James, Bryant, Durant Lead NBA MVP Race

March 1st, 2010

lebron-jamesJames, Bryant, Durant Lead NBA MVP Race

There were about 20 games left in the 2009-10 season when this article was written. The statistics, rankings, and records are likely to change but they won’t change significantly–at least not enough to alter the season’s narrative.

Therefore, even if the following numbers are incomplete they are still comprehensive enough to make an educated guess as to who is the NBA’s best player this season.

It appears that unless something drastic happens LeBron James is on his way to winning his second straight NBA MVP award. The last player to win back-to-back MVP awards was Steve Nash (2004-06). Tim Duncan is the only other current NBA player with two MVP awards. He won his awards back-to-back too (2001-03).

LEBRON JAMES
Cleveland Cavilers
Case For: The Cavs have best record in NBA and six game lead in East; James is putting up mind boggling stats… again.
Case Against: ?????????????????????????????
STATS LEAGUE RANKING
30 points per game
7.1 rebounds per game
8.5 assists per game
1.6 steals per game
1.0 blocks per game
4 triple doubles		 1st in points per game
6th in assists
14th in steals
1st in efficiency per game
9th in minutes
1st in points + rebounds + assists
KOBE BRYANT
Los Angeles Lakers
Case For: Lakers are 45-15, best team in West with a 5.5 game lead. They are second best team in NBA.
Case Against: He’s missed five games and the team did well without him
STATS RESUME
27.5 points her game
5.3 rebounds per game
4.8 assists per game
1.7 steals per game		 4th in points her game
5th in points + rebounds + assists
15th in efficiency
4 game-winning buzzer beaters
KEVIN DURANT
Oklahoma City Thunder
Case For: The Thunder are going to the playoffs for the first time since moving to Oklahoma City (6th seed).
Case Against: He doesn’t play in a media market East Coast hacks pay attention too
STATS LEAGUE RANKING
29.7 points per game
7.6 rebounds per game
2.9 assists per game
Hasn’t missed a game		 2nd in points per game
4th in efficiency per game
4th in minutes
2nd in points + rebounds + assists
DWYANE WADE
Miami Heat
Case For: Impressive all-around stats.
Case Against: The Heat are 29-31. They are currently out of the playoffs in the East. Wade has missed four games this season.
STATS LEAGUE RANKING
26 points per game
4.6 rebounds per game
6.4 assists per game
1.8 steals per game
1.1 blocks per game		 5th in points per game
11th in assists
8th in steals
6th in points + rebounds + assists
CARMELO ANTHONY
Denver Nuggets
Case For: Perhaps the best pure scorer in NBA, team is second best in West, 39-20.
Case Against: He’s missed 14 games, he’s not even the MVP of the Nuggets (that’s Chancy Billups).
STATS LEAGUE RANKING
28.2 points per game
6.2 rebounds a game
3.4 assists per game
1.3 steals per game		 3rd in points per game
3rd in points + rebounds+ assists
14th in efficiency
DWIGHT HOWARD
Orlando Magic
Case For: Magic are fourth best team in league; Howard is best big-man in the game
Case Against: Magic are only fourth best team in league; shooting 61% from foul line
STATS LEAGUE RANKING
18.6 points per game
13.3 rebounds per game
2.8 blocks per game
1 steal per game
Shooting 60% from the field		 1st in blocks
1st in rebounds
1st in double-doubles (47)
2nd in field goal percentage

All statistics, rankings, and win-loss records taken before March 1st games.

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Kevin Durant: At Least 25 Points in 29 Games

February 22nd, 2010

kevin-durantKevin Durant: At Least 25 Points in 29 Games

Not Kobe.

Not LeBron.

Not even Brain Scalabrine.

Kevin Durant is the only active NBA player that has scored at least 25 points in 29 games. He reached this accomplishment Tuesday night when he put up 36 in Oklahoma City Thunder’s 102-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

His streak ended Wednesday night, February 24th, in a defeat to the San Antonio Spurs. Durant scored 21 points on 7-for-19 shooting as the Thunder loss 87-96.

