SB Nation - Shavlik Randolph

Waive Goodbye, Part 1

Jon L — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:00:35 -0000

by Haraz N. Ghanbari - AP

Paul Davis poses for trading card photo. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Here it is; the long-awaited (okay maybe not), oft-promised look at who got waived and who made an NBA roster. I'm breaking this up into three parts, and here's what they'll look like: for each team, there will be a list of who got cut and who got kept (and yes I know the grammar isn't great, but that's what I've decided to go with). To make it interesting, I'll look at one Eastern Conference team and one Western Conference team each day. I probably won't discuss every player, since at this point in his career Juan Dixon can do whatever as far as I'm concerned, but I'll try to hit most of the players who either previously spent time in the D-League or might be considering it as an option this season. I'm also operating under the assumption that the vast majority of guys that I talk about will be playing in Europe. The season's already started over there in a lot of places, but there's usually room for one more skilled American player. Nonetheless, I'll try to keep the D-League optimism up. Okay? Okay. So here we go. First up: the Southeast and Pacific Divisions, below the jump.

Atlanta Hawks

Who got cut: Juan Dixon, Mike Wilks, Courtney Sims, Garrett Siler, Mario West

Who got kept: No one.

Sims and Siler are the main guys to know here, as Dixon, Wilks and West are all veterans at this point who will jump into the pool of emergency guards for less thoughtful teams to sign in case, I dunno, Eric Gordon gets hurt or something. Sims has admirers around the team, and he's showed off his scoring in the preseason, but the rebounding that was so good in the D-League last year has been largely absent thus far. That kind of game (among other reasons) makes me think he's bound for overseas despite the fact that he intrigues front offices. If they really cared, he'd have a contract by now. Siler, on the other hand, is just coming onto the scene and has nice touch and solid rebounding ability. He's just, let's call it "large." If I had to guess I'd say he's a more likely candidate for the D-League, where getting "large" guys into shape seems to be the stock in trade. He's already pretty effective as it is, and he doesn't seem have the foul problems that plague other "large" gentlemen like Mike Sweetney or Kentrell Gransberry, so if he can shed the weight then he might start garnering more serious interest.

Charlotte Bobcats

Who got cut: Dontell Jefferson, Antonio Anderson

Who got kept: Stephen Graham

I was actually kind of shocked at this one. Jefferson is a great man defender (and an all-aaround good guy) who the Bobcats seemed to like (they called him up last year), plus one of their better (if not their best) perimeter defenders with a guaranteed contract just got hurt. So why wouldn't they keep him? Stephen Graham is fine as a player, and he's a D-League success story of sorts so I shouldn't knock him too hard, but while he's a better rebounder than Jefferson, he's not as good of a defender. Hopefully Jefferson comes to the D-League and gets called up quickly, but either of those happening is unlikely, let alone both of them.

Golden State Warriors

Who got cut: Diamon Simpson, Shaun Pruitt

Who got kept: No one

Simpson is raw. Really, really, really raw. But intriguing (at least to me). I thought so when he was on Washington's Summer League team, but he got cut before they played any games and I don't think he played any in the preseason for Golden State, either. It would behoove him to go to the D-League, but who knows if that will happen. He's a Dominic McGuire-type, if McGuire is good enough to have his own type, but it boils down to this: a lot of hustle, the tools to be a very good defender, a very good rebounder, undersized as a PF but no offensive game to make up for it. Who doesn't like that kind of player? Anyway, he'll need to learn some offense somewhere, so why not the D-League? ASSUMING he enters the draft, I could see Rio Grande Valley drafting him and developing him for the Rockets, who are enamored with 6'7" power forwards who rebound really, really well. But what I think should happen and what does happen are usually two different things. Example: Fernwood 2Nite is still not on DVD.

Los Angeles Clippers

Who got cut: Anthony Roberson, Taj Gray, Jerel McNeal

Who got kept: Kareem Rush

Sorry Mike Wilks, Juan Dixon and Mario West, your fellow Brotherhood of Mediocre Shooting Guards member Kareem Rush got this. Roberson is likely headed back to Europe, with all the rest of the good three-point shooters. So is Gray. Jerel McNeal could stick around this neck of the woods, because he's a.) younger and b.) still could use some work on his offensive game. His DraftExpress "best case" is supposedly Shannon Brown, so there's some D-League-to-NBA precedent for a guy like McNeal, and he's solid enough all-around that if he continues to cut down on his turnovers he could draw some real interest.

Los Angeles Lakers

Who got cut: Mickael Gelabale, David Monds, Tony Gaffney, Michael Fey, Thomas Kelati

Who got kept: No one

Somewhat off-topic, but at this point I'm wondering what the point of the Lakers having their own D-League affiliate is. I know I'm not supposed to say that, but...who was the last player they developed in-house? Jordan Farmar, I guess? Does Josh Powell count since he never plays? I know that they're in "win-now" mode as long as Kobe Bryant is on the team, but heck, trading for Adam Morrison? They could've found someone else, put him on the D-Fenders for two years, and still eventually have gotten more out of him than Morrison will end up giving them. And no, this isn't about cutting Sun Yue. Okay, maybe it's partially about cutting Sun Yue. But that was the plan with Mickael Gelabale, I assume, who has a lot of talent and a knack for scoring. But he couldn't earn a deal and DJ Mbenga could? Mbenga is good for something, right? I mean, he is, right? I could've sworn he did something well at some point. David Monds played very well for the Lakers' Summer League team, so that likely got him some attention even if his preseason didn't. I'm willing to bet that he comes back to the D-League, just not heavily.

