Burress Indicted

Well, Plaxico tried and he has now been indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. Plaxico is looking at 3 1/2 to 10 years in prison and if that isn't bad enough, he'll have to meet with the Commish also for at least a 4 game suspension. The best part of this story is that Antonio Pierce, Plax's former teammate and his wing man the night of the incident, was not charged at all. Now it's all up to Plax's defense team to try and get him less than the 3 1/2 years, but that'll be an uphill battle.

What did we learn from this story?

1) If you need a gun for protection to go to the club, DON'T GO. You got enough loot to bring the party to you. Hire some security, do something different.

2) If you are driving and your boy has a gun and shoots himself in the leg, leave him where he lands. Make sure he's not hurt too bad, but leave him there and call the police. Antonio Pierce was thisclose to going to jail and being suspended for this foolishness.

He basically had to admit to the crime in his testimony, so going to trial really isn't an option. The New York politicians want blood/jail time and Plax really has no recourse. There goes his career. What's your take?

NBA Update: Trade Reviews - Part II

We'll keep going and look at the rest of the moves in the NBA.

Ron Artest and Shannon Brown re-sign with Los Angeles Lakers - The rich get richer my friends. We all know what Ron Ron brings to the table: Intensity, Defense, 20 ppg, and did I mention intensity. I feel for anone going up against the Lakers next year. They have two bull dogs on the defensive end in Kobe and Ron, and then they have a lot of height and skill behind them. Shannon Brown found his niche last year with the Lakers. He was instrumental in some playoff games and from almost being out of the league, this guy probably will stick around with the Lakers for about 5 more years. He's great for the system since he can guard small or big guards and he can hit shots.

Trevor Ariza signs a 5 year deal with the Houston Rockets - The Rockets need some good news since Yao will probably be out the majority of next year, so this deal had to be done. Ariza brings a bounce and some perimeter scoring (along with some defense) at a reasonable price (about $6M per year). He's 24 and he can get better. When Yao gets back, I think you'll see his game get even better.

Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva sign with the Detroit Pistons - Well, Joe Dumars needed to make some kind of move and this was probably the best one he could make. There's one thing we will know about Detroit next year and that is that they will score, often. Ben and Charlie both come in with reputations for scoring and a knack for not playing defense (what happened to Deeetroit Basketball?!?!?). Dumars has started to fall of his perch as probably one of the better GMs in the game.

Rasheed Wallace signs with the Boston Celtics - Great move for the Celtics. Rasheed gives them more KG like intensity off the bench and some 3 point shooting. With that said, Rasheed should make a living on the block when he comes in the game. This is one of the top 5 big men defenders in the league and he has offensive game. The Celtics just need a few more moves to beef up their bench and they are right back in this thing.

Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, and Nathan Jawai (from Toronto) for Antoine Wright and Devean George (Dallas) - Shawn Marion should be the happiest guy in the league. His career got started by having a great point guard (Nash) and now he has another in Kidd. He should be able to keep his career averages (18 pts, 10 rebs, and 2 stls) at the same level. I like Kris Humphries (even though he spurned Duke to go to the league) as a big that can move and has some bulk. He should do well for Dallas. Toronto also picked up Hedo Turkoglu in this 4 team deal which was a good deal for them too. Hedo (the Turkish Jordan) is good enough to go into this system and work with Chris Bosh the same way he worked with Dwight Howard. The difference, Bosh can shoot jumpers and hit his free throws. Toronto is going to be dangerous.

Brandon Bass (from Dallas) signs with Orlando Magic for 3 years- You lose Hedo, but you get VC and Brandon Bass. Not a bad off season. Bass will probably start at the 4 for the Magic with Rashard Lewis moving back to his small forward position. Dwight Howard and Bass will be fighting for alley-oops this entire season.

Grant Hill re-signs with the Phoenix Suns - Man oh man. I thought Hill would have left for a chance at a ring with the Celtics. He chose the Suns over the Celtics out of loyalty (does that exist in the NBA?). Good move for the Suns as they salary dump here and there. But I wanted Hill to join Rasheed on the Celtics' bench.


That's it for now. What's your take these moves?