LeBron had a 21-game streak in 2008, but Durant’s 29 is the best since Michael Jordan’s scored 25 or more points in 40 straight games back in 1986-87.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, the last time Durant scored fewer than 25 points was December 19th, 2009. Back then, K.D. had just 13.

“K.D. is as consistent of a worker as we have on our team,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “It’s based on his preparation and his approach to the game. He prepares himself everyday to be a better player. It doesn’t surprise me that he has success. He works, he works in shootarounds, he watches film everyday and he’s going to get even better.”

Durant has been held under 25-points just 9 times all season. However, the Thunder lost each of those 9 games.

The Thunder were 20-9 during Durant’s run.

Durant’s Streak By The Numbers

DATE OPPONENT RESULT FGM-A POINTS
Feb 23 vs. PHX L, 102 – 104 13 – 24 36
Feb 21 @ MIN W, 109 – 107 8 – 16 32
Feb 20 @ NYK W, 121 – 118 10 – 25 36
Feb 16 vs. DAL W, 99 – 86 9 – 28 25
Feb 09 @ POR W, 89 – 77 12 – 25 33
Feb 06 @ GSW W, 104 – 95 7 – 21 29
Feb 03 @ NOH W, 103 – 99 10 – 20 30
Feb 02 vs. ATL W, 106 – 99 9 – 18 33
Jan 31 vs. GSW W, 112 – 104 16 – 21 45
Jan 29 vs. DEN W, 101 – 84 12 – 19 30
Jan 27 vs. CHI L, 86 – 96 7 – 19 28
Jan 23 @ CLE L, 99 – 100 10 – 25 34
Jan 22 @ MEM L, 84 – 86 10 – 23 30
Jan 20 @ MIN W, 94 – 92 9 – 18 31
Jan 18 @ ATL W, 94 – 91 7 – 18 29
Jan 16 vs. MIA W, 98 – 80 14 – 18 36
Jan 15 @ DAL L, 98 – 99 6 – 18 30
Jan 13 vs. SAS L, 108 – 109 14 – 31 35
Jan 11 vs. NYK W, 106 – 88 8 – 14 30
Jan 09 vs. IND W, 108 – 102 12 – 18 40
Jan 06 vs. NOH L, 92 – 97 7 – 15 27
Jan 04 @ CHI W, 98 – 85 9 – 14 25
Jan 02 @ MIL L, 97 – 103 12 – 24 31
Dec 31 vs. UTA W, 87 – 86 12 – 22 31
Dec 29 @ WAS W, 110 – 98 12 – 19 35
Dec 28 @ NJN W, 105 – 89 15 – 22 40
Dec 26 vs. CHA W, 98 – 91 10 – 22 30
Dec 23 @ PHX W, 117 – 113 12 – 20 38
Dec 22 @ LAL L, 108 – 111 11 – 19 30

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McGrady, Jamison, Robinson Among Top Players Moved Before 2010 NBA Trade Deadline

February 19th, 2010

Antawn-JamisonMcGrady, Jamison, Robinson Among Top Players Moved Before 2010 NBA Trade Deadline

Did your team make a move before the NBA trading deadline or did they stand pat. Or did they just dump a bunch of salaries so they can chase a big-time free agent this summer?

Below, Basketball Central looks at all the NBA trades made in the week leading up to the trading deadline.

Feb. 18
Knicks Acquire: Eddie House, J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker
Celtics Acquire: Nate Robinson, Marcus Landry
BBC Analysis: Knicks clear cap space so they can chase big time free agents this summer. Celtics get an offensive threat to come off the bench. Also, Robinson will get a $1 million bonus for reaching the postseason (it’s in his contract).

