
A link to links of reaction to Game 4 where once again late game execution proved to be the difference in winning big games. SVG poo poo'd playoff experience in his post game presser but in the end, the Lakers were better prepared to perform in the clutch. I did like how the Magic refused to make excuses after the game. No ref blaming. No random acts of luck. The Magic got beat and they know it. They will be a better team next year for it.
Ridiculous Upside - Where Potential Is Way Cooler Than Reality
The SBN Mock Draft is under way at RU. So far: #1 Clips - Duh; #2 Grizz - Rubio, #3 OKC- Harden; #4 Kings - Evans; #5 Wiz - Thabeet.....check back often for updated picks over the next few days
Ostertag digs hockey, longs for NBA
"Young teams aren't going to pick me up," Ostertag said. "A veteran team looking for somebody to give them 10-15 minutes, go in there and bang with other guys, that would be the team.". Ice Hockey? Cakes? Greg is a gift from the NBA that won't stop giving. Oh, and perhaps getting slapped by Shaq in 1997 is another reason he's not approached the Suns

Mercury / WNBA

Temeka Johnson Already Proving Invaluable to Mercury | Phoenix Mercury Community Blog - Fanster.com
Great article from Ben on the Mercury's new point guard, Tameka Johnson. A lot of Merc fans didn't like replacing Kelly Miller with Meek but so far the move is looking pretty good. Meek isn't going to dazzle with her points but her maturity and floor leadership as Ben points out is huge
WNBA.com: WNBA.com Power Rankings: June 10, 2009
Very early season power rankings. Mercury at #6 but that was only after 1 game

Suns

No. 5: Phoenix Suns - ESPN
Hollinger ranks the Suns 5th of all NBA franchises. Ever.
There is a difference between Nash’s comments and Amare’s | Phoenix Suns Community Blog - Fanster.com - Do you bleed deep purple?
"The reason Nash’s comments passed with little to no fan fare is the fact that fans have never once had to ask if he was playing at his highest level." - I don't know about that.
Dirt workers may be available in Round 2| Valley of the Suns
"A look at who could be available for the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the NBA Draft"

Misc and other

On the Notion that Dwight Howard Has No Post Game - TrueHoop By Henry Abbott - ESPN
Henry makes the case the Dwight's post game is under appreciated. I disagree. He might have more moves but all he ever seems to do is go right across the lane and throw up that hook unless he catches in great deep position and then forgetaboutit. Compared to other bigs like Duncan and Sheed he's not even close. He's more in the Andrew Bogut stage of his offensive career.
Jermaine O'Neal and Yakhouba Diawara re-up with Heat - Peninsula is Mightier
JO will make $23m next season. Ponder that for a moment as you dig for change to pay for your over priced Italian named coffee
Money talks, and Manu stays
A team put in a call to the Spurs last season with a legitimate offer for Manu Ginobili. "Helluva player for a helluva player," is the way Gregg Popovich describes the proposal now.
Ask the Utah Jazz expert: 'Bird' season in Utah? - Salt Lake Tribune
The Birdman playing for Jerry Sloan? I would pay to see that train wreck!
Should I Stay or Should I Go? The NBA Draft Hopeful's Theme Song - Clips Nation
Thorough analysis of why kids that can play basketball should enter the NBA draft as soon as they can. Don't stay in school.
Rose City Showcase - Blazer's Edge
Portland seems to be the home of high school aged basketball. It is also the home of Nike. You figure it out
texts from last night
I tried to find a basketball related connection but couldn't. Still, too funny not to link. Almost as good as Greg Ostertag on skates but not quite. Not even close actually. Still funny and now connected (barely) to basketball (if that is in fact what Greg Ostertag played)

A Few League Rumors

Jeff Clark — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:40:06 -0000

Knicks Knation - NY Daily News
There are reports of infighting in the Cleveland Cavaliers organization in the wake of their disappointing loss to Orlando in the Eastern Conference. And the consensus around the league is that Mike Brown was badly out-coached by Stan Van Gundy in the series.

Ariza's timing is terrific | Basketball | Sports | Toronto Sun
"At the very worst, teams will offer Ariza the mid-level exception, which is roughly double his pay, but there's a school of thought that believes Ariza may be able to triple and perhaps even quadruple his salary in a long-term deal."

Analysis: Latest Cleveland Cavaliers personnel rumors improbable at best, impossible at worst Cleveland Cavaliers Basketball NBA News - cleveland.com
"A report from Slam Magazine, a New York-based basketball publication, on Monday said the Cavs have opened negotiations with Pistons free agent center Rasheed Wallace on a two-year contract at $10 million per season. This is impossible and illegal; the Cavs do not have salary cap space to sign any player to a $10 million contract and any talks cannot begin until July 1. It is likely the Cavs will contact Wallace at that time, as he's probably going to be on their list of free agent targets. But he will not get a $10 million contract from the Cavs or likely any team in the NBA."

Jermaine O'Neal, Yakhouba Diawara will return to Miami Heat - Miami Heat - MiamiHerald.com
"O'Neal's expiring contract gives the Heat flexibility to use him in a major trade to perhaps acquire a marquee player such as Toronto's Chris Bosh or Amar'e Stoudemire if they are dealt before becoming free agents in 2010. If the Heat holds on to O'Neal and allows his contract to expire next summer, the team could also have significant salary-cap space to pursue a top-tier free agent."

Charley Walters:
"A little birdie says that if Kevin McHale remains the Timberwolves' coach, which now seems likely, he'll be required to hire a former NBA head coach as his top assistant for in-depth help. The Wolves will provide McHale with a list of candidates from whom to choose."

Jermaine O'Neal and Yakhouba Diawara re-up with Heat

DolPhanDave — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:40:01 -0000

As expected, both Jermaine O'Neal and Yakhouba Diawara have exercised their contract options for next season. This comes as a reminder that we can rest easy knowing that one of the biggest problems we faced last year is solved for the near future. Jermaine is a solid center, and hopefully will come back refreshed and sharp after the extensive off-season workout plan he's planned for the summer. He is set to make $23 million next year, and Kooba will be earning $945,000.

Two other players that are expected to exercise options for next season are Chris Quinn ($1.5 mil) and Mark Blount ($8 mil).