I'm assuming you already read the NY Times article by Michael Lewis about Shane Battier, but if not here's your link.
Casey's all star work has been non-stop... click here for the latest, a couple of posts about Brandon Roy.
Dwight Jaynes has been dishing story after story over the last 3 or 4 days.
- Read about Kiki V the dunker.
- His memories of Fernando Martin.
- Some harsh words for Steve Kerr.
Chris Ballard describes B. Roy at the ASG.
NBA All-Star who drew the smallest media crowd: Brandon Roy. Whereas Stoudemire and Yao Ming and Bryant and James had crowds three-deep, Roy was conducting one-on-ones. Which is strange, because he's one of the best interviews. Perhaps it has to do, as my colleague Ian Thomsen so nicely chronicled in Sports Illustrated recently, with Roy's "old man" game.
Kelly Dwyer writes that Nate McMillan is one of many names in the Coach of the Year discussion.
Courtesy of Chris Littmann over at the Sporting News via the New York Times, Ike Diogu has found himself a summer internship.
Blazers forward Ike Diogu, perhaps out of sheer boredom from his lack of burn on a deep Portland squad, was in Phoenix this weekend arranging a summer internship with EA Sports.
Ike also admits to the videogame version of liposuction.
"Most of my friends, we don't play as ourselves, because the guys never do you justice," Diogu said. "You end up getting more frustrated that your player might be too slow or he doesn't jump high enough or he can't shoot good enough. If I am going to play as myself, the first thing I do is go to the edit menu and make the ratings the way I feel that they should be."
Blogfather wanted to make sure you saw this quote from Brandon Roy to Kevin Arnovitz about who he'd least like guarding him with the game on the line.
My older brother, Edward Roy. It's mental with him. He's been beating me since I was a little kid. And if he was guarding me late in a game, it would add a different kind of pressure, it would be more like, "Beat Big Brother." I'd probably make the shot today. I've finally matched up physically -- now I'm as strong as he is, and I can outquick him.
If you've got a spare hour or two, check out the comments section of Brother Wendell's post: 10 reasons Portland keeps RLEC.
John Canzano shills the company line for KP regarding Oden/Durant.
Still, Portland got the right guy.
I'm convinced of it. And I'm thinking those on the outside looking in, those who don't see Oden in practice and night to night, you know, the ones snickering at the Blazers today, are missing the point.
I fully understand Oden/Durant is no longer news but I want to make a single point to all writers/commenters/etc.: the easiest way to disqualify your argument from consideration is to trot out the "10 championships" line. Fact: no player in today's (and tomorrow's) NBA is winning 10 championships. Fact: the symbolic value of 10 championships as a counterargument to 10 all star games was questionable when KP first made it and is now totally irrelevant because that line been played out so hard. Let it go. Find a different approach.
Trade Rumors
Must read: Brian Hendrickson's trade talk roundup.
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Marc Stein with Jefferson/Ridnour. Also includes a Vince Carter namedrop.
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Sam Amick with Salmons.
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Ian Thomsen with Andre Miller.
- David Aldridge says no Amar'e to Portland.
Talk between Portland and Phoenix has been dormant for days, with the Blazers unwilling to include rising star forward LaMarcus Aldridge and rookie guard Jerryd Bayless in any deals for Stoudemire.
Power Rankings
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)