Miami Heat

Who got cut: John Lucas, Alade Aminu, Andre Brown, Anthony Tolliver

Who got kept: Carlos Arroyo, Shavlik Randolph

Sigh. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. Not that Arroyo is still around, I guess, since he's not the worst option out there and can run the pick and roll adequately, but Lucas really can play, size notwithstanding. I'm pretty sure Lucas has had some problems with not being paid by his European employers in the past, so it could be that he's soured on the enterprise, and if he comes back to the D-League he'll join the Maine Red Claws, but my best guess is that he'll try going overseas again and hope to get his check on time. Aminu may try his hand at the D-League, since his younger (and more talented) brother is still in college. Aminu played some decent defense for Washington's Summer League team, and he's pretty athletic along with being a decent ball-handler for a 6'10" guy. He needs to work on not turning the ball over and acquiring some post moves, and the D-League is as good a place as any to do that.

Orlando Magic

Who got cut: Morris Almond

Who got kept: Linton Johnson

I'm a little surprised that Johnson is still around, although Adonal Foyle got hurt so there's room for another frontcourt player. Sort of. I mean with Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson, Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus, Vince Carter and Matt Barnes around I'm not really sure how much playing time Johnson will get, even in practice. Some of those guys can play guard, true, but this team is apparently committed to the Jason Williams Reclamation Project and not, you know, keeping a guard who can actually help the team out. It's a good question where Almond goes from here, as he's "done with the D-League." Maybe he joins Dixon, et al. or maybe he just cuts his losses and heads yonder, but either way I can't shake the feeling that he never really got a fair look this offseason.

Phoenix Suns

Who got cut: Carlos Powell, Dan Dickau, Raymond Sykes

Who got kept: No one.

Well, at least our long national Dan Dickau nightmare is over. Powell played very well in the preseason, and the team spoke well of him which should help combat some old on-court character issues. He's a strong call-up candidate this season should he go to the D-League, and he's been working hard to get to the NBA so he may go that route. I've already linked to it once, but for more on Powell's play I recommend this Bright Side of the Sun post.

Sacramento Kings

Who got cut: Lanny Smith, Melvin Ely

Who got kept: No one.

I would bet that Smith returns to the D-League. He's not that far removed from breaking his foot in college, and he was a backup in Idaho last year, so he still has a lot to show. He can play, though, and it shouldn't be too surprising if he becomes a top point guard in the D-League this year. That's assuming he goes there, however, and not overseas. He played for the "NBA Generations" team that played in Korea and the Philippines, so he's gotten some international exposure, and non-US teams could come calling.

Washington Wizards

Who got cut: Vincent Grier

Who got kept: Paul Davis

Grier never really played, so this isn't a shock. He's a pretty good combo guard and scorer, but the Wizards have a ton of shooting guards on the team so this was always going to be a longshot. Paul Davis is sticking around because Antawn Jamison will be out for at least a month, and the team was already thin up front. As in, Fabricio Oberto who was signed to be the end-of-bench veteran presence, is now the starting power forward. Davis is now the fifth big, and he's defied my expectations by playing pretty well this preseason, averaging about 18 points and nine rebounds per 36 minutes while staying out of foul trouble. He shot 5-10 from the floor, and I have no idea where those shots came from exactly, but one reason I was skeptical is that last season his eFG percentages were .333 on "close" shots and .344 on jump shots (as determined by 82games.com), which are pretty bad. As long as the Wizards don't expect much from Davis on the offensive end other than dunks and tip-ins, they should be fine.

NBA Blog Previews 2009: Miami Heat

DolPhanDave — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:39:36 -0000

"This is MY house" Good times, they are a-comin'.

CelticsBlog, SB Nation's Boston Celtics page, has been hosting a huge blogosphere NBA team preview series and the time has come for Peninsula Is Mightier to add its take.

Team Name: Miami Heat

Last Year's Record: 43-39

Key Losses: Jamario Moon

Key Additions: Quentin Richardson, Carlos Arroyo, Shavlik Randolph

1. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?

With Pat Riley planning on attacking the free agent class of 2010, we knew that there would not be much going on this off-season. However, there was one move made that will greatly benefit the Heat this season. Miami was able to deal away Mark Blount, who did nothing but sit on the bench the majority of his tenure with the Heat yet made around $8 million a year, for swingman Quentin Richardson, who despite making slightly more then Blount, will play a significant role in the Heat's rotation. Richardson is also in the final year of his contract, meaning he won't be costing the Heat anything against their 2010 cap. More space to go after free agents with makes Pat Riley very happy.

