Checking In

Yes, we're still alive and actually a little happier now that it seems like we'll have some football this year outside of the NCAA.  Let's catch up on a few things we missed over the last few weeks.

NBA:

Everyone seems to be wanting/planning on going overseas if the NBA lockout takes a while.  I'm not sure how I view this one because you have people like Stephen A. who says that it's selfish for guys to do this when they are supposed to be a group supporting each other, and then you get stories like the one on Deron Williams where he articulates that he spoke with the NBAPA and they basically said that they are on board with his decision.  Now you got rumors of Ron Artest playing in Britain, Nicolas Batum playing in France, Malik Hairston going to Italy, Kobe putting together an All-Star team for a trip through China, Tony Parker going to play for ASVEL (France), David Lighty and DaJuan Summers both going to Italy, Will Bynum going back to Maccabi Tel Aviv, and even guys like Matt Janning going to Fastweb Casale (Italy). 

Of course with the NBA, you got silliness with of all people, and no one was surprised, that Michael Beasley was ticketed for the Mary Jane.  Please forgive me as I fake the surprise face. Beasley has all the talent in the world, but they just drafted a kid that can do what you do and you are going to show up in the national headlines for this?  (Getting on my soapbox) If you are a professional talent and need someone to mentor you or provide some real life experience on your journey, please, please please, drop me an email.  We can work out the money (I do have kids I need to put through college, but they're young), I can guarantee that it'll definitely be worth it.  My job will be to keep you out of the papers and doing stupid stuff like 'The Decision'.  Call me. 

LeBron is coming back to Ohio, well kind of.  LeBron, or his image will be coming back to Ohio.  The LeBron Brand will outfit the Ohio State Buckeyes, Kentucky Wildcats, and the University of Miami Hurricanes for the upcoming season. 

We need basketball back just so we can watch the guys on TNT.  Can you imagine how much more fun it'll be with adding Shaw to the lineup with Kenny, Charles, Ernie, and Webber?  Look for the Big Broadcaster to join the TNT team when the lockout ends. 

NFL:

A guess this is really a bad time for all athletes, Hines Ward was cited for a DUI, which prompted Ray Rice and Ryan Clark to start trash talking on Twitter.  July 21st, please get us some football. 

Another one of those, let me get my surprise face on, Pacman Jones, actually Adam Jones was arrested for drunken disorderly conduct.  Unless he has a twin brother, this guy should just stay at home.  Check the neck brace, this just can't be true. 

Mike Vrabel is retiring to go back and be an assistant at his alma mater, The Ohio State University.  He put in 14 years in the NFL and has some rings to show for it.  He should be a welcome sight at the university with everything going on there. 

Plaxico is being rumored to play for every team in the NFL, and we'll see which GM gives him a chance. 

DeSean Jackson, please see note above about a mentor.  This was a rampant issue in the NBA this year, so why do NFL players feel they'll get a pass?  And on the radio? 

When Peyton Manning says that he's hurting and needs the Colts training staff, you know the end of the lockout is near.  


That's it for now,....what else is going on?

NBA 2010 Wrap Up 11-10-10

Washington 98 @ Houston 91 – Two big stories, Yao Ming got hurt and John Wall (19 pts, 10 rebs, 13 asts, 6 stls) had his first NBA triple double.  Both Andray Blatche and Al Thornton had 20 pts, as the Wizards ran up and down the floor.  It seemed as if Wall was everywhere making steals, passes, and even finishing an alley-oop from Gilbert Arenas.  Kevin Martin (31 pts, 7 rebs, 6 asts) and Luis Scola (24 pts, 6 rebs) led the Rockets, but with Yao going down, it really hurt their size advantage.  Wall became the 4^th youngest to get his first triple double and the Washington area fans are expecting a few more of these.      