NBA Update: Trade Reviews - Part I

It's been a hot and hectic few weeks in the NBA. Lots of trades have gone down and a few signings that change the landscape of the playoffs and possibly the Finals next year. Let's take a look and see what has happened.

Fabricio Oberto (from Milwaukee) for Amir Johnson (Detroit) - A decent deal for Detroit. As they rebuild they will at least have someone with a pulse in the paint in Oberto. Amir Johnson has looked 'a few years away' for a few years.

Quentin Richardson (from New York) for Darko Milicic (Memphis) plus cash - If you think that Milicic can play, which he has shown at least some promise lately, then this is a good deal for the Knicks who get rid of one person from a crowded wing position and they get a big that is in shape (not Eddy Curry) and can play the system that Dantoni wants. Richardson will come off the bench for the Grizzlies and probably put up some decent points, but this had to hurt Q to go to Memphis.

Jamal Crawford (from Golden State) for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton (Atlanta) - Talk about helping a team get better. Atlanta can now start Crawford and Johnson in their backcourt (if they can't bring back Bibby). Until Crawford learns how to play some D, they may give up some points on a nightly basis, but they will definitely be scoring in bunches. I hope this gives Acie Law a new start in Golden State. I still think this guy can play in the NBA.

Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson (from New Jersey) for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie (Orlando) - This is a great homecoming for VC. He'll be on a team that can battle again for the Eastern Conference title, but Vince can't fall in love with that 3 ball. This was an aggressive move for the Magic because they gave up Courtney Lee who seemed to blossom under Van Gundy. This will mean more minutes for JJ Redick as they try and repeat their success of the past year.

Shaquille O'Neal (from Phoenix) for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, 2010 2nd round pick, and cash (Cavaliers) - Nothing says stay like bringing in the Big Aristotle. Shaq changes coasts again and has a new mantra, 'Win one for the King'. I like the fact that the Cavs made a move, but I'm wavering on this one. This team resigned Anderson Varejao and they have Big Z, so Shaq gives them a post presence (back to the basket) but how are the 3 of these guys going to play? Mike Brown has his work cut out for him on this one. I expect Shaq to take some games off to get ready for the playoffs and if Mo Williams and 'Derty Red' Delonte West can start hitting the 3 ball like they did during the season, this is a good move to make. For Phoenix, just another salary dump move.

Jason Kidd Re-signed with Dallas for 3 years - Great deal for the Mavs. The Knicks wanted Kidd bad and Mark Cuban got this one done. This will keep the Mavs in that elite group in the West, although not quite Championship caliber.

San Antonio Spurs signed Antonio McDyess, Marcus Haslip, and Malik Hairston - Great move for the Spurs by beefing up their frontcourt. McDyess is a quality big man that won't get in the way of Timmy and the other two guys a great backups. So what if they lost out on Rasheed Wallace.

That's it for now, I'll get Part II out soon.


What do you think of these moves? Did your team go out and make something happen or are they still waiting to see what shakes out?

Jefferson to San Antonio

With a lot of moves expected in the next few days and the rest of the off season, the Spurs may have hit a home run. The Spurs have agreed to trade Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto, and Kurt Thomas to Milwaukee for Richard Jefferson.

This move is great for the Spurs who are looking to get a little younger, but also get someone that can create their own offense if Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili aren't on the floor. Udoka can become a new version of Bruce Bowen, but now the Spurs will need to find some toughness in the paint to back up Tim Duncan.

The Bucks get parts that allow them to play more defense, and I think Kurt Thomas has an expiring contract that may be useful later in the season. I just see the Bucks got older in this deal but may have gotten some salary cap relief in the future.

Great deal for the Spurs, maybe a good deal for the Bucks. Who do you think won out on this deal? Does either team get that much better?

Catching Up

'Once again, back, it's the incredible!' - Public Enemy

Thanks for those that were worried about me, but everything is ok. Just got a lot of life going on and it's been a lot of fun. So let me take a few moments to catch up on the world of sports.

NBA Finals: Congrats to the Lakers for making this interesting. I like the Orlando team on paper, but the Lakers have showed up and are willing themselves to their 2-0 lead in the Finals. I expect them to beat the Magic 4-2, but Kobe should be celebrating another Championship this year. I just can't stand thinking about what it would look like to see Stan Van Gundy celebrate a NBA Finals Championship.