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

Other then Dwyane Wade, who is obviously the best thing the Heat have to offer, I'd say out biggest strength this year will be our outside shooting. A couple guys who struggled a bit last year, Daequan Cook and James Jones, are shooting the lights out in the preseason and are poised for big years. Cook won last years All-Star 3-point Shootout and up until that point was having a great shooting season, but struggled in the 2^nd half. Jones suffered a wrist injury that required surgery just before the beginning of last season, and didn't start showing his true shooting skill until the Heat's first round playoff exit. Added to the mix is Quentin Richardson, who has shown that he can be a lethal shooter, so why not think the Heat will use these guys to stretch the court for Dwyane Wade.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

Defense. While we have some very good offensive players, nobody on the team can be considered a ‘defensive specialist'. In the Eastern Conference, there are several teams with superstars at their position, and then those teams play Miami, the Heat have their hands full. Luckily, they have that Wade guy who can score at will, so there have been and will be some very exciting shootouts. While the Heat will rack up steals and blocks, their half court defense is still a work in progress.

4. What are the goals for this team?

I think that question depends on who you ask. Obviously the main goal is to get as far as possible in the playoffs and compete for a championship. Personally I think the 2^nd round of the playoffs is a realistic goal. The problem is, for so many of us realistic Heat fans, we know that next season (2010-2011) is the year to look forward to.

I'd like to see our younger guys (Beasley, Chalmers, Cook) continue to improve, as they are the core of our team. Defense is a big issue with our coaching staff, so improving as a team defensively is a big goal.

5. Will Jermaine O'Neal remember that he is, in fact, a center?

We sure hope so...because never before has such a big guy created such a big hole at the position. He would consistently grab 2-3-4 rebounds a game and made look silly in the defensive paint. He worked with legendary trainer Tim Grover over the summer and looked good in the final two games of the preseason, but we'll see how that translates into the regular season. Jermaine is definitely a wild card for the Heat this season.

Projected Finish:

45-37 2^nd in Southeast Division. The Heat will likely make the playoffs with a 4-5-6 seed, hopefully avoiding a 1^st round exit.

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.

Blog Season Preview

Ben. — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:33:14 -0000

More photos » by Rick Bowmer - AP

Hey there, I'm balling again. That's why Ben uses me for literally every post that needs a picture. Call me Giggles Oden.

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Every year, Blazersedge participates in a national network of blog season previews. This year is no exception. For regular readers, there's not going to be a ton of new stuff in this preview, although I do make a win prediction at the end for your mocking and criticizing pleasure.

Team Name: Portland Trail Blazers

Last Year’s Record: 54-28

Key Losses: Channing Frye, Channing Frye’s Blog, Shavlik Randolph, Shavlik Randolph’s Valued Blazersedge Contributions, Mike Ruffin, Mike Ruffin’s Minivan, Raef LaFrentz’s Expired Contract, Sergio Rodriguez

Key Additions: Andre Miller, Juwan Howard, A Healthy Martell Webster, Greg Oden’s Confidence, Dante Cunningham, Jeff Pendergraph, No Sergio Rodriguez

Click through for the rest!

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

1. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?

It was a relatively quiet offseason for Kevin Pritchard, quieter than many fans had hoped for. No splashy draft day trades, unless you count the Sergio Rodriguez dump to Sacramento. The true excitement came in a trio of moves and non-moves: the failed courtship of Hedo Turkoglu, the cap-busting toxic offering of Paul Millsap, and the rebound relationship scoop up of Andre Miller.

Ironically, Miller, the team's third choice, addressed its biggest need – an upgrade over Steve Blake at the point guard position – better than either of the other two players. Optimists see this as fate intervening on Portland’s behalf. Pessimists might see this as Pritchard’s broken clock being right twice a day. Either way, Miller’s addition gives the Blazers one of the best 3 deep point guard rotations in the league and provides the team with another proven player who can create his own shots and help develop young, budding stars like LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden.

Everything besides Dre was peanuts. Juwan Howard might fight for the scraps of backup minutes behind LaMarcus Aldridge. The rookies might get some Developmental League burn. Portland-area zoologists probably miss Mike Ruffin's exotic animal collection. Rudy needs to find a new wingman when he hits Aura late night. That's about it.

It wasn’t the best offseason – perhaps not the offseason that Pritchard envisioned when he decided not to trade Raef LaFrentz’s Expiring Contract back in February – but the Blazers roster is better this October than last, without question.

2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?

Rebounding, offensive efficiency, depth, versatility, late-game execution. Take your pick, there’s a lot to like about this group, a squad that will run 15 quality players deep once the roster is finally set. The front line is anchored by centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla, who combine to own the boards like Crockett and Tubbs owned South Florida criminals. LaMarcus Aldridge’s 7 rebounds per game look soft by comparison and Travis Outlaw seems to gather roughly half of his rebounds by pulling them out of the arms of one of his centers. All those rebounds add up to extra possessions and second-chance points for the Blazers, who are loaded with solid shooters like Steve Blake, Rudy Fernandez, and Martell Webster.

But the Blazers also enjoy a strength that not many teams can match: a proven, reliable, consistent and intelligent late-game ball-handler, Brandon Roy, who draws fouls and gets into the lane better than all but a few NBA players. Roy’s penchant for late-game heroics – he claims with a straight face that he enjoys pressure – made for many memorable moments last year. A two-time All Star who inked a max extension this summer, Roy is playing for hardware from here on out. He knows that better than anyone.

3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?