Golden State 122 @ New York Knicks 117 – David Lee returned to the Garden and received a warm reception during introductions.  Lee would later receive a piece of Wilson Chandlers tooth in his elbow, but left the Garden after dropping 28 pts, 10 rebs, and 4 asts and leading his Warrior team to a win.  In an odd play, Lee got a rebound and brought his elbow down and chipped Chandler’s front tooth.  Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry combined for 47 pts, 8 rebs, and 14 asts.  Stoudamire led the Knicks with 33 pts and 10 rebs, but the Knicks weren’t able to keep up with the Warriors at the end.  The Knicks only got 11 points from their bench (Tone Douglas had 9 pts), and as usual D’Antoni has no chance to stop anyone on the defensive end.    

Minnesota 98 @ Sacramento 89 – We had a Micheal Beasley sighting.  Beasley had by far his best game as an NBA player with a 42 pts and 9 rebs outing against the Kings.  With really no other scoring threat on the floor the Timberwolves were able to get this win with the second leading scorer on the team being PG, Sebastian Telfair who had 16 pts and 1 ast.  If you can play point guard you might want to call the Timberwolves right now!!!!  The Kings had subpar games from Tyreke Evans (5 pts, 9 asts, 5 to) and DeMarcus Cousins (7 pts, 6 rebs, 4 to in 14 minutes).  Omri Casspi led the Kings with 17 pts (in 27 minutes) and I just have to question why no extra time for Casspi and Cousins wince they seemed to be playing well? 

Utah 104 @ Orlando 94 – Maybe they can move the Jazz to the East?  The Jazz finished their stroll through the sunshine state with a comeback from 22 to beat the Heat and then a comeback win from 18 last night, to beat the Magic.  Somehow the Jazz were able to turn it on once they get down.  They were led by Deron Williams with 30 pts, 14 asts, and 5 rebs.  Both Al Jefferson (21 pts, 8 rebs) and Paul Milsap (23 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts) dominated the Magic frontcourt to spark the comeback.  As a group they were able to minimize Dwight Howard’s (14 pts, 9 rebs, 4 asts, 3 blks, 6 to) effectiveness and force the Magic to take 32 threes while only hitting 12.  The next team that plays the Jazz might just want to let them stay in the game late and then try and beat them. 

When Things Fall Apart,....

Michael Beasley, of the Miami Heat, has checked in to a Houston area Rehab facility. This really caught everyone off guard since Beasley was supposedly working out in the Houston area in order to 'get away from it all' in Miami and Washington, DC. Reports say that Beasley is being treated for several issues, including depression.

Eyes were raised Friday when pictures of Beasley were posted on his Twitter account showing off his new tattoo on his back, 'SuperCoolBeas'. There was also a small bag of something (unidentified) on the table that could be seen in the picture. Along with this picture, Beasley posted some rather peculiar tweets about not:

'Feelin like not worth livin!!!!! I'm done, not feelin this at all!!!!!'

Beas, whatever you're going through, I hope that you do what's best for you and your family. Hopefully the time in this rehab center will be for the best. Good luck man, that's all I can really say.

Inquisitive Mind - Rookie Report

I have left the majority of the NBA stuff for my guy NYSTOM to discuss but I am going to take a stab at putting together my assessment of the Top 5 rookies for the NBA season so far. Yes, it's only 5 but I got other things to do too. So without much ado, here's my list:

1 - Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

I thought Michael Beasley would have walked away with ROY honors this year, but I was sadly mistaken. Derrick Rose has proven that he is by and far the best rookie. Rose has shown his willingness to try and make this Bulls team better. Definitely a hard job considering that they don't have a post presence. He's averaged about 17pts and 7 assists a game, while showing off a decent jump shot. All I can say is, God, please get this kid some help.

2 - Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat

Chalmers isn't going to wow anyone with pure stats, but he's the starting point guard on a playoff team. He just got a post presence in Jermaine O'Neal and he has D Wade running in the back court with him. Chalmers is averaging 10 points, 5 assists, and almost 2 steals a game. I thought Miami got the steal of the draft when they got him and he's proving me right.

3 - OJ Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies

One thing Mayo can do is score (19 points a game), and with that he's adding a few boards (4 per game). He averages the same amount of turnovers as assists, so I'll leave that alone. He and Rudy Gay can probably put up close to 50 a night together. Mayo's scoring hasn't necessarily made the Grizzlies better, but his numbers can't be ignored.

