SBNation.com - NBA From Our Editors

Tracy McGrady Doing Well In All-Star Voting Despite Not Playing

2009-12-10T22:12:24Z

I've always hated popularity contests. Why? For one, I never won them when I was younger, being a scrawny little sports dork and all. For another, the general public tends to be pretty ... well ... I'll just leave it at this.

So imagine my dismay when I read that Tracy McGrady, who has played exactly zero minutes in almost a full calendar year, is currently second among Western Conference guards in votes. That means that if voting ended today, Tracy McGrady would start in the all-star game. Steve Nash? Nope. Chris Paul. Try again. Brandon Roy. Nuh-uh. Damien Wilkins? Just making sure you were paying attention.

The sad part is that I don't even know if this is worse than voting in an injured Vince Carter or an injured Penny Hardaway (and yes, both have happened before). So, in honor of this traveshamockery, I'm officially on board with Rufus on Fire's campaign to get Gerald Wallace, a deserving candidate, into the all-star game. VOTE CRASH!

Lakers Take Another Title, Top Knicks For Most Valuable Franchise

2009-12-10T16:53:33Z

Apparently, winning a championship can increase the overall value of your franchise. Who knew!

Forbes released their annual NBA team valuations list today, and the Lakers have moved ahead of the Knicks and into the top spot on the list. The Lakers are valued at $607 million, $21 million ahead of the Knicks.

At the bottom, though, many teams are really struggling due to the ongoing economic crisis, as Forbes reports.

Overall revenue remained flat at an average of $126 million per team, but 12 of the league’s 30 teams posted an operating loss (in the sense of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) during the 2008-09 campaign. That’s the most since the 1998-99 season, which was plagued by a lockout that cut the number of games played in half.

Four teams (Wizards, Timberwolves, Kings and Grizzlies) saw their franchise value drop by over 10% from last year. A drop in ticket sale revenue caused a lot of problems for teams last year, and it hasn’t gotten much better thus far this year, according to Ken Berger at CBS Sportsline.

Average paid attendance is down 3.7 percent in the NBA through the first quarter of the regular season, sending gate receipts plummeting 7.4 percent, according to league documents obtained by CBSSports.com.

Net gate receipts, the money teams make from ticket sales, fell to an average of $828,985 per game, down from $894,823 at the same point last season. Only nine teams were up or flat in average net gate receipts through Nov. 29, while 21 teams saw a decline.

Basically, don’t be surprised if things get worse before they get better.

Allen Iverson: Not Helping The Sixers Win, Not Helping Them Sell Tickets

2009-12-10T16:04:07Z

If there was ever a case that would debunk the age-old truth that winning is the only thing that sells tickets, Allen Iverson returning to Philadelphia would be it.

But after two games, it appears we might need to score another one for the “winning sells” theory. As The Sporting Blog writes, the bump in attendance really hasn’t happened.

The Sixers lost Wednesday night to another one of Iverson’s former teams, the Detroit Pistons, in front of … wait for it … 12,136 fans. And that was the announced attendance, so who knows how many fans were actually in the building. There were fewer fans in the Wachovia Center for Iverson’s second game than the team is averaging at home this season. Now, fuzzy math there, as Iverson’s return skewed the numbers so much that the Sixers home-attendance average raised nearly 1,000 fans after one sellout. So, in game two of Iverson’s return the Sixers actually did fill more seats than they were averaging before he came back to town – 171 more seats. Not exactly the bump the Sixers were hoping for.

When will sports teams learn that sports fans don’t care for sentimentality? When we want sentimentality, we watch Hoosiers and bask in the glory of cheezy music and Gene Hackman. In real life, we want our sports teams to win, because our lives aren’t exciting and winning is exciting.

(But do feel free to give us free food if our team scores over 100 points. We like free food).

Sixers Lose 11th Straight

2009-12-10T03:16:22Z

Somewhat lost in all the excitement surrounding Allen Iverson's return to Philadelphia is the fact that the Sixers are not playing good basketball this season. In fact, they lost their 11th straight game Wednesday night, a 90-86 defeat at the hands of the Pistons. As you might expect, the guys over at Liberty Ballers are not too pleased about it all. Things are so bleak, but they have made a list of pros and cons of whether or not it's worth it to win games.