Although it might sound surprising on a team with such little roster turnover from last year, the team’s biggest weakness through 2 weeks of the pre-season is cohesion. Adding a new big-minute point guard to the rotation has everyone adjusting. Greg Oden’s continued development has everyone from the coaching staff down re-thinking his role with the team. Are there enough touches? Who meshes best with whom? What’s the optimal number of guys – from 8 to 12 – to play on any given night? These are the core questions for Coach Nate McMillan.

Another weakness – which will likely continue to be a weakness for years to come given the personnel – is team defense. While McMillan has committed his team to hard-and-fast rules and a specific system, asking his players to play pick-and-roles in a consistent manner and to religiously close out on shooters in hopes of decreasing their opponent’s field goal percentage, it’s unclear whether this group – from the top down, including Brandon Roy – has fully bought in. Some nights they do, some nights they don’t. Some plays they do, other plays they don’t. It was a problem last year in the playoffs, as Aaron Brooks and Yao Ming were a lethal one-two punch, and Luis Scola looked all-world. The players claim that they took to heart the importance of defense from that series, but there hasn't been a ton of evidence to support that during the pre-season.

4. What are the goals for this team?

Anything short of a division title and the second round of the playoffs would be a disappointment. Management, coaches and players have all set the bar that high, and they’ve done so with a confidence that borders on cockiness. Management feels they have assembled the right personnel (and lots of it!), the coaches feel they’ve added experience and savvy to a talented group of youngsters, and the players feel like they have something to prove after getting booted out of the first round by a tougher, more determined Houston Rockets team.

Pretty simple, really.

There are other goals: Aldridge and Oden want to make the All star team, Roy wants to be all-defense, a few Blazers reserves could be in the running for 6th man of the year, but those awards and accolades aren't the focus.

5. What’s up with Greg Oden?

Greg Oden, a player who has been off the national radar for the past 2+ years, has consistently been the brightest spot during the team's lackluster pre-season. During multiples stretches of play, he’s been the best player on the court, something that was never said about him during the 60+ games he played last season. He’s confident again, trimmed down and well-balanced on his legs, finishing with authority, and trusting his off-season work, which included the development of a number of simple, go-to moves around the basket. His offensive game is less robotic and more diverse; his defense is less choppy and more instinctive. He’s altering more shots while committing less fouls, exactly what every single fan, no matter how intoxicated, wanted to see from him last season.

I have privately taken to calling him Giggles Oden, as he seems to crack up at every question or comment I make to him regardless of the setting: pre-game, post-game, after practice, or anywhere else. Maybe I just look funny or talk funny (definitely a possibility)? Or maybe Greg just has his mind right, after an up-and-down season spent, at times, sulking on the bench and consulting with a sports psychologist. What’s clear this fall is that Greg is back to enjoying the game. He still has work to do, there’s no question about that, but he’s back to being a player you can’t help but root for.

While top draft picks are expected to provide big time contributions, production from Greg Oden has been an added bonus rather than a staple necessity for the Blazers over the last few years. 2010 is shaping up to be the year that starts to change, with the potential to be the big, breakout season everyone has been waiting for.

6. Bottom Line

There are plenty of reasons to be bullish on the Blazers and it seems darn near every analyst is. They’re protected against injury better than almost every team, going at least two deep at every position. They’re built to execute well in the halfcourt but they can run a little bit when needed, thanks to Miller. They’ve got big guards and little guards, athletic wings and physical wings, long 4s and big 5s: thanks to this depth and versatility, they’re far more prone to creating mismatches than getting exploited by them. They’re coming off a 54 win season, didn’t lose a single major piece and are a year more experienced than they were last season.

But entering this season, things aren’t quite clicking yet. And it seems like it could take some time.

At this point, a little more than halfway through October, I’ll get on board with a playoff series victory (possibly 2): all the pieces are there. Although they started the summer as likely Division favorites, I’m not sure I see the Blazers emerging on top of what will surely be a heated 3-team chase for the Northwest Division title.

That said, last year’s Blazers surpassed my expectations by 5 wins; this year’s Blazers are certainly capable of doing the same (if not better).

A trade deadline move to find that still-missing piece and to cut loose some expiring salaries could be what this group needs to make the full, deep post-season push that it desires. Trade or no trade, the team’s offensive efficiency, rebounding prowess and the presence of Brandon Roy should make for an entertaining year.

Predicted Record: 52-30. 2^nd in Northwest Division. 4^th Overall.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Heat fall to 0-2 in preseason with another poor shooting effort

DolPhanDave — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:58:26 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

Michael Beasley rocking the cornrows.

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The effort may have been there but the result was still the same, as the Heat lost for the 2nd time in two tries this preseason. Orlando got out to an early lead and never looked back, once stretching the lead to 18 points. The Heat were outscored in every quarter but the 4th, where once again John Lucas III led a comeback attempt that fell short at the end.

We're going to take a look at tonight's loss in three categories. The good, the bad and the meh.

GOOD

One thing that I was absolutely ecstatic about was the play of James Jones and Quentin Richardson. They were two guys that we highlighted before the game, hoping that they would step up. Jones looked like the J-J of old, showing a sweet stroke and hitting 5-of-7 shots (and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc). He finished with 16 points in 24 minutes and also let the team with 3 steals.