4 - Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets

Wow!!! That's all I can say. I didn't have this guy pegged as someone that could really play. Just a small upgrade over like a Jason Collins. Lopez has proven that he is truly gifted and he's putting up 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. His last 4 games have showed an improvement in his ppg (18) and rebounds (10). He has a chance to move up this list quickly.

5 - Michael Beasley, Miami Heat

Not fair to have two guys from the same team on the list, right? Beasley has played well at times and then others you wonder about his shot selection. He's averaging 13 points and 5 boards, but it's for a winning team. I have to think that given the green light on any occasion and Beasley would put up better numbers. So, for now, he's number 5 on my list, but I think he'll definitely move up.


That's my take on things. Am I as crazy as NYSTOM? I'll have to post his top 5 Rookies and then you make your own decision.

NYSTOM Rookie Report

Well, as a member of the Melting Pot staff and a contributor here, my guy NYSTOM is at it again. He has put together his Rookie Report thus far and projected this out to prognosticate who will be receiving the Rookie of the Year Award. All I have to say is that he's a strong guy and opinionated so I'll have to let him stand with his calls. Here it is, and I'm sure this will provide many with material to go at him.

We'll start off with the easiest one (in my mind),............

1. Derrick Rose - CHI (18.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.6 apg, 46.8 fg%, 38.3 mpg)

To me this is heads and shoulders pick for ROY of the year so far. Yes, there have been people that may have scored more (Mayo, Beasley), but this guy is THE main cog for a bad Bulls team. He brings it every night and produces. He's already working on his jumper, and if that becomes a weapon, the sky is the limit for him.

2. Ryan Anderson - NJN (9.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, .6 apg, 56.7 fg%, 16.6 mpg)

Anderson has shown, in limited time that those California guys (Leon Powe included) can't be slept on. He has played well and had a career night (yeah, any night is a career night when you're a rookie) against the Hawks with 17 points and 5 boards (4-5 fg, 6-6 free throws, including 3 three pointers).

3. JaVale McGee - WAS (9.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, .2 apg, 53.8 fg%, 19.8 mpg)

The Washington Wizards are hurting right now with injuries, but this is giving McGee a chance to play. Many thought he would have been the first person chosen had he had that 'killer' in him and a work ethic to go along. To go along with those stats above he's averaging a little more than a block per game. Brenden Haywood is probably on his way out the door in Washington, so McGee could be the Wizards center of the future.

4. Jason Thompson - SAC (11.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 58.3 fg%, 24.7 mpg)

One of the sleepers of the draft, Thompson has delivered for a very bad Sacramento Kings team. He's getting on the floor and he's able to score in the paint but the thing that helps him is his legs. The guy runs the floor like a faster version of Chris Webber. In that up and down style that the Kings play this guy is going to put up his numbers. Good solid rookie who's got some room to grow.

5. Michael Beasley - MIA (16.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.6 apg, 45.7 fg%, 34.2 mpg)

In my mind the guy the Bulls should have picked, but that's old news. Right now Beasley is helping the Heat stay above water and respectable. He is able to score inside and outside at will and has even shown that he can play defense at some point in his career. Right now he's getting more playing time with the Matrix out, but they seem to but the same type of player right now. Beasley will continue to put up numbers and I think will definitely move up this list as the season ages.

What are your thoughts? Did NYSTOM leave anyone off this list? Let him know.

NBA Round Up 9-25-08

Golden State Warriors - Well, I've commented on this a few times, here and here, but the information is finally coming out. Monta Ellis was riding a moped when he hurt his ankle. It was at a low speed according to sources. Thank God!!!! At least he wasn't hang gliding or learning how to ride a motorcycle in a parking lot. But, all in all, he'll probably get fined an inordinate amount of money by the team for not coming clean the first time, but that's why you sign big contracts. Monta, get well soon.