Feb. 18
Knicks Acquire: Tracy McGrady, Sergio Rodriguez
Kings Acquire: Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey from Houston and Larry Hughes from Knicks
Rockets Acquire: Kevin Martin and Hilton Armstrong from Kings and Jordan Hill and Jared Jeffries from Knicks
BBC Analysis: This is the big one. This trade (as well as the previous trade) frees up about $30 million in cap space for the Knicks meaning they can go after at least one of the following: LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh, or Johnson. Rockets get Kevin Martin which makes that overachieving team even better.

Feb. 18
Kings Acquire: Dominic McGuire
Wizards Acquire: Protected 2010 second-round pick from Kings
BBC Analysis: This move was done to get the Wizards under the luxury tax line.

Feb. 18
Bobcats Acquire: Theo Ratliff
Spurs Acquire: Protected second-round pick in 2016
BBC Analysis: Spurs now have more playing time for rookie DeJuan Blair while coach Larry Brown gets another veteran defender for his Bobcats.

Feb. 18
Bulls Acquire: Ronald “Flip” Murray, Acie Law and future first-round draft pick from Charlotte
Bobcats Acquire: Tyrus Thomas
BBC Analysis: Bulls free up cap space for a run at the big-time free agents this summer. Meanwhile, Thomas will help the Cats maintain their playoff push.

Feb. 18
Jazz Acquire: Future first-round pick from Memphis
Grizzlies Acquire: Ronnie Brewer
BBC Analysis: The Jazz were stacked at Brewer’s position and they wanted to abridge their luxury tax penalty. Brewer will help the Grizzlies on the perimeter.

Feb. 18
Bucks Acquire: Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey and Sixers’ 2010 second-round pick
Sixers Acquire: Francisco Elson, Jodie Meeks
BBC Analysis: Philadelphia wanted to draft Meeks back in June, now they get him in a mid-season trade. Bucks get Royal Ivey who has the best name in the NBA.

Feb. 18
Bulls Acquire: Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander
Bucks Acquire: John Salmons, Bulls’ 2011 & 2012 second round picks and option to switch 2010 first round picks (provided Chicago is between No. 11 & No. 30)
BBC Analysis: This move clears cap space for the Bulls and gives the Bucks a streaky shooter as they attempt to qualify for the postseason.

Feb. 17
Cavaliers Acquire: Antawn Jamison, Sebastian Telfair
Wizards Acquire: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, rights of Emir Preldzic, 2010 first-round draft pick from the Cavs, and Al Thronton
Clippers Acquire: Drew Gooden
BBC Analysis: The Cavs wanted to better themselves for a championship push and they’ve done so with the acquisition of Jamison and his 20.5 points a game. Meanwhile, Washington now needs to acquire some vowels.

Feb. 17
Knicks Acquire: Brian Cardinal
Timberwolves Acquire: Darko Milicic, Cash
BBC Analysis: Two well-traveled players switch teams in a move that was strictly done for salary cap reasons.

Feb. 16
Blazers Acquire: Marcus Camby
Clippers Acquire: Travis Outlaw, Steve Black, Cash
BBC Analysis: Blazers needed frontline help and they get it in Camby. Clippers get a solid backup for Baron Davis (Blake) and help at the three (Outlaw).

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NBA Losing $400 Million?

February 16th, 2010

david_stern09NBA Losing $400 Million

According to Commissioner David Stern, the NBA is set to lose $400 million this season and has lost millions more every year of the current collective bargaining agreement.

Believe him?

Not as much as I can dunk him.

The chances that the NBA is losing a dime are the same chances that a small market team will ever win a NBA championship. And that is a zero percent chance.

Any entity like the NBA can make it appear like they are losing $400 million or making $400 million. Of course don’t tell Stern that.

“Based upon the last several years, we have seen that the — we have shown the players the facts, and at our current level of revenue devoted to players salaries, it’s too high,” Stern said. “I can run from that, but I can’t hide from that, and I don’t think the players can, either. Those are the facts, and that’s what we are dealing with.”