Richardson played only 15:48 but was very effective, scoring 9 points on 3-of-6, but just like Jones, a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond. He also added 3 rebounds. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come from both.

John Lucas III could be playing his way into a backup point guard job. In very limited minutes (7:57) he equaled his point total from the last game in half the time, going 3-for-5, hitting a 3 and adding 2 assists.

Shavlik Randolph has been providing solid minutes as a backup power forward. In just under 14 minutes over the two preseason games, he's grabbed 8 rebounds. He has also scored 6 points, all from the foul line where he has shot 6-of-8.

BAD

Our other two point guards. Mario Chalmers is looking very uneasy and uncomfortable shooting the ball. He was only 1-of-6 from the field last night and added 3 turnovers. There were also 3 turnovers courtesy of Rio. Quinn wasn't quite as bad, as he dished the ball fairly well and was rewarded with 3 assists. However, he only shot 1-for-7 and had 4 of his shots blocked.

Heat shooting overall has been very poor. As a team they shot 33% last night, and 35% in the two games. Not to be outdone, our reputation as a poor free throw shooting team continues; the Heat have only made 70% of their foul shots.

The replacement officials have been nothing short of terrible. We'll take the words of someone who saw it firsthand:

The officiating by the replacements was so atrocious that fill-in official Robbie Robinson could become the first referee to ever be fired twice by the NBA.

The foul trouble reached the point that after the Magic's Vince Carter was called for his fourth with 52.4 seconds to play in the second quarter, becoming the fourth player with as many, he blared to one of the replacement referees, "You're messing up a good game."

The officiating lockout is beginning to wear on nerves, with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra exhorting at one stage "Pay attention!", after a goaltending call was changed to offensive interference.

Dorell Wright isn't living up to his pre-preseason hype. He shot 0-for-3 last night and 0-for-4 in Detroit. He's added only 5 rebounds in a combined 41:30 over the two games.

MEH

Udonis Haslem was held to only 15 minutes thanks to the wonderful officiating. He hit 2 of his 3 shots and had no rebounds. This once again led to Michael Beasley getting more minutes at power forward then small forward. You have to give him some credit, as the position he has been preparing more to play isn't where he has been playing. Either way, he is struggling. He shot only 3-of-13 last night with 4 boards while leading the Heat with 30:24 on the court. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.

Dwyane Wade got off to a very slow start again, hitting only 1 of his first 6 shots. He finished the game 5-for-8 with 17 points. I have high expectations for D-Wade, so these kind of games aren't what I like to see from him. The fact that he led the team in scoring is irrelevant. I think he should be scoring 25 points every night; nobody in the NBA can score at will the way Wade can.

Jermaine O'Neal was held out of the game, and he said that it was due to being kicked in the foot last week by Joel Anthony, and nothing to do with his knees. Uh huh. Call me a cynic, but I don't buy that. He's been seen with his knees iced, and if he was kicked last week, then how come he is only suddenly sitting out.

The Heat aren't back in action until Sunday when they will host the San Antonio Spurs at the AAA. Tip off is 5pm...anybody going?

Training Camp Invites - Miami Heat

Jon L — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:55 -0000

Shavlik Randolph is among those trying to make the Miami roster.

View full size photo »

I thought I'd continue the series that JDS started by taking a team-by-team look at players who have been invited to training camp (since camp has started now, all of the invites are official). These are guys who normally would show up in Ridiculous Transactions - D-Leaguers, players who have spent time in Europe and other random NBA journeymen, all of whom are trying to either make the team they're with or impress any other team that might be paying attention. I thought I'd keep it in the Southeast Division and look at the Miami Heat.

Alade Aminu - Aminu played for Washington's Summer League team, though saying he "played" is a bit generous since he never saw more than 12 minutes on the court. He's fairly athletic and handles the ball pretty well for his size (he's 6'10", 225). He's also really, really raw. Bullets Forever's Mike Prada observed that Aminu defended Blake Griffin pretty well and showed a decent touch, but that he's "nowhere close to an NBA player." I'd be surprised if he makes the roster, but I'd like to see him spend a year or two in the D-League to hone his skills.

Shavlik Randolph - Randolph's per-minute numbers have been increasing more or less steadily the last few years, and are pretty good in the points and rebounds departments, but they've come in so few games (13 in '06-'07, nine in '07-'08, and ten last year) that I have a hard time believing them. He's a solid if unspectacular option for a third center, which essentially is what he's working for in Miami.

Andre Brown - I briefly wrote about Brown the other day. He's yet another PF/C-type who has bounced between minor league basketball, the NBA and Europe. He's a decent rebounder who usually shoots around .500 or better, though his free-throw shooting isn't great. I'd say Brown also is a longshot, but he's produced when given the chance to.

Anthony Tolliver - Tolliver saw a fair amount of playing time with the Hornets' Summer League team this year, but he didn't put up good numbers until the last few games, including the second-to-last one in which he made every single field goal and free throw. He wasn't always efficient, though, and he also fouled a little too much. DolPhanDave over at the Heat blog Peninsula is Mightier believes the team will be emphasizing defense this training camp, and Tolliver shouldn't have any problems there unless he's asked to keep up with perimeter players. Of all the big men the Heat brought in, I'd say Tolliver has the best chance to sneak onto the roster behind or in lieu of Joel Anthony, but this team apparently believes Chris Quinn is a decent backup point guard.

