Pat Sullivan/AP

Pat Sullivan/AP

We know Houston’s trade deadline deal was very, very good. Few would argue that Carl Landry is a better fit than Kevin Martin and it’s not hard to understand the value of a 22-year-old big man with potential and future first-round picks, especially considering the track record of the man who has the power to use them.

It’s important to note, though, that Daryl Morey would have done the Landry-Martin swap even if he had not received all those goodies from the Knicks. If we’re to believe the reports that surfaced late last Tuesday night, the Rockets were prepared to receive Sergio Rodriguez and Kenny Thomas (and their expiring deals) from Sacramento to complete the trade if New York was not going to be involved. (more…)

The Outside The NBA Podcast / Episode 7

From Clutchfans.net, obviously.

From Clutchfans.net, obviously.

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Trade deadline day! So much fun, so much to talk about. So Julian and I talked, for just under 57 minutes, about all of the madness that went on in the Association. Wagman earned another DNP-CD.

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Click here to listen to the podcast.

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“]Different uniforms, now. [Ned Dishman/Getty Images]

Different uniforms, now. (Ned Dishman/Getty Images)

Here are some things that happened on February 17, 2010:

  • The Washington Wizards started a lineup of Randy Foye, Nick Young, Mike Miller, Andray Blatche, and JaVale McGee. Josh Howard came off the bench, wearing #55. Blatche scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Washington beat Minnesota, 108-99.
  • The Memphis Grizzlies scored 5 points in the last 37 seconds of the 4th quarter to force overtime in Toronto. In OT, Rudy Gay scored 8 of his team’s 12 points because the Raptors kept switching Jose Calderon onto him when they ran the same play over and over. Grizz win, 109-102.
  • In that MEM/TOR game, Hedo Turkoglu scored 1 point on 0-5 shooting and added 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, and 3 fouls in over 29 minutes of action. Amir Johnson, in less than 18 minutes of action, scored 10 points on 5-5 shooting and added 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, and, yes, 3 fouls.

(more…)

The Outside The NBA Podcast / Episode 6

Fernando Medina/Getty Images

Fernando Medina/Getty Images

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Tuesday night, Julian and I chatted about all things NBA. Or, more accurately, some things NBA. Like the Raptors, Nets, Hawks, Thunder, Warriors, Magic, Bulls, Bucks, and Bobcats. And Joe Johnson, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Omri Casspi, Kevin Martin, Vince Carter, Courtney Lee, and Vinny Del Negro. And, y’know, a bunch of other stuff. Totally forgot to talk about Darko’s weird, expletive-laden interview, though. Next time.

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And next time, Eric Wagman will join us. We were kidding about him hurting himself.

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Click here to listen to the podcast.

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David Liam Kyle/Getty Images

David Liam Kyle/Getty Images

I don’t have the exact date that this conversation occurred, believe me I wish I did, but sometime towards late November or early December I was talking to James about the Raptors’ struggles. I looked at the calendar, saw the teams the Raptors were playing from January 27 to February 24, and got excited. (more…)

 
Ron Turenne/Getty Images

Ron Turenne/Getty Images

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July 3, 2009, Adrian Wojnarowski:

“Turkoglu had agreed on a five-year, $50 million deal with the Blazers, but changed his mind and is headed for a five-year, $53 million deal with the Raptors. Toronto would have to renounce three free agents – Shawn Marion, Carlos Delfino and Anthony Parker – to create the cap space for Turkoglu.”

This is a surprise, and I’m not happy. It’s not that Turkoglu is a bad player; it’s that I think this is a bad signing. He’s 30 already, was never really worth $10 million a year, and the thought of renouncing all the free agents and losing the right to use the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions makes me sick. (more…)

David Liam Kyle/Getty Images

David Liam Kyle/Getty Images

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Just two games on the sched, Tuesday night, and I only watched one of them. This doesn’t feel right, and neither does being done with writing by 1:00 AM. A much quicker BfB than normal as we hit the halfway mark of the season. (more…)

Buy one.

Buy one.

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“It’s become like a forum. We’re just a couple of guys talking about ball. And people join in on the conversation.” – Tas Melas, in a profile in The Globe and Mail from April 18, 2008.

(more…)

Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images

Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images

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Kelly Dwyer: Guess what I’m thankful for?

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“…if you’re not thankful for the era you’re living in, the time and space you’re spiraling through, and you’re an NBA fan? There’s something wrong with you.

You know what I did last night? In between taking down a Cuban sandwich and heading out for last call with my better half at our local, I fired up the old TweetDeck and piled through last night’s action on the League Pass. 12 games, thousands of reactions. Everyone of them worth scoping out. I can’t believe how lucky I have it.”

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(more…)

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Larry W. Smith/Getty Images

Larry W. Smith/Getty Images

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PURE JOY. Wednesday, January 13, 2010 was a phenomenal night in the NBA. (more…)