Pros

Make the playoffs and get knocked out in the first round, again!

Cons

Less ping pong balls.

Eddie Jordan never gets fired.

False hope that this team can win a championship.

A slim chance that Dalembert, Brand and/or Green are traded.

Mediocrity forever.

Yeah, so, that's where Sixers basketball is right now: it is seemingly actually better for them to lose games than to win. Fun times.

Tyreke, The Chili Cheese Fries Burrito

2009-12-09T20:37:15Z

The reasons to love the internet are numerous, but perhaps greatest of all (or at least greatest today) is the latest from SB Nation’s Sactown Royalty. Nowhere in print media will you find such a circuitous strategy for trumpeting one of pro basketball’s rising superstars.

But man, this is pretty good:

I mean, you do not need to tell me how insane a Chili Cheese Fries Burrito is. I can figure out that much on my own, thank you. You are wasting your time waving your arms, screaming “Hey! Look over here! Chili Cheese Fries Burrito!”

And that’s sort of where we are with Tyreke Evans. I mean, I could commission a banner reading 25 pts, 9 ast, 5 reb, 1 tov and have it flown around New York City and Los Angeles. I could produce a commercial with zoinks sound effects and a booming Krusty voice touting the seasonal 20/5/5 average Evans has now reached.

But why? There’s no need to play [that] game. There’s no need to wrap Evans in a tortilla, or cover him in cheese.

The article comes in response to a Sacramento restaurant’s apparently ubiquitous ads for their new “Chili Cheese Fries Burrito,” something created by either Satan himself, or Artie Lange.

Just hearing the name, you can tell that yes, it’s that ridiculous. No need to waste money on commercials, guys. Really, we get it. Thanks.

And as for Evans, quite simply, his numbers (20-5-5) speak for themselves. He’s been fabulous for Sacramento, the Kings are doing surprisingly well, and he’s quietly neck-and-neck with Brandon Jennings for this year’s Rookie of the Year honors. As Ziller says, there’s no need for a nationwide ad campaign.

“Tyreke Evans” is becoming self-explanatory.

Twitter Misuse, Case 435345: Terrence Williams

2009-12-09T16:03:53Z

As Twitter crimes go, Terrence Williams' was pretty mundane. But since it's causing a stir in New Jersey, and since there's a ton of internal disagreement at SB Nation headquarters about how good a pro Williams will eventually be, I figured it was worth bringing up.

Williams' minutes have dipped in the last couple games, and the first-round draft pick is not too happy about it. How do we know? He wrote so on his Twitter account.

How would it be if Mr. Stern called my name 10 min earlier #9 or 5 min later #12 hmmmmmmmmm to bad I can't live off what ifs

How would it be if Williams was on Toronto (9th pick) or Charlotte (12th pick)? Probably worse. Remember, the Nets are currently the worst team in the league. If you aren't playing for the worst team in the NBA, the problem is probably you.

The Nets, predictably, weren't thrilled and could fine Williams for conduct detrimental to the team. For his part, Williams stressed that the comments were taken out of context (he has a point, see his next tweet). But fear not, the "T-Will is an ungrateful rook" image is already in our minds, and reporters cannot let it go away. The public must know that one of the veterans on the team thinks Williams doesn't seek out their advice enough! It's timely!

Steve Nash: The Guy Who Rescued The NBA?

2009-12-09T14:46:01Z

Today is Steve Nash Internet Day, as decreed by SB Nation's Phoenix Suns blog Bright Side of the Sun. Throughout the day, some of the best NBA writers and bloggers will be sending in their tributes, so check out Bright Side of the Sun for more.

This is also a convenient time for us here at SBNation.com to throw our hats into the ring with this thought: did Steve Nash (and by extension, the Phoenix Suns) save the NBA?

Obviously, this isn't literally true. Nash was around for many years before he came to Phoenix, and while he was good, he was seen as your typical all-star point guard, not the leader of a basketball revolution. There were also many other factors that brought the NBA back from the doldrums of the early 2000s.

But there was also Nash really bursting onto the scene. He was the counterculture leader, the quarterback of the electrifying Seven Seconds Or Less offense. He was the model teammate, the model superstar and the model, well, role model. He was a far cry from some of the previous "faces" of the league that came across as arrogant, uncaring and spoiled to many.