John Lucas - Speaking of whom, Lucas is here to give Quinn a push, and I sincerely hope he pushes Quinn off the team. Not because I like seeing people lose their jobs, but because Lucas can absolutely run an offense, and he has some experience playing off the ball as well. The Miami backcourt is what you'd call "undersized," though, and Lucas wouldn't do anything to change that. He's an excellent shooter from behind the arc and from the free-throw line, and he neither turns the ball over nor fouls very often. Lucas is probably the best player the Heat brought to their training camp.

An Open Letter to Ed Stefanski

Jon L — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:01:02 -0000

An Open Letter to Ed Stefanski, GM of the Philadelphia 76ers

By Jon L, Sole Proprietor (Apparently) of Ridiculous Upside

Dear Ed -

May I call you Ed? No? Great. Look, Ed, I read the answer you gave to Liberty Ballers (and occasional RU commenter TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsMichaelBourn) regarding your attitude towards the D-League, and if you don't mind my saying so, there were so many things egregiously wrong with it that I felt the need to write write this blog post and pretend it was a letter to you.

You see Ed, you're a lazy man. I get that. You hired Eddie Jordan because you already know him and so you could hire a decent coach without doing any real work. You're bringing Dionte Christmas and Jared Reiner into training camp because they're familiar, not because they've done anything to inspire confidence. Like I said, I get it. I'm a lazy man myself, in fact. But I'm not in charge of running an NBA team.

You see, the thing about being involved with the D-League is that it requires you to pay attention to more than just "when will Elton Brand finally not be injured." And if you don't want any part of that, just come right out and say it. Don't blame it on the D-League, and paint the situation as something that's not worthwhile. Let's go through your answer point by point.

We have had the opportunity to go into a couple places, I don't see personally the advantage of owning your own team right now since you can always send down players you have on your roster for two years of service.

Here's the number of players the Philadelphia 76ers have sent down to the D-League since 2005: two. Bobby Jones and Louis Williams. Jones, who isn't with the team anymore, and Williams, who still has a ways to go to become a competant point guard. So when you say that "you can always send down players you have on your roster," let's not pretend that that's what's actually been happening. If you were operating more like the Utah Jazz, who sent three different players down to the D-League multiple times last year alone, then I'd have no quarrel with this. It's also not the case that Utah has had more assignment-eligible players. By my count, since 2005 you've had 11 players who could've been sent down, and that's not even including guys like Deng Gai who was waived after a handful of games. And sure, Kyle Korver or Andre Iguodala might not have needed to play in the D-League, but there are several players on that list who could've benefited. Guys like Rodney Carney and Shavlik Randolph and Willie Green. But Ed, you're not sending anyone down. So please don't pretend that you don't want to own a team because you're already assigning players as it is. Let's move on.

Until they change the rules where you can have some sort of farm system like baseball then I would maybe say that it makes more sense, but where it is right now I don't see the expense of having your own management team, your own trainers, your own coaches, and everything for one guy.

We've moved beyond lazy. This is just dumb, Ed. Really, really dumb. So as I understand it, you don't want to have your own D-League affiliate until there's a system in place by which NBA teams have their own D-League affiliates? How does that work? We all want the D-League to become "some sort of farm system like baseball," but that's probably not going to happen until enough NBA teams have their own affiliates. Which you don't want to do because not enough other teams have their own affiliates.

There's also the matter of your statement about "one guy." First, if you were sending down "one guy" per year we might not have a problem, but for that see above. The thing about owning or even just running your own D-League affiliate is that it's not just about "one guy," Ed. There's not just "one guy" on a team. Let's look at some examples of other teams that do own their own affiliates.

I've used this example several times around RU, Ed, but I'm going to assume you're not a regular reader. Consider the San Antonio Spurs. This year they're bringing three players to their training camp who played for the Austin Toros last season, two of whom weren't even under contract for the Spurs. But, they played well enough to warrant a call-up in the case of Marcus Williams, and the waiver of another player in the case of Dwayne Jones. Plus they have Ian Mahinmi, who played in the D-League the year before that, and likely would've played more than a game there last season if he hadn't gotten injured. So that's four players right there, or about a quarter of the players coming to training camp. Now let's look at the Thunder. They signed Shaun Livingston after the good work he put in with a few different D-League teams. They have several players who spent time in Tulsa last year, including D.J. White and Kyle Weaver. Even if a few of these players don't make the NBA roster this season, the team will have had a chance to evaluate them in actual game settings, away from the pressure of making sure that, say, Russell Westbrook gets his minutes. The point is that the D-League isn't just about making sure that "one guy" per team improves its game. It's about helping NBA teams manage their rosters more effectively and make the best use of the talent they have. Alright, final quote.

In essence, last year, Mo Speights would've been the only guy we would've sent down because we weren't going to send Thaddeus down.

Sigh. So you didn't send Marreese Speight down because you didn't want to send Thaddeus Young down? How does that work, exactly? I get that you used that example to justify your "one guy" statement, but it's only "one guy" because of choices you yourself made, Ed, not because of the system in place or any rules that were forced on you. Instead of having a solid backup center now, you have a guy who had one monster game in Summer League then was terrible the rest of the way. Terrible in Summer League.

