Sports Blog

If the NBA is where amazing happens, the AT&T Center is where extermination happens. In case you haven’t seen the first NBA highlight of the year that has gone completely viral, take a look here. A word of caution, if you are a bat lover you may not want to see what San Antonio Spurs’ guard Manu Ginobli had in store for a bat that somehow made its way into the arena.

YouTube - Watch 

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. During a home game for the Spurs on Monday night there was an interruption to the game because of a bat that was flying around the court. Ginobli, who apparently is a man who likes to take matters into his own hands, swatted the bat in midair instead of waiting for arena personal to take care of the matter. After he struck the bat he proceeded to pick it up off of the floor and carried it over to the nearest arena attendant.

All good, right?

Wrong!

As a quick look (and common sense) over at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website will tell you, a small percentage of bats carry the rabies virus. And since the bat was not available for testing, Ginobli had to receive four shots on Monday and is scheduled for four more sessions in the next month.

The moral of the story: while it might be fun to play Batman, animal extermination is best left to the pros (not the NBA variety).

The San Antonio Spurs got a little younger and more dangerous on Tuesday.  In a 4-player deal involving the Milwaukee Bucks, the Spurs will receive Richard Jefferson for three aging bench players with expiring contracts (Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and Fabricio Oberto).  The Bucks were just looking to get rid of the $29.2 million still owed to Jefferson in the last two years of the contract.  They needed that money to sign other important players that are in the last years of their current contracts.  Because of this, the Spurs were able to come in and get Jefferson, a versatile wingman who averaged 19.6 points last year, for almost nothing.  Well, if you call $29.5 million over the next two years nothing!  The deal makes the Spurs a threat in the strong West again as they lost in the first round last year.  It gives them a formidable core of Jefferson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.  I’d say that’s a pretty good team and probably second only to the Lakers out West.  And, as a Laker fan, I have to admit that it’s going to be different not seeing Bruce there to guard Kobe.  Though I hated him, he made the games more fun to watch and I enjoyed the intensity between the two.  He was getting old and last season he was no where near the player that he used to be so a change was needed.

In another trade in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves gave themselves some good leverage and ammunition for another big deal on draft day tomorrow.  The T-Wolves traded Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Washington Wizards for their number one draft pick (5th overall) and three others.  This gives the T-Wolves four first round draft picks (5th,6th,18th,28th) and frees up some cap space.  There is talk that they will use some of those picks to move higher in the draft or trade for another quality player.  We’ll have to wait and see what they do tomorrow.  The Wizards, on the other hand, get an up-and-coming point guard in Foye and a great shooter in Miller.  They believe that their team already has a good core of players and the only reason for the bad year was injury.  Coming back next year will be Gilbert Arenas, a former All-Star who missed all last season with a knee injury.  They believe that’s like getting a top 5 pick in the draft.  I think the Wizards will be a lot better next year if he can come back as the same player he was.

Photo Source: AP Photo

Some people are a little down on this years NBA playoffs and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.

I realize people are busy with school, work and American Idol, but this years playoff race has been absolutely amazing and the very definition of must see TV.  With so many different things competing for our precious attention, though, I have compiled a list of the top ten reasons why you should be catching the rest of the NBA playoffs:

1] If you grew up watching basketball in the ’80s and ’90s there is a good chance you have found yourself reminiscing while watching recent games.  The amount of hard fouls and seemingly genuine distaste between players has brought old school basketball back.  If only the NBA would stop fining/suspending the hell out everyone!

2] Jumping on the NBA bandwagon is the perfect excuse to go drinking with friends after work on a Tuesday night without feeling like an alcoholic.  Down a few Jäger bombs on an ordinary weeknight and you apparently have drinking problems.  Doing the same in conjunction with your team winning and you’re just celebrating like any good fan would.

3] There are a few bona fide superstars still alive in the playoffs and one of them is Kobe Bryant.  A staple of excellent play for the last decade, the still elite Bryant can’t last forever so you better get your fill while you can.  Plus, for you casual fans, there is always a lot of drama and intrigue surrounding the Lakers, so making the transition from day-time soap watcher to Lakers aficionado is a breeze.

4] Long time NBA watchers have had a lot to enjoy in this years playoffs.  For instance, anyone who watched Boston hoist up another banner last year has had two questions on their mind since the playoffs started this year: can the Celtics repeat and will Kevin Garnett go all Willis Reed on us if Boston goes deep into the playoffs?

5] While there has certainly been a number of blowouts thus far, there have also been some legendary overtime thrillers.  The Boston/Chicago series featured many nail-biting games and will be talked about amongst hoop-heads for years to come.  With a little luck both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals will do the same.