The current CBA expires July 1st, 2011.

The NBA, in hopes to start the negotiation process early, recently submitted a proposal to players association director Billy Hunter. He basically shoved it back in Stern’s face.

If that sounds harsh that’s because it was. The union pulled some antics, including threatening to decertify (which would make the proceedings exceedingly difficult) and that caused a few team executives to snipe back in an unsatisfactory manner.

“If you know me, and you know our owners, that’s not what we do. That’s not us. And the players were upset with those quotes, which I find cowardly, if they were actually said,” Stern said. “And if I ever found out who said them, they would be dealt with; they would be former, former NBA people, not current. And we assured the stars of that.”

The greatest derisive comment (as always) was delivered by Stern:

“I never have told Billy how he should negotiate or how he wants to negotiate, any more than I tell his lawyer what words he uses to threaten us. That’s their choice. We have been, you know, myself, I have only been at this since 1966. I started when I was in a crib.”

Now, none of the details of the proposal were revealed but according to one source the new deal would have slashed salaries of first-round picks by one-third, lowered the minimum salary by much as 20 percent, cut the value of guarantee contracts in half, decreased maximum salaries, reduced the total number of years a player could sign for, and abridged player’s share of basketball-related income from its current take of 57 percent.

The proposals seem fair regardless of whether or not the league is hemorrhaging money (as Stern claims). For the players, “fair” is a major problem. How can they claim they are being treated unfairly when they are paid millions for playing a boys’ game while the rest of the country suffers through 10% unemployment? How can the players possibly justify the contracts of Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas?

The timing seems favorable for the owners to finally force the players to make some concessions. When they do, it will not only benefit NBA owners but it will benefit NBA fans as well.

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LeBron, Kobe, D-Wade Set to Rejoin Team USA

February 15th, 2010

dwyaneTEAMUSALeBron, Kobe, D-Wade Set to Rejoin Team USA

The United States has announced 27 players from which it will select 12 to participate in this summer’s world championships as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The 27 players include nine players from the team that won gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Those nine players are LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, and Carlos Boozer.

All the aforementioned players have told USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo they are interested in coming back to the team.

Also returning is head coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistants Jim Boeheim, Mike D’Antoni, and Nate McMillan.

“The pool is better than the one we had in the last quadrant and the interest level is higher, and so we feel like we’re moving in the right direction,” said Krzyzewski.

The players not returning are Jason Kidd (retired from international competition), Michael Redd (injury), and Tayshaun Prince (injury).

The other 18 players in the pool are Kevin Durant, Chauncey Billups, Amare Stoudemire, Derrick Rose, Lamar Odom, Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Andre Iguodala, Kendrick Perkins, Danny Granger, David Lee, Brook Lopez, Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace, and Eric Gordon.

Insiders believe Durant, Billups, and Stoudemire are the team’s most likely candidates.

It’s difficult to determine, at least in February, who exactly will make the final 12-man roster. Injuries, family obligations, and contract situations play major roles in a player’s decision to join Team USA.

“Everything is a matter of waiting. Everyone’s personal situation we’re waiting for next summer. There’s nothing but speculation between now and then. That’s why injuries and family issues and free agency, all of these things play a role. That’s why you need a pool as strong as we had and that’s why we’re happy about it,” said Colangelo.

“I really think it’s kind of early, but I think guys still want to play,” said Anthony. “Of course we’ll have that conversation in the near future, but they’ve got to take care of what they’ve got to take care of first, which is their contracts and things like that.”

Ultimately, the group chosen will partake in a minicamp scheduled for July in Las Vegas. After an exhibition game in New York, the team heads to Turkey for the world championships.

The 2012 Olympics are in London.

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Five Suggestions To Improve The NBA

February 12th, 2010

shaq51Five Suggestions To Improve The NBA

Last month, Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal suggested that teammate LeBron James participate in the slam dunk contest along with a few other superstars. O’Neal then suggested that the winner split the prize money with charity.