And even at age 35, he's still doing it, quarterbacking his team to the top of the Western Conference in classic Nash style. Take it from this NBA fan -- the NBA is more fun when Nash is doing his thing. It became exponentially more fun when Nash joined Phoenix, and it remains more fun as long as he sticks around.

Joakim Noah Would Like To Know Who Broke Wind

2009-12-09T01:05:27Z

Fart in front of Joakim Noah, friend, and prepare to pay the piper. Or at least be awkwardly interrogated for no less than a minute:

There's a certain code among mature, intelligent adults. The code says that if someone farts, everyone does their best to quietly ignore it and go about their day. That means you, lady on the airplane, coughing and waving like someone just lit a cigar in her face. And you too, vaguely fratty young guy at the office. And you too, Joakim Noah. Ignore it. The code works, man.

Struggling Kings Bust Out Dollar Beer Night

2009-12-09T00:51:40Z

Denizens of Sacramento! Lend me your ears and/or your livers! The Maloof Brothers have decided to bestow upon you a great gift, a gift that must be appreciated and enjoyed and, yes, imbibed. It is your duty.

It is ... dollar beer night at Arco Arena on Dec. 16.

Of course, the Maloofs aren't exactly post-fever-dream Scrooges in the making here. You can bet the discount has much more to do with ESPN coming to town the same night, as Ziller points out at Sactown Royalty. You know what they say: The only thing more embarrassing than having to resort to dollar beer night to fill your stadium is showcasing an empty stadium on national television.

Mark Cuban Gets Bodyslammed, And Somewhere, David Stern Is Smiling

2009-12-08T22:01:43Z

Last night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Mavericks owner, ever a man of the people, played host to WWE RAW. The usual hijinks ensued, according to SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, until Cuban found himself smack in the middle of MAYHEM (okay, so not really):

“Don’t do it Sheamus! DON’T DO IT.”

Sure, the stunt was 100% fake, and unless there’s a massive cover-up in Dallas, Cuban hasn’t been admitted to a hospital on advanced life support. But still, talk about going the extra mile to promote product. Pretty impressive, eh?

So now, a challenge: if Mark Cuban can do it, then I say Jim Bankoff, SB Nation CEO, should mix it up a little bit and participate the next time Raw comes to Washington D.C. Or better yet, Jim could make a cameo at an upcoming UFC fight. That WWE stuff is fake; if you haven’t noticed, we’re so much more authentic than that!

So how ’bout it, Jim? Step into the octagon!

What's Wrong With The San Antonio Spurs?

2009-12-08T19:13:44Z

I realize the San Antonio Spurs have been branded by the national media as the "Team Thou Shalt Never Count Outeth Early In The Season," but at what point do we have to wonder whether the Spurs just aren't as good as we all thought they would be?

Yesterday's loss to the Jazz was the Spurs' third straight, dropping them to 9-9 this season. The Spurs have some understandable losses - e.g. Boston, Denver, at Utah, at Dallas -- but they also have some ones you wouldn't expect (Oklahoma City twice, Utah at home, Chicago).

If you ask some Spurs fans, the time to panic is now. Via SB Nation's Spurs blog, Pounding the Rock.

The Spurs failed me last night, plain and simple. I don't care if it was close. I don't care if they had a chance to win in this 104-101 loss. They didn't win -- thus, they failed me.

[...]

They had another suckfest in a game they really couldn't afford to lose. At 9-9, with such an easy schedule so far, our record is very worrying.

I watched the end of that game last night, and the Spurs looked, well, old. Not Tim Duncan, he looked great, but Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson. Ginobili admits he's lost a lot of his confidence and therefore a lot of his game, while Jefferson has looked like he aged five years overnight. With Tony Parker still recovering from an early-season injury, that leaves Duncan to carry the load. That's definitely not how Spurs brass saw this season playing out.

Look, the Spurs will recover, win their 50+ and get a decent playoff seed. But as Pounding the Rock mentioned, is that really something to be proud of anymore? The Spurs didn't go on an offseason spending spree (by their standards) merely to get back to the same place they've been the last two years.

The Toronto Raptors: Where The Melting Pot Is ... Well ... Slowly Melting

2009-12-08T15:41:21Z

We already know that this year’s Toronto Raptors team is a social experiment in NBA terms. No team has ever employed a half-court, spread-the-floor all-out offensive strategy like this before.