6] Remember back in 2005 when the San Antonio Spurs beat the Detroit Pistons?  Not many people do because both teams were excellent on defense and struggled to score a lot of points.  This year is much more casual fan friendly because there have been a lot of fast paced, high scoring games.  Three teams still in the playoffs average at least 100 points per game, and all teams that have a chance to go to the conference finals average at least 94.

7] People who love to hear some solid trash talking are basking in the playoffs back and forth banter. Technical fouls have been dished out by the bushel as players try to get in each others heads. When an owner (Mark Cuban) gets into it with a player’s (Kenyon Martin) mom, you know the trash talking is top notch.

8] If the last decade belonged in part to Kobe Bryant, the next one will have its lion’s share held by Lebron James.  Voted this years regular season MVP, James somehow continues to get better despite already being one of the best players in the league.  In other words, he is reason enough to watch this years playoffs.

9] Most TV series are coming to an end, and while we will all miss our favorite shows (go Scrubs!), the playoffs can certainly help fill the void. There is plenty of action, drama, suspense and comedy (both intentional and unintentional) to help hold you over until fall.

10] The last reason is by far the most obvious: basketball is awesome.  Seeing some of the best athletes in the world go at it in one of the best sports to watch on TV is a real treat.  I defy you to not get excited when James throws down a monster dunk or when Dwight Howard swats a ball into the third row.

Take it from someone who watches a lot of basketball — it’s not possible.

Image Source: therundown.tv

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for the NBA apparel and memorabilia you need to support your favorite team.

This week in sports blogs and news:

•  Michael Wilbon Says Kimbo Slice is a Fraud - Fanhouse
• Former Goalie Can’t Stop Hurting Himself, Shoots Self in Neck - Puck Daddy
• Women Show Their Support by getting Bikini Waxes - Deadspin
• Al Pacino Wants to Play Tommy Lasorda - Variety
• Minneapolis Radio Hosts Claims Magic Johnson Fakes AIDS - Sports By Brooks
• Top 7: LCS Moments of the Decade - Joe Sports Fan
• Book Review: Josh Hamilton Beyond Belief with Tim Keown- Larry Brown Sports
• Gregg Popovich… - The Sports Hernia

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “YMCA!”
• Fantasy Football: Week 5 Fantasy Stats
• Eli Manning is a Slacker, Lives in an Automated House
• Funny Videos: Keep Your Eye on the Ball…
• Kimbo Slice’s Son Took His Father’s Loss Hard

A lot is being made of USA Olympic Basketball Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s decision not to play Jason Kidd in the final minutes of a recent exhibition game against Russia.

Kidd was supposed to be a leader of the team, who after suffering crushing defeats in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and not winning a major international tournament since 2000, is clearly in need of something. That something was supposed to be Kidd, whose experience and leadership was supposed to help transform the Redeem Team into something closer to the glory days of the Dream Team.

However, the emergence of Chris Paul and Deron Williams has at the very least made Krzyzewski and company question who will receive the bulk of the minutes and how to best integrate the other two into the lineup. What it got me thinking was who the best point guards in the league are.

So I asked myself if I had to start the next season with any point guard; who would it be? Assuming that it was for one year only and the only goal was to win a NBA championship this year, here is my list for the top four.

4] Steve Nash: Nash is difficult to peg because while he has led one of the most prolific offenses this decade, there are some questions about his defense and age. A couple years ago he would have been a lock to be number one on this list, but at age 34 the decision is complicated.

He was second in assists per game last season and has averaged at least 10 since arriving in Phoenix, but his numbers in Dallas weren’t nearly as strong. This makes one wonder how effective he will be in a more traditional offense, like the one he looks to have next year with Shaq.

3] Tony Parker: It is hard to argue against Parker’s resume. Since being drafted 28^th overall by San Antonio in 2001, Parker has won three NBA championships and was the NBA Finals MVP in 2007. He works the pick and roll as well as anybody in the league and is deadly around the basket.

One could argue that he has the benefit of playing alongside Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, but you don’t see the point guards that play with Yao Ming, Kevin Garnett or Dwight Howard on here.

2] Deron Williams: Williams is in a difficult situation. He plays for a franchise that housed one of the all-time greats in John Stockton and Williams was drafted one spot higher than Chris Paul in 2005. As a result, he will be compared to Paul his entire career, but maybe that isn’t such a bad thing.

He only scored about two points less than Paul a game last season and shot slightly better than Paul from the field and from behind the arc. The greatest thing you can say about Williams at this point: it isn’t crazy to argue that one day he ends up with more hardware on his fingers and in his trophy case than Paul.

1] Chris Paul: Even with the high upside of Williams, in the last year no player in the NBA has had their stock rise higher than Paul. He’s played a huge part in reinvigorating not only the Hornets, but the city of New Orleans.