“As his manager, I will only allow ‘Bron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out,” O’Neal said last month after the Cavs defeated the Toronto Raptors. “If Kobe comes back out and if another big name comes back out. If we could get a big prize and have half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner.

“The guys that are in it, no disrespect to them, but there won’t really be any competition for LeBron. I want to see Kobe. I want to see Vince and I will allow my client to enter.”

James said last year he would like to compete in the slam dunk contest but has since recanted.

O’neal’s great suggestion has got Basketball Central thinking about other ways to improve the NBA product. Below are some of our suggestions…

  • Real Developmental League – Yes, we know the league has the D-league and it produces NBA players. However, there’s a much better developmental league, it’s called college basketball. So get the lawyers together, bribe the NCAA if you have to, and make it permissible for NBA teams to draft players, keep them in college, and provide them with some sort of financial security. This is a win-win for everyone especially the fans.
  • Experts Pick The All-Stars – Sorry fans but selecting an over-the-hill Allen Iverson and a zero-minute Tracy McGrady to start the 2010 All-Star game proves you have no idea what you’re doing. Instead have a group of sports hacks, broadcasters and league officials select the All-Star team–include 15 players, three at each position. If you really want the fans involved, have them vote for the starters from the rosters of 15.
  • Best 16 Teams Make Playoffs – Enough of the Eastern and Western Conferences. The NBA isn’t the MLB or even the NFL. Basketball fans can’t remember the 1990’s much less the tradition of conferences. Keep the leagues split in two for scheduling purposes but otherwise have the top 16 teams, regardless of where they’re from, qualify for the postseason. Sorry in advance to the four teams from the East that annually make the playoffs with a losing record.
  • Re-Seed Teams After 1st & 2nd Rounds – The NHL does it and the NBA should too. Why should a fifth or fourth seed be rewarded if the top seed loses to the eighth seed in the opening round? By re-seeding the teams after each round the league is guaranteed to have the two highest seeds meet in the conference finals. Re-seeding also adds importance to the regular season because if a team attains the number one seed they will always play the lowest seed possible (meaning the team with the best record could possibly reach the conference finals playing the eighth and seventh seeds).
  • Finals Format of 2-2-1-1-1 – It’s 2010. Teams don’t travel via trains anymore. They have these things called planes now. The current NBA Finals format of 2-3-2 is unabashedly antiquated. Not only that but every year you’re forced into convincing the uninitiated that the Finals employ a different format than the rest of the postseason–that gets really annoying. Bottom line, changing to a 2-2-1-1-1 format would add a whole new dimension to the Finals.

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FBI Investigated Threats Sent To Detroit Pistons Coach Chuck Daly

February 9th, 2010

Daly2FBI Investigated Threats Sent To Detroit Pistons Coach Chuck Daly

Whenever you hear about The Associated Press using the Freedom of Information act to obtain documents your imagination usually conjures up images of covert military operations or conspiracies perpetrated by high level administration officials.

You don’t associate sealed FBI records with the NBA. Yet newly released government documents show that in the late 1980’s the Bureau investigated threatening letters sent to Detroit Pistons’ coach Chuck Daly.

It sounds like a plot from Criminal Minds or Law and Order: NBA.

The NBA where death threats happens.

For those two young to remember, Daly coached the Pistons to two NBA championships in the late 1980’s. His team was nicknamed the “Bad Boys” and featured Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Rick Mahorn, Joe Dumars, and Isiah Thomas. They played a rough and tumble style of basketball that often riled opponents, and fans.

Imagine today’s Denver Nuggets with Ron Artest and then times it by ten.

In the spring of 1989, Daly received a hand written letter from Cleveland postmarked April 24th, 1989. The letter read: “God made me realize that YOU, not Laimbeer, Mahorn or any of the others are the one possessed by (Satan).”