But what we maybe didn’t realize is that the Raptors are also a social experiment in terms of roster construction. Most teams have two or three international guys tops; the Raptors have six, four of which regularly play.

Chemistry has been slow to come by in the locker room, as the American players have insinuated that the European players are their own group. But fear not, the factions are starting to come together over — you guessed it — soccer.

The division Antoine Wright spoke of – he and other American-born Raptors have referred to the club’s European players as “those guys,” among other descriptors – is real, but not unworkable. And there are those who continue to reach out. On Monday, as practice was winding down, Italy’s Marco Belinelli swapped soccer kicks with Memphis’ Sonny Weems.

“Where I’m from, we don’t play soccer,” said Weems. “(But) I love watching soccer, especially during the World Cup.”

Next step: take Belinelli and the other international guys to an American football game. What’s that? There’s no football team in Toronto? Nevermind.

I guess Weems and the other Americans will have to settle for taking the Euros to a different American institution. Maybe a fast food joint?

Michael Jordan Continues To Disappoint Utah Fans, Even When He's Not Trying

2009-12-08T05:20:52Z

So here's what you need to know.

1. Brandt Andersen, owner of the NBDL Utah Flash, invited former Jazz player Bryon Russell and Michael Jordan to play each one-on-one during halftime of a Flash game in order to settle their verbal feud.

2. Michael Jordan was "spotted" at an area cafe. The video, named "Michael Jordan in Provo, Utah" was posted to YouTube on Monday morning.

I didn't realize Jordan joined the Nation of Islam. ANYway...

3. The Flash played the Dakota Wizards Monday night and, because Anderson implied Jordan was indeed in town, a whole bunch of fans flocked to the game to see the greatest player of all-time in action. Free T-shirts were distributed.

4. During halftime, a Michael Jordan look-alike came onto the court. Realizing they had been duped, the fans booed and threw said T-shirts onto the court. The crowd was described as "catatonic."

5. Jordan is actually currently in Chicago, blissfully unaware that any of this is happening.

6. Hey, at least Russell showed up. For real.

7. The Flash won the game. So there's that.

Will The Bulls Fire Vinny Del Negro?

2009-12-07T23:45:05Z

So, you know this whole "Bulls let Jarrett Jack tie his shoelace" thing? And how embarrassing it must be to be a Bulls fan when you watch that? Well, I am a Bulls fan. Saturday night, I attended what I will now and forever refer to as the Jarrett Jack Game. And if ever I needed to reinforce my belief that Vinny Del Negro isn't even a remotely competent NBA head coach -- I didn't -- Saturday night sure did the trick.

The question is whether the Bulls will actually fire Vinny. Blogabull ponders this question today and comes up with a tentative maybe, especially if the Bulls lose to the Nets Tuesday night. That would be Chicago's eighth loss in nine games, many of which were blowouts on par with Saturday night's Raptors disaster. Can the Bulls can Vinny then? Would they be able to find an interim coach worth his salt? I dunno. But anyone -- literally, anyone; your kid's high school coach has more experience than Vinny -- has to be better than Del Negro.

Have You Seen Luc Longley's Shrimp?

2009-12-07T23:19:04Z

From the "news so bizzare we just have to report on it" department... Look! Luc Longley named a new species of shrimp:

But McCallum, now a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, hoped to accomplish a loftier goal: to raise money for marine conservation. She chose the popular web site eBay to raise funds for the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) by auctioning off the right to name the new species. [...]

The winner of the eBay auction, with a bid of AU $3,600 (US $2,900), was Luc Longley, a former NBA basketball player who won three straight league championships with the dynastic Chicago Bulls team of the 1990s.

Longley says that he was as excited to name the new shrimp species as he was to help the AMCS protect the marine environment. "You get to name a species and you get to donate to charity at the same time," he says. "It’s a fabulous concept."

No word yet on whether this particular species is delicious, cheap, and just the sort of light appetizer that's perfect for your next cocktail party or office gathering... But like Luc Longley, it, uh, sure is interesting-looking:

Say hello to Luc Longley's Lebbeus Clarehanna!

