Chris Chambers/Getty Images

For the record: I’m a little obsessed with Bismack Biyombo and it’s not just because his name is Bismack Biyombo. I know his workout at Eurocamp was ugly, but I’m hoping he’s Ben Wallace and Ben Wallace would have looked terrible there, too. Can’t honestly say I have much of a clue about how his skills will translate, especially in his first year, but I’m rooting for him and, if you haven’t already, you really have to read these two stories.

If you want to take a break from draft reading, though, I strongly suggest checking out Danny Chau’s mega-post on the playoffs at Hardwood Paroxysm. There’s just so much awesome in there, but I’ll warn that it’ll make you really miss watching Chris Paul.

Some exciting news in my world: I’ve been fortunate enough to become a part of the HoopSpeak Live team, as the Producer. And as a fan of Beckley, Ethan, and Zach’s writing, and a guy who misses The Weekly Fix, this is pretty freaking huge. It’s a really fun show and the guests we’ve been getting have been fantastic. The next show is today at 3:15 EST, with Dan Shanoff and Rob Mahoney.

Speaking of Rob, he’s written a book on the Mavs’ championship season. Already. You can order yours here or here. Being in Toronto, I ordered mine here.

If you’re also in Toronto, I highly recommend checking out the All-Canada Classic this coming Tuesday. I went last year and I’ll forever remember it as the first time I saw Myck Kabongo play in person. Good times. I’ll have more on it in this space after the game. You can still get tickets here.

And while I’m at it, I should probably give an update on what else will be here in the coming months… except I’m not exactly sure. We’ve been having fun doing the Short Shorts videos and want to do more goofy stuff like that. There will certainly be more podcasts as well, both of the OTN and Pod Shammpod variety. Beyond that? I gotta get writing, even if I’m all over the place most of the time.

Saying goodbye in kind

True landmark moments don’t come around too often. Events that change the course of history or an entire peoples perception or realities simply CAN’T come around too often, we’d be living in a world with constant upheaval if life changed at the drop of a hat. Yesterday’s LeBronathon was one of those moments. No, LeBron announcing he was going to the Heat on ESPN didn’t alter the course of history (as far as we know anyways), but is anyone ever going to look at sports and athletes the same way again? The idea that modern sports fandom is ultimately nothing more than rooting for laundry isn’t a new concept but neither has it ever been so plain to see, dangled mockingly in our faces. What happened? Yesterday LeBron James did his best to murder sports in the state of Ohio. His home state, the state his friends and his family live it. The state he grew up in. Continue Reading

Ah the good old days

Bryan Colangelo is my man. I was more excited about him coming to the Raptors then any player, whether they were acquired via trade, draft or free agency. I like his logic, his way of looking at the game of basketball. I enjoy his focus on offense, on winning while being entertaining. I respect his personal style, his business like attitude and his professionalism (not always the same thing). His innate ability to create fluid teams seemingly at will is impressive, as are the 2 Executive of the Years on his resume. And yet, his teams win loss ratio hasn’t been great since… well a while. Continue Reading

What a tweet.

A broken hand, a dislocated elbow, and a sprained wrist. A season ended terribly, and terribly prematurely. A group of teammates who must go on without him, possessing heart, hustle, and skill, but now in need of a low post presence and defensive anchor. This is what Andrew Bogut is dealing with. Continue Reading

Sports is a funny thing. It’s like real life, only it’s not real life. We are drawn to sports because it is a microcosm for life. We get to play voyeur and watch a person develop from a kid to a man to a grown-ass man. We see him learn the ways of the world on his journey from being a wide-eyed rookie to a hardened, smart veteran. The other thing we like about sports is, unlike real life, there are clear winners and losers. Continue Reading

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. Continue Reading

Ron Turenne/Getty Images

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. Continue Reading

Ned Dishman/Getty Images

Oh, Gilbert, Gilbert, Gilbert. With the news of what happened on both the team charter on that fateful Dec. 19 or what happened in the locker room on Dec. 21 changing almost hourly at this point, no-one really knows what to make of the whole situation. Least of all James (Ed.: No arguments here). However, since white people everywhere seem to be reacting with revulsion and abject horror to the entire situation, I figured I would weigh in here. Continue Reading

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

Allen Iverson vs. Denver, Dec. 07, 2009: 11 Pts, 5 Reb, 6 Ast.

_

FreeDarko: “Pro basketball is not 22 Pts, 6 Reb, 4 Ast.”

See that up there – Iverson kissing the floor? That’s one hell of a moment. It’s a moment I thought I’d never see and I’ll cherish it forever. And I know I’m not alone. Continue Reading

I tried this weekly recap thing last week, using Twitter as a guide. This week, I’m at it again. Same idea, but I’m going to use video as a guide. These clips are mostly from a few fantastic YouTube uploaders, but there are a couple of NBA.com videos in here too. This won’t be quite as good as actually watching the games as they happen, but it should at least give you an idea of what you’re missing. Continue Reading