The following February, Daly received a typewritten letter, this time from Royal Oak, Michigan, which claimed the Pistons didn’t “know the meaning of the word ’sportsmanship’” and would “pay dearly.”

Here comes the cool FBI-stuff…

The team, on advice of the league, turned the letters over to the FBI who used fingerprint, handwriting, and psycholinguistic analysis to identify the sender.

The “un-sub” was never found but the federal agents profiled the sender of the first letter as an outpatient of a psychiatric hospital who lacked the capacity to carry out the threat.

Fortunately, no one was hurt. This ordeal only wasted the FBI’s time (and perhaps caused Daly a few sleepless nights). What hopefully won’t be lost in this sordid tale is the fact that Daly was one of the nicest and greatest men ever involved with the NBA. For him to be the target of any threat is unfathomable.

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Kobe and LeBron’s Latest Nike Ad Contains Gun Reference

January 30th, 2010

kobebryant2Kobe and LeBron’s Latest Nike Ad Contains Gun Refer

Is the NBA being too sensitive or is Nike not being sensitive enough?

The question is in reference to a Nike advertisement that appeared in both Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine. Kobe Bryant is on one page and LeBron James is on the other. They appear with the slogan “Prepare For Combat.”

So far so good…

However, there’s a blurb attributed to Kobe that reads: “I’ll do whatever it takes to win games. I don’t leave anything in the chamber.”

Cue dramatic music.

This is apparently a gun reference since a “chamber” is the part of the gun that holds the bullet.

What’s the big deal about a gun reference? Well, earlier this week the NBA suspended Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton for the rest of the season for carrying firearms into the Washington Wizards locker room.

As you might imagine Nike thinks their ad is innocuous while the Association is up in arms.

“The Nike print ad featuring Kobe Bryant was intended to illustrate his all out play and commitment on the basketball court,” Nike said in a statement. “It is a commonly used reference for shooting the basketball and no offense was intended.”

“We had no prior notice of this ad,” said NBA spokesman Tim Frank. “We think it is inappropriate.”

Interestingly enough, Kobe and LeBron have conflicting opinions on the subject

Kobe: “That ad was done months ago, prior to anything that came out. Obviously, we’re very sensitive toward that considering the current time and everything that happened since then. It’s definitely inappropriate. I advised my business partners of that.”

LeBron: “That has nothing, zero, to do with guns. At all. At all. Zero. That’s very simple. For somebody to even say that — that’s a basketball term. To try to highlight Kobe and say that he was referencing guns is totally ridiculous.”

So is Nike being an insensitive, money-grubbing corporation hell bent of profiting from gun violence or does the NBA have their jock straps in a bunch because of a irrational fear of anything gun-related?

Nike does have the reputation of being boorish. Then again when the bulk of your customers are young men, you can get away with a lot like not firing the adulterous Tiger Woods. Basically, Nike has the cliental of an upscale strip club.

The NBA needs to cater to a few more fans than that (besides having fans shove dollar bills in the players’ waist bands would be uncouth). That’s why the NBA tries to cultivate a wholesome, family image (Stephen Jackson, Delonte West, and the entire Denver Nuggets team notwithstanding). So it’s completely understandable why the NBA wants no part of guns, gun-culture, and even Project Runway’s Tim Gunn.

So while the suspensions of Messrs. Arenas and Crittenton are completely warranted, the parsing of Nike’s ad seems a little gun-ho. Why not come out with their guns blazing and outlaw phrases like “shot clock,” “shoot around,” “shooting percentage,” “Pistol Pete Maravich,” and “what a shot” (for Nets fans that’s what announcers say after an improbable score).

The vocabulary of the average NBA player is small enough without taking away references to firearms. Besides, guns aren’t evil. They are a vital and legal part of our lives. What else would law enforcement officials use to apprehend Jayson Williams.

It’s obvious that this brouhaha has more to do with timing than lexicon. Still the NBA needs to realize that its fans are smart enough to know that there’s a big difference between bringing a gun into a locker room and using the word “chamber.”