(via The Scientist)

VH1 Greenlights 'Basketball Wives'

2009-12-07T21:16:38Z

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an NBA player's wife? Well, wonder no more!

VH1 has teamed up with the wives and girlfriends of some of the NBA’s most elite players to give the viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the glamorous life of a professional basketball player’s wife in VH1’s original series, "Basketball Wives." Production is set to begin on the series in December 2009. The eight-episode 30-minute series is set to premiere on March 15, 2010.

There are so many different places this show can go, but unfortunately, VH1 is producing it. Were it on, say, HBO, we could really be talking about something special. Like "Real Sex" meets "Real Housewives" meets TRUCK PARTY.

"It's not TV, it's... the actual, documented exploits of NBA superstars." Sadly, I have a feeling VH1's version will be sanitized, and peppered with fluffy storylines, like "How do I juggle all these charity events?!" instead of, "Who brought all these groupies to Allen Iverson's charity softball game?!" Oh well...

But hey, there's always Jersey Shore, right?

Waiting For Jordan

2009-12-07T19:29:59Z

Remember back in August when Michael Jordan reserved some not-so-magnanimous words at his Hall of Fame induction for former whipping boy Bryon Russell? And how Russell then challenged Jordan to a game of one-on-one? And how the owner of the NBDL's Utah Flash then offered to host a game of 21 between the two during halftime of a game?

Well, at last, the most contrived (and ingenious) NBDL marketing scheme may yet come to fruition...if His Airness can be bothered to show up. From the Salt Lake Tribune:

Russell has committed to play and will fly to Utah on Monday morning. Jordan's participation is less certain. Asked about the likelihood of Jordan's appearance tonight, Andersen wrote in an e-mail Sunday: "Apparently we will know for certain [today] at 1 p.m. Air Jordan time."

Don't count on Jordan gracing Utah with his presence. After all, the Bobcats have been waiting for Jordan to be their GM for the past three years.

UPDATE: It looks as if the Jordan-Russell showdown might actually happen, with Jordan reportedly spotted in Orem, Utah.

Mike Woodson: The Winning Coach Without Job Security

2009-12-07T19:12:51Z

Want any more evidence that the NBA coaching business is cutthroat? Consider the case of Atlanta coach Mike Woodson. He has been at the helm since 2004/2005, and the Hawks have improved every season. Now, they’re 14-6 and among the NBA’s best teams.

What does Woodson get for all that progress? Nothing. (* pauses for dramatic effect *).

Okay, maybe not nothing, but Woodson’s contract expires after this year and he hasn’t received a new one yet. While you can question his tactics (I have, for one), you can’t really argue with the results.

You also can’t really argue with unanimous support from his players. SB Nation’s own, Celticsblog, goes behind the scenes and finds that literally every key player believes Woodson deserves that contract extension.

To review: Woodson’s coached a complete turnaround of the franchise and his players love him. In the NBA, that’s not enough to escape lame-duck status. What a sad commentary on the state of coaching in this league.

Jarrett Jack Ties His Shoe, Chicago Bulls Stand And Watch

2009-12-07T14:51:55Z

I know, I know, it's easy to check out of a game mentally when you're losing by 27 points at home. I also realize that it's an unwritten code to not disturb a man tying his shoe...

Oh, who am I kidding, there's no excuse for this.

I guess it's not like the Bulls would have won the game if they stole the ball - they were down 27, after all. But jeez, if you're Vinny Del Negro, what do you tell your team after that play? "Guys, you know, we really should have tried to steal the ball, because then we could have scored two points?" That seems like a lesson better suited for a bunch of third-grade rec league players, not an NBA team.

(HT: Ball Don't Lie)

Former NBA Ref Tim Donaghy To Appear On 60 Minutes

2009-12-05T18:24:06Z

When we saw that disgraced official Tim Donaghy was set to appear on 60 Minutes this Sunday night, our first reaction was: guess we won't be watching an NBA game on CBS any time in the next two decades. Our second was: let's make wagers on what happens!

We don't condone gambling, of course, but if we did... we'd be interested in the following lines:

Bob Simon Holier-Than-Thou Questions: over/under 8.5

David Stern Jams Your Satellite Dish From 7-8 p.m.: 4:1

Gambino Crime Boss Wacks Donaghy On Air: 20:1

Andy Rooney Pines For The Old Days: Off