Like I said up top, it's fine to be lazy. I'm lazy. But at least I own up to it, and when I don't get something done, I usually allow that my laziness was the reason. I don't try to blame "rules" and "systems" that don't exist, or cite misleading facts. Don't blame this on the D-League, Ed. It only wants to help you.

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

The Heat still has some holes to fill; Allen Iverson, Tinsley still options

DolPhanDave — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:02:09 -0000

Let's take a look at the facts. The Heat is still in need of a veteran presence at the point. Despite Pat Riley saying that Miami is still unlikely to sign any players this off-season, they as recently as last week had Shavlik Randolph down for a visit, or ‘try out'. Now let the record show that I am totally in favor of the Heat bringing in another guard, but what I don't understand is why the Heat would have someone like Randolph in for a visit when they could possibly sign Allen Iverson or Jamaal Tinsley for the same price. Granted, Randolph isn't a guard, but with the Heat having Udonis Haslem and Michael Beasley to play the 4, I don't see why they would spend any money on anything except a veteran guard.

Should the Heat bring in a free-agent point guard, they will almost certainly be signing them at the veterans' minimum salary. So why would you sign a guy like Shavlik Randolph when for the same price you could get Allen Iverson? I know there are a lot of people out there who look at Iverson as tainted, someone who will do more damage to the team then good....but I'm not of that same opinion.

First of all, should Iverson end up in Miami, it would only be for 1 year. There is only so much damage that can be done in one season, especially for a guy who is trying to repair a damaged image.

The whole situation in Detroit last season was a mess from the very beginning, and you have to wonder why the Pistons even made a move like that. I understand that they felt Chauncey Billups was on the decline, and there was a younger guy waiting in the wings (Stuckey), but you would think they'd have at least discussed the possibility of Iverson moving to the bench with the player instead of just letting thins ride out the way they did.

However, the situation with the Heat would be different. Iverson knows now what his roll would be with Miami, and I'm sure that is something that would be discussed between he and Pat Riley several times before any contract is signed.

Last week in an interview with NBA TV, Iverson made some interesting comments. First, about still being a free agent much later in the summer then he expected:

"I thought it would be a fun process, but obviously it hasn't been, just for the fact that I don't think it's that tough on me, personally, but it's kind of rough on my family, my wife not knowing where we're going to be at, and having to get the kids in school and get them adjusted somewhere. But it's a business and it's a process that I have to go through and I'm willing to get through it."

No shock that a player with an ego like Iverson would've expected to be signed by this point of the off-season. The much more interesting quotes came after he was asked about possibly taking a back seat, or reserve role, with whatever team he signed with. After what went down in Detroit last season, there are a lot of question marks around Iverson and his willingness to be a good teammate and do what's best for the team he is playing for.

"Everybody makes a big deal out of the coming-off-the-bench thing. It was never even an issue until it happened in Detroit," he said. "Nobody ever talked about me coming off the bench until the situation happened in Detroit and then that put it in people's minds, and gave them something to think about and something to talk about. I want to win. I want to contribute. I want to be a part of some type of success, whether it's on a championship team or if it's on a team that's on the up-rise. With me signing with somebody, I want it to be with somebody that's dedicated to trying to win a championship. I have a lot of things on my resume. I've done a lot of things in my career. But it's just that one missing piece, that one missing piece to my resume, and that's a championship. At this point in my career, that should be the only thing that's important to me and that's the only thing that is important."

That can be taken a few different ways...but here is my take. The first part of that quote, the part about coming off the bench, seems like he is saying that him being a ‘back up' shouldn't be a consideration. That just because the Pistons thought he should come off the bench, why should anyone else. But then he goes on to say that he just wants to be part of a winning team, no matter if they are fighting for a title or just a playoff spot. As long as the ultimate goal is a championship, that's what he is going for. The ‘one missing piece' from his resume.

Personally, I think Iverson would be the best bet for Miami right now. I'm sure there are plenty of you who disagree with me, but hear me out. Pat Riley wouldn't sign anyone who wasn't down with whatever the teams' plans for next season are. In Iverson's case, his role would likely be to come off the bench but still get around 25 minutes a game. Remember, even though Mario Chalmers started every game last season, he only played about half the game. How much does ‘starting' a game mean to a player if you are still getting significant playing time? We shall see.

Since day one of Pat Riley coming out and telling us about his plan for the summer of 2010 I have been totally in his corner. I can be rational and realize that if our best chance at building a championship team and maybe even a dynasty-like team is though the free agents of next summer, then I can deal with a season of mediocrity. However, it seems that I am in the minority. More and more people are coming out and saying that winning ‘now' is better then waiting for perhaps a better opportunity. Sure, either way it's a roll of the dice...but I feel that we'd be better off with the same core players (Wade, Beasley, Cook, Chalmers) and another superstar for years to come instead of making more drastic moves to get someone now. I thought the idea of trading Beasley was crazy when he have clearly barely scratched the surface of what this guy can do.