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Gilbert Arenas Charged With Felony

January 14th, 2010

gilbert-arenasGilbert Arenas Charged With Felony

Arenas may be back on a basketball court sooner than he thinks. Only he won’t be playing with his Wizard teammates and he won’t be stepping on the court at the Verizon Center. Instead, he’ll be hooping it up with his cell mates out in the prison yard.

Washington Wizards’ suspended guard Gilbert Arenas has been charged with felony gun possession after he brought four firearms into his team’s locker room.

The felony carries a maximum jail time of five years.

The charges claim that on December 21 Arenas “did carry, openly and concealed on or about his person, in a place other than his dwelling place, place of business or on other land possessed by him, a pistol, without license issued pursuant to law.”

Arenas is expected to appear in court on Friday. HIs lawyers had been working with prosecutors to hammer out a plea deal that would keep the baller from serving jail time. It’s uncertain whether or not Thursday’s developments stem from those negotiations.

The chargers did come from a prosecutor and not a grand jury. That’s usually a sign of a plea deal.

Arenas was suspended indefinitely, without pay, by Commissioner David Stern on Jan. 6. Meanwhile, his team has purged all references to his existence. His image and jersey number has been pulled from the arena and a pregame video.

“We are aware of the charge filed against Gilbert Arenas and will continue to follow the ongoing legal process very carefully,” the Wizards said in a statement.

“We will also continue to cooperate fully with the proper authorities and the NBA.”

This most certainly means we’ve seen the last of Arenas this season and as a Wizard. It’s doubtful the league will reinstate him anytime soon and several NBA pundits believe the team has sufficient grounds to void his contract.

If he is done for the remainder of the 2009-10 campaign, than in the last three seasons Arenas will have played 47 regular season games out of a possible 246 (the two previous seasons he was sidelined with knee injuries).

That means that his 6-year $111 million contract, which he signed in 2008, is a leading candidate for the worst personnel move in the history of professional sports.

Arenas has the constitutional right to arm himself but he’s also blessed with the privilege of playing in the NBA. His real crime is lacking the maturity to balance the two.

The league has rules and the city of Washington D.C. has laws. If he can’t adhere to those rules and laws he should face consequences. Conventional wisdom indicates that those consequences will include the loss of his job.

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Michael Redd Is Done For The Season

January 11th, 2010

michael_reddMichael Redd Is Done For The Season

Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.

Redd tore his ligaments in the second quarter of the Bucks’ 95-77 loss to the Lakers Sunday night in Los Angeles. The injury will require surgery.

This is the second time Redd’s knee has suffered this injury and the second time he’s blown it out in January. He had surgery to repair that injury back in March of 2009.

“It’s hard to explain the emotions that I’m feeling,” Redd said in a statement. “I know the amount of hard work it will take for me to get back to playing and helping our team, but I will continue to put my trust in God to get me though this.”

Teammate Charlie Bell showed his support for Redd via his twitter account:

“The team will miss u Mike Redd. Really unfortunate for a guy who worked so hard to get back healthy.”

For the season, Redd was averaging 11.9 points in 18 appearances, 12 of those games he started.

Sadly, this season-ending injury may actually benefit the Bucks. Since returning from his previous injury, the Bucks were just 6-12 with him and 9-7 without him.

Milwaukee is currently in the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of the Chicago Bulls, entering Monday’s action.

A member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, Redd is Milwaukee’s fourth all-time leading scorer with 11,510 points. He’s led the Bucks to three postseason appearances since being drafted in the second round in 2000. However, with Redd leading the team they have never reached the second round of the playoffs.

For years Redd was the Bucks’ leading scorer. That honor now belongs to Brandon Jennings. The rookie is averaging 18.3 points a night.

The 30-year-old Olympian has a player option worth $18.3 million remaining on his $90 million contract which he signed in 2005.

At the end of this season, Redd will have missed 152 games spread out over four seasons.

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