Denver Nuggets - The writing is on the wall and AI can read. During an interview with the Rocky Mountain News, AI acknowledged that he too could be on his way out of Denver. Because AI has an expiring contract and the fact that the Nuggets gave, um I mean traded, Marcus Camby away for a bag of chips, there's nothing left in Denver. The team they have now can't win the West, or even make the top 8. This will be interesting because I think AI has about $20M on his deal left, so, that's a lot of contracts to put together to make this happen. A blast from the past: Mateen Cleaves is going to be signed by the Nuggets because of the injury to Chucky Atkins. I didn't even think Cleaves was still playing basketball.

Charlotte Bobcats - Have signed Carl Landry, of the Houston Rockets, to an offer sheet. The Rockets are right at the luxury tax threshold and they may choose not to match the offer. Either way, Landry's knee is healthy and he is ready to bang for one of these teams.

Miami Heat - Michael Beasley has gotten rid of his agent, but he also got a shoe deal with Adidas. With that new deal in place, Beasley is ready to start training camp with the Heat and get ready for the season.

New Orleans Hornets - The big toe that kept Tyson Chandler out as an alternate for the US Olympic Basketball team has not quite finished healing. Chandler is still having problems with his big toe and he hopes to be ready for the season. The Hornets may find it wise to scale back some of his training camp participation since he's a very important cog in the Hornets winning.

New Jersey Nets - This is the gig I want. I want to retire (without filing the paperwork to officially do it), be a part of a trade and make $5M for just sitting at home, and then have the opportunity to make more money. Keith Van Horn's deal is something that can be moved by the NJN to help them acquire an actual player. Maurice Ager may also be bought out so that the Nets can get a 3rd string point guard.

Oklahoma City Thunder - With a lot of new pieces and a lot to figure out head coach PJ Carlesimo will watch how many minutes he gives his young superstar, Kevin Durant, during the preseason or will he. PJ is looking at a lot of different rotations and feels that Durant will need to play with lots of different players to see what works best for the Thunder. PJ will try and keep him from the big minutes during preseason. Earl Watson's fractured thumb has healed and he should be 100% ready to go for training camp and the preseason. On a different note, Robert Swift is hurt again. He broke a bone in his hand and will be limited in training camp.

New York Knicks - Well maybe the buyout stories are true, just not about Stephon Marbury. It seems as though Isiah's investment in Jerome James is up for discussion. James has 2 years and a little more than $12M on his contract and the Knicks are interested in buying both James and Malik Rose (1 year $7.6M left) out. So maybe Stephon, who reportedly is under 200lbs and in the best shape of his career, will stay with the Knicks. I won't try and make the Knicks fans excited, but if Steph truly is in the best shape of his career and motivated (by all that is going on, and his legacy is on the line), he may actually play well this year in D'Antoni's system. We'll see.

Los Angeles Lakers - Luke Walton still hasn't been cleared to do any running and won't participate when training camp starts next week. The Lakers will have to monitor this situation for a while. They have a lot of small forwards on the team, but they are got rid of Ira Newble who can contribute.

Orlando Magic - Hedo Turkoglu has said that he will opt out of his deal at the end of the year to make some more money. He wants to stay in Orlando, but he wants to get paid. I'm not mad at you Hedo.

Raising a Snitch

More information, well very little, is coming out about the Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur incident at the NBA Rookie Symposium. Supposedly Chalmers' teammate, fellow rookie Michael Beasley, has been fined $50K for not cooperating with the investigation. The league has handed this down, not the Miami Heat. So, let me get this straight,....snitch on my boys and save $50K or don't snitch and get a fine for $50K. Great way to welcome these guys into the NBA David Stern. You're promoting the raising of rats if you continue doing this. Beasley probably didn't want to be involved, so why make him involved? You already caught Chalmers and Darrell Arthur, so what else is there, blood? I know David Stern was pissed when this incident happened, because he is conscious of the image of his product and add to the fact that he was there, kinda made it worse (when the cat's away the mice will play, but when the cat's there, there will be hell to pay). Maybe more information will come out and maybe I'm wrong, but this is a bad move by the NBA and David Stern. Lock up (actually fine and embarrass) the guys you caught and move on.