Remember how for a little while it seemed very likely that the Heat would be acquiring Chris Bosh, either in a trade this offseason or simply by waiting until after the season was over? Well, those days are far-gone. Now, Bosh appears to be happy with staying put in Toronto since the team has made some moves in an attempt to keep the superstar happy. Here is what he said last week:

"(I) like that we're not sitting around, waiting around, putting all our eggs in the basket and saying we're going to wait for 2010 because we want to have (salary) cap space to get players you might not be able to sign," Bosh told the Globe and Mail of Toronto. "The do-it-now approach is very motivating for everyone."

While he was speaking in general, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to read between the lines and see that he may be talking about Miami. I'm not as distressed about what Bosh said as I am about the idea that Dwyane Wade very well may think the same way (remember, Wade and Bosh are good friends and share the same agent).

Sure, the Heat made some efforts to bring in Lamar Odom and inquired about Carlos Boozer, but nothing came from any of that. Our big move of the summer was to bring in Quentin Richardson and get rid of the contract of Mark Blount. For someone like me, that's a great move, and I'm happy with the team we're going into the season with. Sure, I'd love to see a veteran guard join the squad, but I still see the possibilities of next summer. However, Bosh, Wade and who knows who else may not see things the same way.

The hardest part of this whole situation for us, the unknowing Heat fans, are that we have no idea what the major players of this screenplay are thinking. What does Riley think about the possibility of Wade being impatient? How about Wade; is he cool with waiting until next summer knowing that Riley made attempts at signing guys this summer but nothing worked out? Have the two spoken at all about it? You have to assume they have, but nothing is certain and we're all just sitting around waiting. The good thing is that the offseason hourglass is almost out of sand. We're going to get answers one way or the other...but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't' getting a little concerned.

The bottom line is very simple for me, as it should be for any Heat fan: Do whatever you have to do in order to keep Dwyane Wade here in Miami, to keep him happy, and to build a team around him. We've got the tools and the young talent to have something special brewing, but without Wade, it could all be for not. For now, all we can do is wait, and hope...

Daily Links 9/1

FLCeltsFan — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:40:12 -0000

Herald Reports: Ricky Rubio staying in Spain
Heat considers Shavlik Randolph for power forward role
Stephen Jackson’s future with Golden State unclear
Celtics to sign Marquis Daniels
Globe Moore to the Warriors
Daniels signing confirmed
Jayson Williams seeking to overturn NJ convictions
Robertson, Newell, Yow headed to FIBA Hall of Fame
Miss. St. C Jarvis Varnado falls ill in workout

CelticsBlog    Settling for Plan D
LOY's Place    A Couple of Updates
In the Books - Second Wind: Memoirs of an Opinionated Man Part 4
Celtics 17    Celtics Win Tug-of-War, Reportedly Close to Signing Marquis Daniels
Red's Army    Amare Stoudemire really isn't very likeable
The Celtics are a stylish bunch
What to do with the open roster spot?
Green Street     Report: Moore to sign with Golden State Warriors
Video: Getting to know Marquis Daniels
Celtics Hub Player Painter
Report: Daniels to Sign for Biannual Exception " Boston Celtics Basketball
Celtics Town   Mikki Moore Signs With Golden St.: Balance of Power Doesn't Exactly Shift
Hardwood Houdini   Stats can kiss my analysis
Fernsten's Follies    KG Doing His Best Impersonation of Bill Walton
Lex Nihil Novi    Mangurian Finds Buyer for Celtics (1983)
McHale Drama Continues (1983)
Celtics to Play in Hartford for First Time in 14 Years
S'quisy
NESN    Carlos Arroyo Would Be Good Fit for Celtics
Report: Celtics, Marquis Daniels Agree to Terms
Ray Allen's Future in Boston Up in the Air Beyond 2010
Hoopsworld    Top 6 Coaches for 2009-10
Six Situations To Watch: East
Star Tribune    Rubio saga takes another spin
MVN Outsider    Is Stephon Marbury done by default? - MVN Outsider
CT News    Celtics About to Sign Daniels - Celtics Central
Slam Online    Celtics, Daniels Finally Agree
Washington Post   Rubio To Stay In Spain
Dimemag     5 Teams That Should Sign Carlos Arroyo
5 point guards to watch for 2009-10
The Holiday Life    Rajon Rondo’s House Tour
Basketball Dunk Videos   Austin Rivers Has GAME; Doc Rivers Son.
Bleacher Report   NBA Power Rankings: A Preseason Prediction
What if the Boston Celtics Hadn't Acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen?
Examiner      Should Celtics go after Stephen Jackson?
Indy Cornrows    Bulpett: Marquis Daniels Set To Sign With Celtics, No Deal With Pacers
ESPN    Basketball as Antidepressant
NBA free agents: Golden State Warriors land Mikki Moore
NBA offseason: Where will LeBron James play in 2010-11?
Ball Don't Lie       The top 10 NBA uniforms of the last 10 years
Examiner     Exclusive interview with Kevin Garnett’s summer trainer, Joe Abunassar
Fox Sports     Mailbag: Did Shaq squander the most talent?
Black Celeb Kids   EDDIE HOUSE AND SON START FILMING FOR "MY DAD’S A PRO"
ProJo   Report: Celtics expected to announce Daniels signing today