Paul was the biggest reason the Hornets secured a number two seed in the mighty western conference last year and has turned Tyson Chandler into the player the Chicago Bulls hoped he would be. If that wasn’t amazing enough, among point guards last year Paul was a statistical powerhouse – second in scoring, first in steals and first in assists (on a per/game average).

That’s good enough to be number one on my list – and if Team USA wants to bring home the gold – Krzyzewski better have Paul as first on his.

Photo Source.

Teams in the NBA’s Western Conference let out a collective moan earlier this week when small forward Ron Artest was traded to the Houston Rockets.

Artest was already in the Western Conference last season – although on the playoff irrelevant Sacramento Kings – but by pairing him with All-Stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, the mighty west just got a lot more difficult.

The move wasn’t exactly a shocker. Artest had publicly admitted he regretted not opting out of the last year of his contract after watching marquee free agents like Elton Brand and Baron Davis decide their own fate. Rumor mills have been turning all summer, especially at the idea of a trade that would have sent Artest to the Lakers for Lamar Odom.

Kings GM Geoff Petrie settled on Houston though, receiving back up Bobby Jackson, first-round pick Donte Greene and next year’s first-round pick in return. Not quite the coup the Lakers pulled off in getting Pau Gasol, but a nice trade for the annual first-round-exit Rockets.

The question now is whether or not T-Mac and company can finally abandon their perennial above average status and finally join the Lakers, Spurs and recent juggernaut Hornets in the battle atop the west. The answer is … well there isn’t exactly one.

McGrady has never been able to claw his way out of the first round, and both he and Ming have a reputation of being soft. Artest will bring with him a tenacious attitude that should shore up any questions of the Rockets toughness.

Artest is also known as a defensive stopper, which coincidentally, is the one thing that the Rockets can say they are already pretty good at. They ranked second in the NBA last year on defense and also have Shane Battier on their roster – who isn’t exactly a slouch on the perimeter.

The biggest perceived challenge is Artest’s large personality and sometimes volatile emotions. We all remember the brawl at the Palace, but Artest has played for Rockets Head Coach Rick Adelman before and put up some of his best numbers in his career under Adelman’s guidance.

Regardless of how it turns out, you can’t fault the Rockets for trying. They weren’t going to win a title with the roster they had last year, and while I still don’t put them above the Lakers, Spurs, and Hornets, at least they’re taking a risk and shaking things up.

Now, for the Rockets sake, let’s hope Artest doesn’t decide to shake things up again.

This week in news and sports blogs around the Net:

• Looking for a job? Kazakhstan wants you! - The Meaningful Collateral
• Let the NFL free agency period begin! Updates from Fox Sports - Fox Sports
• A perfect world. What would happen if Madden and Grand Theft Auto joined to be make a video game - You Been Blinded
• Top 7: Random 2008 Spring Training Invitees - Joe Sports Fan
• NFL Combine: The Lost Stories - The Sports Hernia
• Bobby Knight is headed to ESPN - ESPN

And in Smarter Sports we talked about:

• Darren McFadden Baby Rumors Swirl at the NFL Combine
• Spurs Score Only 5 Points, Atlanta Hawks are Doomed
• Newscaster Gets Harassed, Brings the Pain
• 2008 Predictions on Why Carl Pavano Will Miss this Season

If the Atlanta Hawks are hoping to make the playoffs, then they better figure out a better way to play defense for four quarters. Or score more points. Whatever works best for them.

They did a great job in the first quarter, holding the San Antonio Spurs to five points. Yes, FIVE POINTS. The defending champs scored only five points and still won the game 89-74. How embarrassing is that? Even I can find a way to score five points in a quarter.

Nick drives the lane, spin move around Marvin Williams, reverse layup and a foul, 3 points. Pump fists a la Jordanesque. Goes to the bench for an 8-minute power nap, comes back and hits a miracle 3-pointer at the buzzer. Six points! Nick wins!

I don’t know how in today’s game, a team like the Spurs can’t score double digits out the gates, but I feel worse for the Hawks. How embarrassing is it that they couldn’t hold onto the lead the rest of the game and keep up the intensity. Where’s the killer instinct? Apparently they’re going to need a lot more than Mike Bibby if they’re going to make the playoffs.

I’ll be waiting by the phone with my head band and Jordans.

Photo Source.

This guy is perhaps the best dunker you have never heard of.

Here is video of James White, now of the San Antonio Spurs.

This is a collection of his best dunks from high school and college. The guy can fly.

YouTube - Watch Human Flight 101

Photo of the Day:

Desperate Housewives starlet, Eva Longoria, jumps on her fiance, Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, after his team beat the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Photo Courtesy of Sports Illustrated.