Congrats to Tiger: Tiger showed us that he is in fact back. 14 of 14 is all I have to say. If you hit that many fairways, you are going to score low. I wonder how many people give anyone a chance at the US Open now since the Memorial ended the way it did. I know I'll be watching to see how dominate Tiger will be.

Congrats to Federer: It's about time you won on clay. Nadal had already lost and if Federer would have lost, this would have been the biggest upset in tennis, EVER!!!! Both Federer and Tiger have 14 championship wins and they both won on the same day. Is this strange or what?

Congrats to the Penguins: For at least making this a series. After going down 2-0, everything seemed bleak in Pittsburgh, but Malkin woke up and Crosby woke up, at least for 2 games, to bring the series to a 2-2 tie. The Redwings destroyed them in Game 5 and the close out game is tonight, Game 6. I'm looking for the Pens to win tonight on their home ice and make a Game 7 back in Detroit. It should be exciting.

NFL: Training camp is starting soon. More Favre drama, more holdouts, and I can't wait for the pre-season to be over already. I will say this though, Fantasy Football is already started on some sites. Go Cold Ones!!!!!!

MLB: Best pitcher in the game is Halladay. Yes, he's in Canada, but give the man his due. The Yankees and the Red Sox start a 3 game series which is always fun. Yankees need these wins. Big Papi, please find your swing, we miss it.

NBA: The Raptors traded Jason Kapano to the Sixers for Reggie Evans. A head scratcher to say the least. I know the Sixers need a shooter, but why do the Raptors need Reggie Evans?!?!?

What have I missed that you want to discuss?

NBA Playoffs - Eastern Conference 2nd Round

Lots going on here. I have been loving these games, with two issues with two teams (1 East and 1 West). Let's talk about the Eastern side of the playoff brackets.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks

I'm with Charles Barkley on this one, the Hawks were admiring LeBron as he was destroying them. LeBron has scored almost a point per minute he has played this entire series. He doesn't even have any bruises and he put up 47 points in Game 3. The Hawks just disappointed this year. I for one thought that they would have given the Cavs some run, but I guess after Horford got hurt, it was pretty much over. The Cavs are waiting to see who they play next. I had the Cavs winning in 5 games, but they mercifully ended this series early.

Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic

This is one team that I have issues with. The Magic are a more talented and better team than the Celtics (with KG and Leon Powe out), but they don't know how to play the game. They have been up for the majority of the games in this series but have had problems closing out the reigning champs. My biggest issue with them is around their biggest player. Stan Van Gundy, please pay attention, I have a game plan for you: GIVE DWIGHT HOWARD THE BALL. The Celtics don't have anyone who can cover Howard. I mean I like Perkins, but he is struggling with a hurt shoulder and he's rather foul prone. When Howard is tired of shooting (he should have 25 attempts each game) then you go to Rashard Lewis. Let him post up whomever wants to cover him. By heeding this advice, the Magic would end this series quickly but now they are heading back to Orlando down 3-2.


Is anyone else wondering why the Magic aren't killing the Celtics? The Celtics are short handed and they still find ways to beat the Magic. Is it coaching? Is it toughness? What's the problem?

Yao Out

The Lakers got a great Mother's Day gift. Yao Ming has a hairline fracture in his foot and will miss the rest of the playoffs. The Lakers and the Nuggets should be meeting in the Western Conference Finals in a few days.

NBA Playoffs - Eastern Conference 2nd Round

The Eastern conference playoffs are pretty much sewn up for Cleveland. The only drama in the east is how long is it going to take the Celtics to beat the Magic. LeBron got his MVP trophy and he's aiming to get some more hardware this year. Let's take a look at the East.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks

Prediction: 4-1 Cavaliers (I'm hedging my bets against Atlanta, they could win 1 game)

Well, I don't have much to say about this. The Cavs are clearly a better team and LeBron didn't do like most MVP candidates the night they receive the trophy (they normally go out and play a stinker of a game). The Cavs are balanced and if worse comes to worst, they have LeBron. The Hawks are just perplexing. I love the talent they have, but for some reason they just don't bring it on a nightly basis. I mean they have Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Mike Bibby, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and they have a decent bench, but these guys are too relaxed. Maybe it's coaching, maybe it's desire, but they have some things to work on this summer. This summer being something that they'll be starting in 3 more games.


Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic

Prediction: 4-3 Celtics

I don't get this series. The Magic race out to a 20+ lead in Game 1 and they survive to win. In Game 2, they just let Boston beat them. I mean they didn't even put up a speed bump against the Celtics. Eddie House had 31 pts. That pretty much says it all right there. The Magic are clearly better in the paint, but for some reason they continue to shoot a lot of 3's and jumpers. Didn't they see what the Bulls did in the earlier series? Note to Coach Van Gundy: Pound the Celtics, if you want to win. I still think the Magic are a year away.

Eastern Conference Finals: Cavaliers vs. Celtics

Sports Conversations

From time to time, I discuss sports topics with friends of mine (some actually visit the site, the others,...well I don't know if we'll be friends anymore). Last night happened to be one of those nights and I figured I'd give you all some insight to the craziness that comes out of people's mouths.

Topic #1: LeBron and the Cavaliers (conversation with T)

Now we're talking about the NBA (2009) playoffs and T tells me that he doesn't understand how the Cavs an be so good because they have a mishmash of talent outside of LeBron. He's telling me that the Cavs aren't that good and they have a group of misfits like Joe Smith, Big Z, etc. I told him he was crazy because the Cavs have a team, and each person does what they need in order to win.

Topic #2: Comparing JJ Barea and Ty Lawson (UNC) (conversation with T)

We both agree that the Mavs have no chance against the Nuggets, but that we like JJ Barea coming off the bench for the Mavs. Now T starts comparing JJ Barea with Ty Lawson. I'm thinking there's not much to compare other than both of them play basketball and they both play point guard. T insists that they are very similar, I don't see it.

Topic #3: LeBron James or 2 or 3 players (years ago with Bostic)

We were talking about the money that LeBron would be getting from the Cavs. We were talking about approximately $100M and whether LeBron was worth that. At the time Bostic was saying that he would rather get two or three people instead of giving LeBron $100M. He was saying that he would give Al Harrington almost $60M because he can give you some of the same things that LeBron could give you and you would save $4oM to get some other players. We never got to what other players because I couldn't believe that he let that out of his mouth.


So, these are just some of the conversations that we have. I know that some of you have the same kind of conversations with your friends, but I decided to fill you in on some of our convos. Do you think the Cavaliers are a garbage team (outside of LeBron)? What are the similarities between JJ Barea and Ty Lawson? What would you do with $100M, LeBron or 2 or 3 other players?

NBA Playoffs - Western Conference 2nd Round

The first round wasn't that exciting with the exception of the Rockets vs. Blazers series. With the Hornets, Trailblazers, Jazz, and Spurs at home, we have some better matchups in the semis. Here's my take on the series for the 2nd round, and yes, I have already had the opportunity to see two Game 1's, and some Game 2's but this won't effect my predictions.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets

Prediction: 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers

Well, it's 1-1 and there was a lot of bs going on in the game last night. The Lakers may be with out Derek Fisher for Game 3 and the Rockets have to watch the combustible Ron Artest (who shouldn't have been thrown out last night). This series is going to go 6 or 7 games because the the Lakers have yet to show me that they can consistently play defense. They can outscore anyone, but they better get a few stops or it's going to end like it did last year, a loss in the Finals.

Denver Nuggets vs. Dallas Mavericks

Prediction: 4-1 Denver Nuggets

This series is 2-0 Nuggets and I expect more of the same. The Nuggets are just too good for the Mavs. The Mavs were able to beat the Spurs, but let's admit this, the Spurs had no Ginobli, 1/2 of Tim Duncan, and an on fire Tony Parker, but that's it. Dirk has picked up his play, but the Nuggets have the bigs that at least make him scoring that much more of a chore. Billups is running this team like a well oiled machine and when you add in Carmelo and JR Smith, the points just keep coming. I said this a while ago, but I'll do it again. The Lakers don't want to see the Nuggets in the playoffs. The Nuggets are 2 games away, what are the Lakers going to do?

West Conference Finals Prediction: Lakers vs. Nuggets and it'll be a barn burner.